Debunked: 4 Myths about Wearing Sunscreen in the Winter

It’s fair to say that most people across the UK generally don’t use sun protection all year round. A study found that 67% of brits don’t use enough sunscreen throughout the year. So, if that’s you, not to worry – you’re not alone! 

Ask your friends and family today, and most of them probably haven’t even considered wearing sunscreen in the winter. Especially with our overcast, miserable weather (it wouldn’t be right to not moan about the weather at some point!). 

The trouble is there are lots of myths that get thrown around about our health and beauty regimes. We wanted to cut through the rumours and provide you with some solid concrete answers about sunscreen and why you should wear it in the winter.

If you have any more worries about your skincare, experts at Liberty have debunked 49 skincare myths. 

You only need sunscreen while outdoors… Myth

It’s often thought that you can’t burn while you’re inside, and for the most part, this is correct. Majority of glass blocks UVB rays, which causes tans and burns. So, what’s the issue? Even though UVB rays are blocked, UVA rays can still penetrate through glass.

UVA rays are highly damaging to your skin and lead to sun damage, wrinkles, and even cancer. So, if you can sit and read by the window, you should be protecting yourself with sunscreen.

You don’t need to wear sunscreen when it’s cloudy… Myth

Much the same concept as the last myth, but unfortunately, clouds offer even less protection! Clouds don’t provide protection to either UVA or UVB rays. So even on a grey and overcast day, if you’re outside for long enough, you could not only damage your skin, but you could even burn! 

A common rule of thumb to follow, if you can see your shadow on the ground, you can still burn if you’re unprotected. Knowing how unpredictable our weather is in Britain, it’s easier to incorporate sunscreen into your daily routine. This was you don’t need to worry about the weather standing in your way.

Sunscreen prevents ageing…. True

Ageing is something in life that’s inevitable, but wearing sunscreen can slow down the process. The rays from the sun have a damaging effect on our skin, as they decrease natural levels of collagen and elastin in the skin. These are what keep our skin looking smooth and young. So, protecting our skin from the sun can help prevent wrinkles!

This science has been backed by many studies over the years – finding those who regularly wear sunscreen show fewer signs of ageing in their skin. 

Preventing ageing techniques is in itself can be a massive topic for debate, and even if you haven’t used sunscreen, skin ageing can be slowed down and even reversed. Liberty’s 49 skincare myths debunked has tonnes of top tips and tricks from industry experts to help you prevent ageing and other skincare issues.

You can only get Vitamin D from the sun… Myth

Vitamin D is needed in our body to help regulate our phosphate and calcium levels. These are nutrients required to help keep our bones, muscles, and teeth healthy. Some studies have even found that vitamin D is integral for skin cell protection and rejuvenation, helping to keep your skin healthy.

Often labelled the sunshine vitamin, our bodies can absorb vitamin D from sunshine via UVB rays. Now, as sunscreen protects us from the damages of UVB rays, it will prevent our skin from absorbing vitamin D through the sun. However, the sun isn’t the only way that your body intakes the vitamin, egg yolks, oily fish, orange juice, and other foods that are rich in it. Alternatively, you can also supplement a healthy diet with vitamin D capsules if you are concerned that you’re not getting enough.

By consuming vitamin D through your diet, you’ll consume healthy levels of the sunshine vitamin without UVB rays’ damaging your skin.