Why You Need To Wear Sunscreen In The Winter

As the season change, so does your skincare routine. Or at least it should. How you take care of your skin during the dry winter months will be different than your spring skincare. Perhaps you’re swapping your lightweight summer lotions for a more suitable rich body butter. However, there’s an aspect that should never change.

Can you guess what it is?

Well, from the title, it should be pretty obvious. It’s sunscreen. More specifically, SPF protection in your everyday skincare products. Once the cold months start, we often forget about protecting our beloved skin from the harmful effects of the sun. If you want to preserve your radiant glow throughout winter, you’ll want to keep harmful UV rays away from your skin. Whether you’re taking a stroll with hot chocolate in hand or hitting the slopes — sun protection is just as important once the temperature dips than ever.

Don’t believe us? Well, here are the facts.

Clouds Don’t Stop The Sun

While you may be thinking that cloud cover should be enough to keep your skin safe from harmful UVA rays, unfortunately, you’re wrong. On a cold and cloudy day, you would think our skin would get a break from the sunshine, but it does not. Up to 80% of the sun’s rays actually make it through the clouds. So much for “cloud cover.”

If you want to prevent aging, a tinted base with SPF of 30 or higher should do the trick. Products that also keep you moisturized are a major plus.

The Higher You Are The Harder It Hits

Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean we’re stuck inside. Lots of us still love outdoor activities during the wintertime. Ice skating, sledding, cross country skiing — even snowshoeing can be a great time. It’s important to wear sun protection when you’re out in the snow because the snow reflects and makes sunlight more intense. It’s even more important for those of us that love to ski or snowboard. The elevation only makes matters worse. Sorry slope lovers.

“People who live at high altitudes or in areas with bright sunlight year-round have a higher risk of developing skin cancer.”

One In 5 Americans Will Develop Skin Cancer

Sadly, by the time we all hit 70, one in five of us will develop some type of skin cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, there are some pretty daunting facts about skin cancer that we simply don’t take seriously enough.

• Five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma
• More than two people die every hour of skin cancer
• Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world

While these facts are a bit terrifying, skin cancer is almost always preventable or at the very least, manageable. Early detection is key. Protecting your skin from the sun is the very best way to deter nonmelanoma skin cancers, as about 90 percent of them come from exposure to UV rays from the sun.

Keep Your Younger Looking Skin

Nobody wants age lines or wrinkles. One way to prevent this is with SPF protection. You might not be able to turn back the hands of time, but you can slow them down. Hopefully, preventing skin cancers is a good enough reason to wear sunscreen. If not, you should know that it slows down your skin’s aging process by about 24% according to some studies.

How To Protect Your Skin In The Winter

Now that we know the why, let’s get to the how. Staying out of direct sunlight is by far the best way to protect your skin. We know this isn’t possible unless you want to deprive yourself of vitamin D for the rest of your life. The sun is most powerful during the mid-day hours (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.). These are times you can avoid being outside if possible. You can also wear long clothes that cover your arms or legs. Sunglasses or broad-brimmed hats help protect your face as well.

Sunscreen or SPF protection comes in many forms and products that you already use.

• Creams
• Lotions
• Lip balms
• Sticks
• Oils
• Butters
• Sprays

There are dozens of products you can find various strengths of sun protection. Some of these products also work better for your body while others may work well for your face. Be sure to read the instructions or get recommendations for your dermatologist before testing out a new product.

Not All Sunscreens Are Created Equal

You want to protect your skin from all types of harmful rays during the winter. Be on the lookout for broad-spectrum sunscreens. These will protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays. You should be able to spot this wording on the label.

If you’re looking for an organic option, there’s a ton of information you should know. We actually have an article that should be able to help you out. Check out What Makes Organic Sunscreen “Organic.”

Winter Is Almost Here

We had a good run, but winter will be here before we know it. If you want to keep your skin looking young and radiant, don’t skimp out on SPF products during the cold months.

If you’re looking for a great company with SPF level protection in all of their products, check out Colorescience.