Sunscreen for Winter: Reason Why You Badly Need One

Sun gives people light and essential vitamins the body needs. Oftentimes, kids use their energy outside the comfort of their homes and expose themselves to too much sunlight.

During summer, when going out and vacation trips are rampant, the sun will always be present giving off its light and heat that people love, alongside the risks and danger it entails. Healthline reports that an estimate of 10 million Americans is living with skin cancer.

Sunscreens are available to ensure the protection of the skin and avoid notorious diseases that might come from too much sun exposure. But did you know that wearing sunscreen should not only take place during the hot summer months?

ALSO READ: Should You Apply Sunscreen Indoors? Here's What Experts Recommend

Sunscreens during Winter

(Photo : Spencer Platt)
A free sunscreen dispenser stands along the boardwalk at Rockaway Beach on a hot summer day on August 22, 2017 in the Queens borough of New York City. New York and much of the Northeast is experiencing warm and muggy weather with temperatures in the 90's and a heat index of over 100.

On an ordinary day, you might be using sunscreen to protect your skin and give the hydration it needs during the hot summer afternoons you will be going to the beaches. Applying that sunscreen during the winter is also as important as that. Beumont.org reports the main reason why sunscreens are needed during the cold winter days.

One of the reasons is because according to Beaumont.org, the snow intensifies the sun's rays, reflecting 90% of the Ultraviolet rays. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stresses that these rays can cause damage to the skin causing sunburns and worst, skin cancers when an individual is exposed to UV rays longer. This only means that sunscreens are still needed even when the temperature drops.

How does Sunscreen protect the skin?

You might be wondering how sunscreens protect your skin from the harmful light that the sun emits. Medical Xpress reports Canadian dermatologists reviews the latest evidence and guidelines on the usage of the skin-protecting cream.

According to the study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), sunscreen contains chemical or physical compounds that block ultraviolet radiation, which the study defines as light with wavelengths shorter than visible light.

The study continues that the chemical compounds or filters in the sunscreen such as oxybenzone, avobenzone, ecamsule, and octocrylene absorb the high-intensity ultraviolet radiation, making the harmful light safer for the skin. In simpler terms, the researcher notes in Eureka Alert that sunscreen reduces the risk of developing skin cancer by blocking solar radiation utilizing chemical or physical sunscreen filters.

Co-author of the review, dermatologist, and clinical lecturer from the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine, Dr. Megan Sander notes in Medical Xpress that exposure to ultraviolet radiation is directly harmful and has been associated with the development of skin cancers.

She adds that the evidence of their study demonstrates that sunscreen diminishes the risk of developing both non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers.

Important reminders

The researchers remind in their study that the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 and higher is encouraged to be used by children and adults as part of the wide-ranging photoprotection strategy. The researcher also reminded in their study that The American Academy of Dermatology proposes using the same amount for people of all skin types.

The authors also note in Eureka Alert that aside from utilizing sunscreens, counseling patients regarding their behaviors for avoiding ultraviolet radiation should be given importance.

Knowing that the winter season is around the corner, and white snow may appear during the holidays, bear in mind that the snow can reflect sunlight just like Beaumont.org explains. Applying sunscreen during the cold winter days would not hurt but protect you more against the sun's harmful rays.

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