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Sola – Sun UV & Vitamin D Timer



Sunlight enhances your mood, relieves stress, improves sleep, and triggers vitamin D production. But too much sun exposure increases your chances of sunburns and skin cancer.

Sola calculates and tracks how much sun exposure you are getting based on current UV index forecast, your skin type, any existing tan, sunscreen SPF, and more.

Sola features a convenient Timer that reminds you when to re-apply sunscreen, when you need to get out of the sun, etc.

It also comes with an Apple Watch extension so that you can manage your UV exposure right on your wrist.

Sola optionally integrates with Apple Health app, specifically to read your Fitzpatrick Skin Type and to keep track of UV index that you were exposed to.

Also included now is Vitamin D tracking.

Lastly, thanks to its monochrome themes, you can actually interact with the app in bright sunlight, especially if you are wearing sunglasses.

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Sunny spring days

Sunny spring days invite us outside, but even in cooler weather, UV radiation can be strong. That’s why it’s important to know your safe suntime limits, so you can enjoy the sun without risking skin damage.

Many people associate sun protection with hot weather, but UV radiation is invisible and unrelated to air temperature. Even on cool or cloudy days, ultraviolet rays can harm your skin and overall health. The sun emits high-energy UV radiation in three forms: UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. While UV-C is entirely absorbed by the ozone layer, up to 10% of UV-B and nearly all of UV-A radiation reach the Earth’s surface, making daily protection and awareness essential year-round.

The primary cause of skin redness and sunburn is UV-B radiation, which mainly affects the outermost layer of the skin (epidermis). In contrast, UV-A radiation penetrates deeper into the dermis, where it can cause longer-term damage.

Health Effects of UV Radiation Overexposure

Immediate Effects

  • Skin redness, sunburn, swelling, blistering, itching, and pain
  • Sun-induced skin reactions such as polymorphous light eruption (commonly referred to as sun allergy), with wheals and blisters
  • Inflammation of the eyes, including photokeratitis or conjunctivitis (e.g., snow blindness)
  • Temporary suppression of the immune system

Long-Term Effects

  • Eye damage, including cataracts and uveal melanoma (a rare eye cancer)
  • Premature skin aging due to UV-induced collagen breakdown
  • Increased risk of various types of skin cancer, including melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers

Tip: Use the Sola app to identify your optimal sun exposure times, tailored to your location and weather conditions.

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The advantages of the Sola app in conjunction with the Apple Watch

The Sola UV Tracker app in conjunction with the Apple Watch offers several benefits, especially for people who want to monitor their skin health.
Here are some of the main benefits:

  • Monitor UV exposure in real time: the app measures UV radiation and gives you a real-time assessment of your exposure. This is particularly useful for protecting yourself from sunburn and long-term skin damage.
  • Personalized recommendations: based on your skin type, present tan, sunscreen SPF (if any), and current UV exposure, the app provides customized recommendations on how long you can safely stay in the sun without increasing the risk of skin damage.
  • Integration with other health features: by connecting with the Apple Watch, you can seamlessly integrate UV and Vitamin D data with Apple’s Health app. So you have all your health information in one place.
  • Reminders and alerts: when the Timer is active, you will get timely notifications for when you should re-apply sunscreen (if you choose to wear any), and when it is time to seek shade and get out of the sun.
  • Historical data: you can track your UV exposure over days, weeks or months to identify trends and adjust your behavior.

Overall, the combination of Sola UV Tracker and the Apple Watch offers a practical, user-friendly way to better protect yourself from the harmful effects of UV radiation.

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Crash issue for some users

UPDATE: Apr 1, 2025. A fix has been released. Thank you for your patience!

There appears to be an issue with iOS 18.3.2 causing crashes for some users. Actively working on a fix. Will update here when it is repaired. Sorry for the inconvenience.

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Tips for nutrition and UV light in winter

With a vitamin D deficiency, which often occurs in the winter months, the body is undersupplied with vitamin D. Vitamin D is particularly important for healthy bones: if the body lacks vitamin D, the bones can lose stability.

The human body produces vitamin D when the skin comes into contact with sunlight.
To prevent a vitamin D deficiency, you should expose your face, hands and arms to the sun several times a week from spring to fall.

Use the Sola app to track your vitamin D intake. This will ensure that your body is optimally supplied with vitamin D.

A small amount of vitamin D is also taken in with food: It is found in oily fish, offal, eggs and mushrooms. Therefore, make sure you eat a balanced diet, especially in the winter months.

