Esse Pro-Sun D Serum: Boost Vitamin D Levels with this Sun-Activated Serum
We’re constantly told that we should avoid the sun altogether, but maybe not. What if we need some healthy sun exposure to optimise skin health and prevent premature ageing? Spending time in the sun is critical for vitamin D absorption, an essential nutrient for healthy body function. So there’s the rub.
Balancing spending enough time in the sun to boost Vitamin D absorption while avoiding sun damage and premature ageing can be tough. Fortunately, Esse is taking the guesswork out of the equation with a new product that aims to help balance the scales. Esse Pro-Sun D is an innovative sun-activated serum that Esse says will ensure more Vitamin D production for skin, with less time spent in the sun.
It may sound like sorcery, but it’s in fact, just natural science. The serum contains the natural starting material — Provitamin D — which Esse says is activated by UV rays to boost Vitamin D levels in your skin. The result? More Vitamin D. Less sun ageing.
The lightweight serum is the easiest way to boost the skin’s Vitamin D levels with less time in the sun.
Why does your skin need Vitamin D?
Your skin needs Vitamin D for many reasons. It improves barrier function, resulting in hydrated skin; it regulates cell differentiation, which plumps the skin by increasing skin thickness; and it calms inflammation by modulating the skin’s immune response, and thereby slows signs of skin ageing.
Key ingredients in Esse Pro-Sun D Serum
This unique formulation contains active ingredients selected for their efficacy in improving skin health. Key ingredients in the serum include:
- Provitamin D: Provitamin D is converted to Vitamin D in the presence of sun. Vitamin D is proven to repair barrier function, regulate cell regeneration and calm inflammation.
- Aloe Vera Leaf Extract: Calms, soothes and hydrates the skin.
According to Esse, 99% of the ingredients used in the formulation are of natural origin and 96% of the total ingredients are from organic farming.
How should you use Esse Pro-Sun D?
The serum can be included into your existing skincare routine — cleanse, mist, serum, moisturiser, etc — and included in the step where you would typically use your serum.
Pro-Sun D can either be used as a replacement for your daily serum, or you can use it alongside your current daily serum and layer them before applying moisturiser. Because it’s a sun-activated product, the serum should be applied in the morning (or any time before your daily ‘sun spa’) and should ideally be activated for 5 to 15 minutes in direct sun without any make-up or sunscreen.
If you’re able to take time first thing in the morning to get some sunlight, then it is best to delay the application of foundation and sunscreen over the serum until after your sun spa to enhance Vitamin D synthesis.
However, if the use of sunscreen or foundation is unavoidable, Esse still recommends applying the Pro-Sun D serum underneath these products, as it will still work to produce more vitamin D than if you didn’t use it.
Even without activation, the Provitamin D in the Pro-Sun D Serum provides skin with improved resilience to stressors by increasing the production of heat shock proteins. Cells produce heat shock proteins to protect themselves from future swings in temperature. They allow normal cell metabolism to carry on, even in difficult circumstances. This is a really good measure of how resilient a cell is to insult in general. So the Provitamin D in Pro-Sun D provides improved skin resilience, even when the product isn’t activated.
Good sun exposure
We know that exposure to UVA can contribute to premature ageing and other concerns. So, it’s understandable that consumers may be weary of using a product that promotes sun exposure.
It’s important to remember that the UVA in sunlight presents negative effects mostly as a result of OVER exposure to the sun. Short, safe periods of sun exposure — below the minimal erythemal dose (MED) — have been shown to provide a range of benefits, and the UVA during such sessions won’t accelerate ageing much. With this product, Esse recommends only getting your MEDs, in which case you’ll reap the benefits of healthy vitamin D levels without risking premature ageing.
Given how much time we spend indoors, the average skin would need some sort of Vitamin D supplement, and Pro-Sun D is an easy way to ensure you’re getting what you need. If you’re unsure of the optimal time to do your sun spa and how much time you need to spend in the sun, Esse recommends downloading the Dminder App. This free-to-download app is a great tool to guide your exposure time.
What is the dose of vitamin D per application of Pro-Sun D ?
According to Esse, each application of Pro-Sun D is somewhere in the range of 12, 000-16, 000 IU depending on how you use the product.
The level of activation depends very strongly on where you are in the world and how long your sun exposure is. Normal levels of activation — for example, half an hour of sun exposure at 10am in the springtime would be somewhere around 62%-64%. You would be delivering an extra 14, 000 IU.
Remember that, despite these doses seeming relatively high, it’s impossible to overdose with Vitamin D through your skin.
Find Esse Pro-Sun D at Wellness Warehouse stores as well as online on the Esse South Africa website at R495.
