Question: I can't seem to find a good sunscreen. Is it okay to not wear one?


Answer:

In general, it is better to wear sunscreen. However, it's okay to not use sunscreen but only if you take other sun protection precautions.

Finding a good sunscreen that agrees with your skin is very difficult. It can be extremely challenging to find a sunscreen that is not only photostable, but also doesn’t break you out, leave a white cast, make you feel greasy, or overly dry out your skin. However, wearing sunscreen is especially important when you are on prescription products or other acne treatments that make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Sunscreen is also the number one preventative measure for anti-aging.

However, if you are trying to treat acne and haven’t found a sunscreen that doesn’t break you out, it’s okay to leave it out of your skin care routine for the time being. When you are treating acne, you don’t want to use anything that will aggravate your skin even more. But again, it’s always best to wear sunscreen whenever possible.

If you can’t find a good sunscreen for whatever reason, here are some tips that will help guard you against the sun’s dangers when you don't wear sunscreen:

  1. Avoid the sun.

    If you can’t wear sunscreen, avoid the sun whenever you can, especially during peak hours. Even if you are not outside, you can still get sun damage. Driving in your car, walking from your car to the grocery store, and staring out your office window are all ways UV rays can penetrate your skin.

  2. Wear protective clothing.

    Wear big floppy hats, giant sunglasses, and UV proof clothing. You can also purchase the Face Visor. However, this product is hard to find outside of Asia and even if you do find it, it’s pretty dorky looking.

  3. Cover your windows.

    UV rays penetrate through windows even on cloudy days. You can tint your car or home windows or use UV Shield for additional sun protection.

In Asia, some makeup mirrors or powder cases have a UV detector on them. These detectors signal an alert when a certain area is exposed to large amounts of UV light. I don’t think there’s anything like that in the US yet, however, you can make your very own UV detector bracelet with these UV Beads.

You don't have to be overly obsessive about avoiding the sun (some sun is good for you), but it's best to protect your skin whenever possible. While it is ideal to wear sunscreen everyday, even if you don't, there are other ways to protect your skin from the sun.


Last updated: September 25, 2012



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