5 Myths About Sunscreen You should Stop Believing

Anyone that follows a good skincare regimen, understand the importance of a good sunscreen. One needs to select a broad-spectrum sunscreen and reapply diligently. But some common myths might lead to sun damage, increased skin cancer risk, and premature aging. Here is our guide to clear some of the misconceptions about sunscreen and understand if these are true or false.

1. You don’t need to wear sunscreen when indoors:

False! You should be applying sunscreen to the exposed skin area even if you are indoors. This is especially true if you are spending the time right near the window. UVA and UVB are the two kinds of ultraviolet light that increase skin cancer risk. Window glass will not block the UVA rays. This can accelerate skin aging as well.

2. It’s healthy to get tanned as long as you don’t get sunburned. A base tan can help in preventing sunburn

False again! Remember that there is no such thing as a healthy tan or base tan. UV rays are a carcinogen and unprotected exposure will be increasing the risk of developing skin cancer. Tanning similar to sunburn can also cause DNA damage to our skin. There can be a mutation occurring in the skin cells with the damage that occurred previously.

3. Higher SPF sunscreen means more sun time

Now, this can be true if one applies sunscreen exactly as one is directed. This can be difficult. Sun protection factor (SPF) is the measure for the ability of a sunscreen to prevent skin damage by UVB rays. Theoretically, without sunscreen, if your skin starts to turn red, with SPF 15 there will be reddening prevention 15 times longer. But this is an ideal situation and people often don’t follow the directions. One needs to apply 2 tbsp of sunscreen on the body. This layer has to be even. So a higher SPF of 50+ can be a safety margin for people that need extra protection. Also, reapply SPF every 2 hours.

4. Sunscreen prevents vital Vitamin D absorption

This is a myth as well. One of the recent studies had shown that sunscreens don’t prevent vitamin D production. Regardless of the SPF you use, there will be some UV rays that reach your skin. It’s best to get vitamin D from supplements and foods rather intentionally exposing your skin to harmful UV radiations.

5. Some sunscreen ingredients are harmful

Most of the people question oxybenzene as one of the harmful ingredients of the skin. It has been used for years and there is no evidence that it is harmful to humans. There are two main kinds of active sunscreen ingredients: Physical and Chemical. Physical ingredients are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These are ingredients that stay on top of the skin and tend to deflect UV rays. The chemical ingredients absorb UV rays and reduce skin penetration. Although it is recommended that pregnant and nursing women must consider the use of mineral sunscreens.

Bottom Line:

People must keep using sunscreen as there is substantial evidence that proves UV rays are harmful and sun protection can reduce the risk of skin cancer.

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