Debunking 6 Common Myths about Sunscreen
3 min readSummer has just arrived and again we will be enjoying summers outdoors. With the beginning of this cheerful weather, again the talk is one the safest sun practices. Outdoor exposures exposed to the sun could have evident effects on us.
Though skin tan is normally considered a sign of health, the fact is that suntan isn’t safe in any case and is a clear response to the skin damage caused by sun exposure. Not considering the sun caused skin damage can be quite harmful to us and leave irreversible effects on our skin health.
How can sun exposure damage your skin?
People who stay outdoors for longer times are more prone to this. My cousin who was a field researcher had this extreme sun damage to her skin and after visiting many best skin doctors in Islamabad she still wasn’t able to completely reverse these effects. Thus, it is better to protect your skin from the damage rather than looking for cures afterwards.
Sunscreen – ultimate protection against sun damage
Talking about the sun-caused damage to our skin, applying sunscreen is the most recommended safest practice. Sunscreen, if hearing the word confuses you then don’t worry you are not alone in this. The practice is surrounded by the myths that speak the volume.
Common myths about sunscreen
Let’s separate fact from fiction on these common sunscreen myths.
1- You don’t always need to apply the sunscreen
Many people perceive sunscreen as the protection solely against sharp sunlight. It is commonly believed that applying sunscreen is only necessary if you are completely exposed to sunlight. However, there is no truth in this and the little exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun can be harmful to your skin irrespective of how much of your skin is exposed to this.
Similarly, the application of sunscreen isn’t considered important if the weather is cloudy. Again, irrespective of the strength of sunlight, application of sunscreen is important to protect your skin against the sun’s damage because you remain exposed to ultraviolet radiations.
2- Sunscreen can lead to health problems
Considering the presence of a certain chemical known as oxybenzone in older sunscreens, the application of sunscreen is considered to negatively impact your health. However, the studies support that despite the presence of this chemical ingredient in sunscreens, the harmful effects of this chemical are unknown in humans making it safe for our health.
3- If your skin is dark-tines, you don’t need to apply the sunscreen
Melanin, the pigment present in our skin, is responsible for our overall skin tone. It is commonly believed that people with darker skin tone don’t need to apply sunscreen and they are already protected against sun damage. Melanin to some extent can prevent the UVB rays from penetrating the skin preventing sun damage, but the fact is that melanin can’t protect against UVA sun rays that can lead to skin ageing along with skin wrinkles. So, no matter what your skin tone is, applying sunscreen is the safest practice.
4- You can replace sunscreen with makeup
Many people think that if they are applying makeup on the skin, they don’t need to apply sunscreen. Though makeup can provide little protection against sun ray still it can’t be considered as a replacement for sunscreen. You can’t make the only layer of protection for your skin though, can consider it as an additional layer to your sunscreen.
5- Applying sunscreen once a day is enough
No matter how claiming a sunscreen label is, the fact is that no sunscreen can protect you against sun damage throughout the day. So, you need to reapply sunscreen every 2-4 hours because the efficacy of sunscreen vanishes over time.
6- Higher the number of SPF, more protection sunscreen will provide
While choosing sunscreen, its SPF is what people consider. SPF is the sun protection factor of a sunscreen that is associated with its ability to block sun rays. It is often considered that the higher the SPF of a sunscreen, the better it will protect against sun damage. However, there is a limitation because no sunscreen can provide 100% protection against sun damage. More than 70% protection by sunscreen is merely an overstatement that no one should believe.
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