Discover Benelux | Made in the Netherlands | Dutch Industry and Innovation
Integrating wellness into your daily ritual TEXT: EVA MENGER | PHOTOS: SUNSHOWER
Who would not want to start their day feeling strong, fresh, healthy and relaxed at the same time? It is the ultimate goal, but unfortunately, it is not everyone’s reality – whether that is due to a lack of time, energy or opportunities. With Sunshower, TU Delft graduates Merijn Wegdam and Oscar Meijer, have invented a way for everyone to feel good and enjoy the sun’s radiation and health benefits on a daily basis while taking a shower – even during a long, dark winter spent inside or travelling around. As a former industrial design student at the Netherlands’ top technology university, Wegdam started looking for solutions to the country’s collective lack of vitamin D. “Right from the start in 2003, making it as 34 | Issue 58 | October 2018
easy as possible for people to safely and efficiently benefit from the sun’s goodness was the absolute main goal,” general director Michael Tulp, who himself has a background in sustainable consumer goods, tells us. After Wegdam discussed his plans with Meijer, who, back then, was a civil technology student at the same university, they collaboratively turned the idea into a start-up. “Raising awareness of the innovative product was tricky at first,” Tulp continues. Sunlight is generally seen as harmful as it can damage the skin, so getting people to see any product using ultraviolet radiation as a safe and healthy option took them some time. “Sure, too much sunlight is incredibly bad for your skin, but too little is equally damaging,”
and that is exactly what the Sunshower team is here to show. The health benefits offered by vitamin D are infinite. As it helps your body absorb calcium, it has proven essential for developing strong bones, and it is also a key booster for your immune system and general muscle function. Most importantly, however, vitamin D deficiency can lead to low mood and tiredness, which is the main reason why so many people suffer from winter depression during the colder, darker months. Exposing yourself to a healthy and safe dose of UV-light every day can thus significantly boost your mood. Back in 2007, a study by the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), compared vitamin D levels of those who were