Have you ever ventured outdoors on a cloudy day without any sunscreen? Well, you're not alone. An astonishing number of people believe that you don't need sunscreen when there is no visible sun because if the sun's gone, so is the need for sunscreen, right? Wrong.
News Flash: The whole “You don't need sunscreen on cloudy days” thing is a total myth. We're here to let you know that UV rays will still harm your skin even if there is no visible sun. Exposure to them can cause pesky skin woes such as premature ageing and sunburn and lead to more severe skin issues like skin cancer. Still not convinced? Here are three reasons why you need to protect your skin with the right amount of SPF, even on a cloudy day.
01. Clouds don’t block the UV rays entirely
According to research, clouds filter less than 25% of the UV rays that penetrate your skin to cause skin cancer. So, if you thought you're being shielded by the clouds, think again. Even though you may feel cooler on a cloudy day, your skin will still absorb a majority of the UVA and UVB rays, which brings us to...
02. Sun damage has nothing to do with temperature
Sure, you feel like there's a lesser chance of you getting a sunburn if it's cooler outside. Cooler obviously means lesser chances of burns, right? Nope! UV levels are the same on a cold and windy day as they are on a warm, sunny day. The UV index rating can be extreme on an overcast day and can do just the same amount of damage to your skin even when the temperature is low.
03. UVB rays can reflect through water and sand
An overcast day at the beach may sound like the perfect opportunity to forgo sunscreen, especially if you want to dip your toes. Or if it's a rainy day, there's no chance you could get a sunburn, right? Let's put that myth to bed and throw it back to a school lesson. A surprising fact we learnt in school about sun rays is that they can reflect through raindrops. Research states that 17% of UVB rays can reflect through snow, water, grass and sand, which intensifies the exposure by 80%. So even if it is pouring outside, chances are you are getting affected by the harmful rays. We can all agree that reapplying sunscreen like there’s no tomorrow is the way to go. So the question becomes: what sunscreen do you use? We recommend the Lakme Absolute Perfect Radiance Whitening UV Lotion SPF 50 PA++. It’s a lightweight, non-greasy, broad-spectrum formula that shields your skin from both UVA and UVB rays and doesn’t leave behind that annoying white cast we oh-so-hate. Also, fun fact: SPF tells you how long the sunscreen lasts. So if something’s SPF 50, you’ll have to reapply the sunscreen after 50 minutes. Having said that, it’s also necessary to use the right amount. Dermatologists recommend applying a 1/4 teaspoon dollop for the face and neck. Now that the basics are out of the way, the only thing that remains – go ahead and apply some sunscreen if you haven’t today.