How does the sun help our skin change color?

The sun helps our skin change color by sending tiny messages to it through its light.

Our skin has special messengers called melanin, which are like little helpers that make our skin darker when they get busy. When we go outside, the sunlight hits our skin, and one kind of sunlight, UV rays, is especially good at telling those helpers to work harder.

• The UV rays are like a shout from the sun: “Hey, melanin! Time to get to work!”
• When the messengers hear that shout, they start making more pigment, which is like painting our skin with extra color.
• That's why we turn darker after being in the sun, it’s not magic, just a little help from sunlight telling our skin what to do!

When you’re playing outside and your skin gets warmer, it’s also getting a message to change color. This is how sunburns happen too, if the sun’s message is too loud, the helpers get overwhelmed, and that's when we feel sore or red.

So next time you're in the sunshine, remember: your skin is having a little chat with the sun!