With summer on the horizon, we thought it would be an excellent time to have a little refresh on suncream.
Even now, suncream can be a divisive topic, but science and research show the dangers. Failing to protect yourself from the suns rays can cause premature ageing, skin damage, inflammation, skin cancer, dry skin, weakened immune system, more wrinkles and a handful of other issues.
There was a time when people reserved suncream for their holiday(s) and would only ever apply it once or twice a year, and it’s likely still the case for many people. However, we now know a lot more about the dangers of the sun and its UVA and UVB rays.
The simple answer to when should you wear suncream then is, well, every day. Whether it’s sunny or not should no longer be the determining factor of whether or not you need to lather up. Even on a cloudy day, up to 80 per cent of the sun’s UV radiation reaches the earth, leading to skin damage.
Even in winter, it is highly recommended that you wear suncream every day. Although temperatures are colder and the sight of the sun is rarer, UVA rays are not reduced by clouds and remain an issue all year round. The Skin Cancer Foundation found that strong winds and snow will wear away suncream more quickly, so if you’re outside for long periods, it’s advisable you still reapply every two hours.
Finally, and we promise we aren’t joking, it’s worth thinking about wearing suncream even if you’re indoors or in a car. In a car, the sun’s UVA rays will penetrate the glass and still impact your skin, and it’s the same inside your house. If you’re sat near a window or in a conservatory, the rays can still reach you. Most windows filter out the UVB rays, so it’s unlikely you’ll get sunburnt, but the UVA rays will still leach through and, over time, will age your skin.
Currently, there is also extensive research to try to understand the impact blue light from a phone, computer or television screen has on our skin. While the studies are all in their infancy, scientists believe that the blue light emitted from our devices can contribute to wrinkles and hyperpigmentation.
We understand that the thought of slathering on suncream every day may seem a bit over the top, but if you want to reduce the ageing of your skin and protect yourself from possible issues, it’s well worth doing. For us, we recommend keeping a suncream in your bathroom cabinet and applying it to your face and neck in the morning. That can cover you for many months of UK weather, then it’s just a case of applying suncream to the rest of your body, and it becomes uncovered as the weather warms up.
