Commit this rule of skincare to your memory – sunscreen is a must even in the colder months, rainy season and indoors as well. The need for SPF is real, no matter the weather, season, or temperature as sun’s rays can still pass-through on cloudy days, when it’s cold, and even through windows.
Why Wear Sunscreen at All?
The general purpose of sunscreen is right in its name-- to provide a screen between your skin and the sun as the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun can penetrate our skin and harm our cells and immune system.
UVA light is the primary type of UV radiation that reaches our skin, traveling further than its counterpart (even through window glass), UVB rays, and going deeper into the skin. This type of sunlight can lead to long-term skin damage, aging it beyond its years. UVB rays, on the other hand, while not as far-reaching as UVA light, are more powerful, causing sunburn and contributing to the development of skin cancer.
Wearing sunscreen temporarily protects your skin from these rays, and therefore prevents you from getting burnt and developing wrinkles, age spots, and even cancer.
Do You Need to Wear Sunscreen Indoors?
The short answer is yes. UV rays can pass through glass windows.
Glass windows do filter out UVB rays however UVA rays can still penetrate through your windows which is harmful to your skin. UVA rays actually penetrate a deeper layer of skin and are therefore more damaging than UVB rays. In fact, UVA rays are the root cause of hyperpigmentation, skin cancer, and premature aging
Wearing Sunscreen During the Winter?
As it turns out, your skin can still undergo sun damage during the colder months.
Therefore, you should always apply on some sunscreen on the exposed body parts (mainly face, neck and hands) when temperatures drop, too.
What About When the Sun’s Not Out?
Can you skip the screen when it’s overcast? As you might have guessed by now, no, it’s still smart to lather up when it’s gloomy or rainy outside. Just because you can’t see the sun doesn’t mean it suddenly isn’t there. And while UVB rays might not make it past the clouds, UVA rays will power through just fine and cause the damage.
