When it comes to protecting your skin from the sun, there are many misconceptions out there that easily confuse people, leading to serious sun damage. OROGOLD looks at the most common sunscreen myths that are damaging your skin.
Myth No. 1 – I only need to wear sunscreen in the summer
This is an extremely common myth, made even more believable by the fact that most companies only focus on the importance of sunscreen during the summer months. However, although UVB rays are more present in the summer, when the surface of the sun is closest to earth, these rays are still present all year round, even on cloudy days, as 80% of the sun’s UV rays penetrate through even the thickest of clouds. In fact, when it comes to winter sports, it is extremely important that your skin is protected, as the snow reflects the sun, bouncing all of those harmful rays back onto your body.
Myth No. 2 – I can use the sunscreen that has been leftover from last summer
If you still have a bottle of sunscreen that has been leftover from last summer, then you are clearly doing something incorrectly, as regular applications of sunscreen mean that you wouldn’t have old bottles lying around. You should be re-applying your sunscreen every two to four hours, and even more if you have been in the water. To sufficiently cover your whole body, you would need enough sunscreen to fill a shot glass, so don’t be stingy with the amount that you apply. Here at OROGOLD, we always believe that when it comes to sunscreen, more is better than less.
Myth No. 3 – I have dark skin, so I don’t need to worry as much about sunscreen
Dark skin means that you have more pigment in your skin, and although this may lower your risk of skin cancer, it does not make you immune to it. This misconception is so widespread that when it comes to people of color, skin cancer is usually only found at late stages, making it much more difficult to treat. Cancer is also partly genetic, so even if you have darker colored skin, you may still have certain genes that make you much more susceptible to skin cancer, meaning that it is just as important to take care of your skin.
Myth No. 4 – Sunscreen will prevent my body from getting enough vitamin D
This is an extremely common myth that couldn’t be further from the truth. To begin with, when we apply sunscreen, we rarely apply it fully enough to prevent the absorption of vitamin D. The time that the body needs to make vitamin D is also much lower than you would imagine, and, after just 15 minutes in the sun, the system overloads and vitamin D production is halted, because if more was to be produced, it would end up being toxic to the body. If you are still worried about your vitamin D levels, OROGOLD recommends looking into supplements.
Sun protection is more important than most people realize, which is why skin cancer rates are constantly increasing. OROGOLD advises that no matter where you are going or what you are doing, you incorporate the use of a good sunscreen into your daily skin care routine.
