COMMON MYTHS ABOUT SUNSCREEN

by Expertish

It’s no news that sun exposure is causing most of the  skin changes that we thought of as normal signs of aging. The UV rays not only damages the skin’s elasticity and collagen but is also the number one reason for causing skin cancer. Sunscreen creates a barrier which not only protects your skin from sun burn but also helps in preventing the occurrence of wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots. Pigmentation is a real struggle now a days and hard to reverse but using sunscreen on a daily basis helps in having a clear complexion. Although the benefits of sunscreen are endless but till there have been so many myths surrounding this ultimate skin saviour. Here are some of them you must keep in mind before heading out in the sun:

HIGHER SPF LASTS ALL DAY LONG

SPF number indicates how long the sunscreen will protect your skin from UVA(B) rays. High SPF sunscreens tend to over promise protection which leads to minimal use of sunscreen and often people have the misconception that they can stay longer in the sun without being over exposed to UVA and UVB rays. As a result of this they tend to get as many UVB inflicted sunburns as unprotected sunbathers do and are also likely to absorb more damaging UVA radiation in their skin. This means the assumption of sunscreen with SPF 100 giving twice the protection as compared to SPF 50 is totally false as SPF 50 blocks 98 percent of the UVB rays and SPF 100 does 99 percent. SPF values between 30 to 50 offer adequate amount of sun protection even for people with the most sensitive skin.

HIGH END SUNSCREENS OVER AFFORDABLE ONES

It’s been a low key trend that if something is expensive then it’s going to be worth it. Well it might be true in some cases but not when it comes to sunscreen because  isn’t something you apply by taking  few drops or using just a pump or two. Sunscreen is applied daily on all the visible areas of your body which are exposed to sun and you also need to reapply it after every 2 hours then what’s the point of going for the high end ones? Yes , it’s totally fine if you enjoy a touch of luxury in your life but it’s not necessary at all. It’s absolutely fine if you pick a sunscreen with affordable price range which contains SPF  30-50 , has a broad spectrum and can prevent from both UVA and UVB rays then consider your job done.

NO SUNSCREEN ON COLD, RAINY OR CLOUDY DAYS

Just because you don’t see any sunlight doesn’t mean that the UV rays can’t  harm you. Clouds can filter sunlight but not the harmful rays which causes premature aging and cancer. Same is the case in colder areas and weather. Infact when you are trekking in the mountains or skiing, your skin tends to burn even more because the atmospheric layers get thinner on high altitudes. So the bottom line is that you must wear sunscreen in the day time even if you cannot see the sun or don’t feel the heat.

NEED ENOUGH VITAMIN D

Sunscreen blocks a lot of UVB rays from entering your skin which is needed in the production of vitamin D. But recently many studies have found that wearing sunscreen doesn’t has a lot of effect on your vitamin d levels as there are so many  spots you miss while applying. Moreover  people don’t even apply the right amount of sunscreen. It was also found that people who did unprotected sun bathing also had lower levels of vitamin D so it’s always better to keep your skin protected by wearing a sunscreen. As it’s also known that we do get adequate amount of vitamin D from food groups which are high in omega 3 and also from mushrooms, dairy products , vegetables etc. If you are still not convinced with the lower levels of vitamin D in your body then go for a 10-15 min early morning walk.

     DARK SKIN PEOPLE DON’T NEED SUNSCREEN

No matter if you are fair skin, olive skin, dark skin or whatever the range of melanin is there in your body YOU DO NEED SUNSCREEN. People with darker skin or high melanin might not see the harmful effects of sunlight on their skin but as you will age it’s all going to be visible. Just because your skin doesn’t get burn too easily it doesn’t mean that you should use it as an excuse to skip it and compromise the future health of your skin.

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1 comment

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