Before, I did not use sunscreen often; because I am brown and do not burn when in the sun for a prolonged period of time, just got tanner. So I didn’t believe that I needed to use it, but I was very wrong. Even if you are a dark complexion and don’t burn you still need to wear sunscreen to protect from the UV rays because no matter the skin tone; prolonged exposure to UV rays can lead to serious health risks like skin cancer. It’s better to be safe !
While you may correlate sunscreen to summer and going to the beach, it should also be an essential for the winter. At the moment, we are in the middle of winter. Although not everyday is sunny, there are a few couple of days where the sun is nice and shinning out. If you think those are the days you only need to wear sunscreen you are wrong. Following I will list various findings that surprised me about wearing sunscreen and the winter
Clouds can’t hide you
Even if you can’t see the sun, the suns rays can find you. According to Washington Square Dermatology, “no matter how thick those overcast clouds look, up to 80 percent of the sun’s rays can still penetrate them.” So yes, you have to wear sunscreen in the winter even if the suns not out. While at the moment, we are wearing face masks because of covid our whole face isn’t exposed, but your forehead/upper face area is; wear sunscreen there to help prevent aging. While it is eventually going to happen, it always helps if you can delay it a bit.
Winter conditions remove sunscreen quicker
The Skin Cancer Foundation cautions that “snow and strong winds wear away sunscreen and reduce its effectiveness, so during winter, you can’t just apply in the morning and assume you’re protected all day. Instead, it’s recommended that during winter you reapply every two hours, and immediately after sweating.” This was something that surprised me because while I did apply it in the winter I didn’t know that other factors would make it wear away quicker and have to reapply more often. Now I carry my sunscreen in my bag when I go to work.
Winter Sunlight
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “Snow reflects up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV light, so the rays hit you twice, further increasing your risk of skin cancer and premature aging.”
The ozone layer
The Skin Care Foundation additionally states, “the ozone layer is thinner during the winter months. That is why you have less protection from the sun. Even though the winter outside is colder, your skin may be absorbing more of the ultraviolet rays.” This is another important fact because with global warming and everything else affecting our environment and ozone layer; we need to do the best to help protect ourselves.
Hopefully this helped you learn new things about sunscreen and the winter and why you should wear it. These were new things to me and I decided to make a blog post to let others know because I think this is important information!
My sunscreen recommendation is the PURITO Centella Green Level Unscented Sunscreen. It is a Korean product, so I know it is a good quality; as Korean skincare has been known for anti-aging, etc. It has a SPF of 50 and leaves no sticky or white residue !!! I love that because I am brown and that’s also why I didn’t wear sunscreen. (I’m vain sue me.) I felt like I looked like a clown. Lol.
Anyways what’s your favorite sunscreen? What are some facts I didn’t mention about sunscreen usage everyone should know? Comment below 🙂
J’s Journal 