There’s no off season for UV rays
You may associate sunscreen with vacations, summer and sunny, warm weather. For most of us, as soon as the weather turns cold and the sun starts setting before 5 pm, we’re not thinking about sunscreen anymore.
But don’t let the darker days and miserable weather here in the Northern Hemisphere fool you. The idea that sunscreen is less critical during the winter is a massive misconception.
Even when the sun is less present in our lives, ultraviolet light, a risk factor for skin cancer, is present, says Mayo Clinic dermatologist Dawn Davis. Light also reflects off of snow, making sunscreen essential during that increased exposure, Davis says.
But if you’re anything like me, who mainly hibernates indoors during the winter, is sunscreen really necessary? The answer is yes. It’s still important to stay protected while indoors, Davis says. That goes for when you’re in a car driving, too. Ultraviolet light passes through glass, particularly UVA rays, which penetrate deeper into the skin and can lead to cancer. (The rays can even penetrate clothing.)
I’ve often covered the importance of sunscreen protection here in this newsletter. And there are a lot of misconceptions. Most people, for example, don’t understand how to read a label and tell how well their sunscreen protects them.
But the biggest misconception might be that you only need it when you’re actually soaking up rays. The key to protecting yourself from the sun is to apply sunscreen often. Make sure it’s a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which blocks both UVA rays and UVB rays. You should also use sunscreen with an SPF value of 15 or higher and reapply at least every two hours (or more if your skin is wet or sweaty).
If you do forget about your sunscreen once the sun goes into hiding, though, don’t forget to check the expiration date when you whip it back out. Davis says that a big misconception about sunscreen is that you don’t need to worry about the expiration date. “Sunscreen expires because the active ingredients degrade over time,” she says.
And remember, as I mentioned in a previous newsletter, you should store sunscreen at room temperature and avoid exposure to extreme heat or cold, which will deactivate the ingredients.
The bottom line is sunscreen is not just for summer. Skin protection is important all year round, and yes, even indoors. — Fiona Rutherford
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