It’s a rule of thumb at this point: You need to wear sunscreen every day. Otherwise you’re risking skin cancer and getting wrinkly… or so we’re told. However, some worry that sunscreen might prevent the skin from receiving the benefits of sunshine, like vitamin D. In fact, 11% of American adults believe sunscreen is more harmful than direct sun exposure, the New York Times reports, citing a poll conducted on over 1,000 people.

“This is one of the biggest obstacles in people’s minds: the idea they shouldn’t use sunscreen for fear they won’t get vitamin D.” Dr. Steven Q. Wang at the Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian told the news outlet.

But what exactly are the benefits of sunshine? Well, sunshine boosts mood, lowers stress by triggering endorphin production, and helps the body produce vitamin D and regulate sleep cycles. That being said, these benefits don’t come from UV rays — which can damage the DNA in skin cells and potentially lead to mutations and skin cancer — they just come from the visible light. So, you can still be happy under the sun while wearing sunscreen.

The risk of skin cancer outweighs the risk of vitamin D deficiency, so you need to wear your sunscreen anyway, according to Dr. Steven Q. Wang. Concerns about vitamin D deficiency can be addressed through diet, with food rich in vitamin D like fatty fish and fortified products, said Dr. Robert Ashley at UCLA Health.

Sunscreen doesn’t even block UV rays completely. “Even if you’re the best sunscreen user imaginable and you put on a thick layer and reapply it every two hours, there’s still a little bit getting through there,” said Dr. Deborah Sarnoff, professor of dermatology at New York University and president of the Skin Cancer Foundation.

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