How do we balance risk of skin cancer with need for Vitamin D?

I, like so many, love the sun, but after a childhood covering myself with baby oil to enhance my tan (and getting sunburned at the beginning of the summer every year), I now am getting basal cell carcinomas regularly, plus the melanin in my skin is getting blotchy. Luckily the basal cell cancers and the precancerous spots are easily removed, and I am very lucky to have escaped any melanoma (so far). But at the same time, I know that some amount of sunshine is good for the body (creating Vitamin D) and the soul, spirit and mind. I think the official time you need to get vitamin D is just 10 minutes, but that's way too short a time to get the other benefits. So do I have to cover up completely? Or coat myself every 30 minutes in reef-safe lotion? Can't I have a tan?