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How to properly protect your children from the sun

Careful sun protection for children is an absolute must

The majority of sun damage to the skin occurs during childhood. Unfortunately, sun damage acquired at an early age is particularly dangerous: It damages the skin more permanently, causes it to age prematurely and significantly increases the likelihood of developing skin cancer later on. This is why sun protection for children is a particularly important issue.

80 percent of all sun damage occurs during childhood and adolescence

There are three reasons why 80 percent of all sun damage is caused before the age of 18:

1. Children’s skin is particularly sensitive

Children’s skin is less protected against sunlight than adult skin because children’s skin is several times thinner, it is not yet able to form light calluses and it produces too little melanin to be able to provide sufficient self-protection. The skin’s own protection only builds up slowly from the age of two. In addition, children’s skin cannot sufficiently “repair” sun-related damage. This makes sun protection all the more important for children.

2. Children spend a lot of time outdoors

Children spend much more time outdoors than adults, e.g. when playing or doing outdoor sports.

Children are therefore excessively exposed to UV radiation. On Summer vacation, a third of all children spend an average of 15 hours a week in swimming trunks and bikinis. In addition, the radiation dose increases as water and sand additionally reflect the UV rays. It is therefore important to think about sun protection for children every day.

3. Children are not yet able to assess the dangers

While adults often notice that a sunburn is on the horizon and can still take action, children usually only express their discomfort when damage has already occurred. This is why adequate sun protection is particularly important for children.

For example, use the UV index of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, which provides you with a reliable forecast of the strength of UV radiation in your region. You can then specifically advise your child to stay in the shade, for example in the nursery garden or school playground.

Sun damage that occurs during childhood is particularly dangerous

Studies show that just three severe sunburns during childhood are enough to increase the risk of skin cancer in later adulthood by three to five times. As parents, you therefore have a very special responsibility to ensure that your children have adequate sun protection every day. By using Sola, you can safely manage your child’s sun exposure and reduce the risk of overexposure and sunburns. Keep their daily sun exposure within the recommended range not to exceed 70% of daily UV dose, allowing their skin to avoid unnecessary harm.

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How is Vitamin D synthesized and what are its benefits?

Vitamin D, commonly known as the “sunshine vitamin,” is primarily synthesized in the skin upon exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from sunlight. This process involves the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol, a cholesterol derivative in the skin, into previtamin D3, which subsequently becomes vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). [1]

Dietary sources such as fatty fish, mushrooms, and egg yolks contribute to vitamin D intake, but they generally provide lower amounts compared to what the body produces through sun exposure. [2]

Once synthesized or ingested, vitamin D undergoes hydroxylation in the liver to form 25-hydroxyvitamin D (calcidiol). It is then further hydroxylated in the kidneys to produce 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol), the active form of the vitamin. Calcitriol functions as a hormone, regulating calcium and phosphate metabolism to maintain healthy bones and has roles in immune system modulation and other physiological processes. [1]

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, promoting strong bones and teeth, and reducing the risk of conditions like rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, and fractures. [1] Beyond bone health, it supports muscle function, cardiovascular health, and the immune system by reducing inflammation and aiding in infection defense. [3] Research also suggests that adequate vitamin D levels may help regulate mood and alleviate symptoms of depression. [4]

While sunlight is a natural and effective source of vitamin D, factors such as skin pigmentation, geographic location, and sunscreen use can influence its synthesis. For instance, individuals with darker skin tones have higher melanin levels, which can reduce the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D compared to those with lighter skin tones. [5] Additionally, sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 8 can reduce vitamin D production in the skin by more than 95%. [6]

To ensure you get enough Vitamin D while avoiding the risks of overexposure to sunlight, check out Sola in the App Store. The Sun UV & Vitamin D tracking companion helps you monitor your Vitamin D levels and manage safe sun exposure, so you can stay healthy while protecting your skin.

References:
1. Vitamin D Synthesis
2. Healthy Foods That Are High in Vitamin D
3. Vitamin D and Its Impact on Immunity and Mood
4. Can Vitamin D Deficiency Lead to Depression?
5. How is Vitamin D Synthesized in the Skin?
6. Vitamin D and Skin Health

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First FREE week issues

There was an issue with annual subscriptions not offering a first week free. That is now fixed. Apologies for users who were charged right away – if you were, feel free to reach out to me and we can sort it out.