There are some beliefs and myths about sunscreen and its application that might be worth remembering aren’t quite true. I’ve heard of some of them quite often and most are things I hear over and over so here are 5 sunscreen myths debunked.
You do not need sunscreen in winter or on a cloudy day
False. You need sunscreen EVERYDAY. The ozone layer and clouds help screen us from some UV rays but at least 80% of the rays still hit the earth and even if you don’t feel the heat of the sun, UVA rays are still present. Not to mention that whatever UV rays that hit the earth get reflected off surfaces and yes, onto our skin.
This is especially true if you live in the city. UV rays reflect off buildings, windows, cars etc and if you aren’t protected by sunscreen or sunblock, you are just soaking up the rays and generating free radicals within your body. During winter or on cloudy days you can use sunscreen with a lower SPF with a minimum of SPF15 but try not to compromise on your UVA blockers.
You do not need sunscreen if you stay indoors
False. Even if you do not get the sun’s rays UVA rays can still penetrate into our homes. Also, UV rays get generated from lights and television screens and computer monitors so do not abandon your sunscreen even if you are planning to stay indoors the whole day.
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