If you use sunscreen or sunblock every day, good for you! And if you reapply it every few hours to continuously protect your face and body, that's excellent.
But aside from these two things, there's more to know about sunscreen—including some widely held ideas that need debunking. To protect your skin better in the future, here are seven sunscreen myths you need to stop doing and believing in ASAP.
1. Having dark skin will protect you
Sorry, morenas! Your beautiful tan skin won't exactly protect you from the sun's harmful rays. According to Dr. Karyn Grossman, "all complexions burn." While you may not need as much SPF as someone who has fairer skin, that doesn't mean you should stop using it completely.
2. As long as your face is protected, it's okay
HOW? WHY? While it's important to protect your face, skipping the sunscreen on the rest of your body makes you vulnerable to skin cancer and premature aging, reports Reader's Digest.
3. Wearing sunscreen means you can stay under the sun all day
You should actually AVOID the sun during 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. because according to The Loop, you can end up burning more than you bargained for. Yikes!
4. You will become vitamin D-deficient if you use it
Remember: Sunscreen can reduce the production of vitamin D, but regularly using them won't cause a vitamin D deficiency, says Medscape.
5. You don't need sunscreen on a cloudy or stormy day
Think the sun can't penetrate those dark clouds? Think again. The Loop reports that as long as you're going to be outside, you're going to be exposed to all kinds of UV rays.
6. The SPF in your makeup will protect your skin
The SPF in your makeup is okay, but we bet you won't be applying nearly enough of it to protect your face as you'll need multiple layers—and no one wants to have a cakey face. Instead, StyleCaster says to apply sunscreen UNDER your makeup every morning to get the best possible protection.
7. Sunscreens are waterproof
Nope, nope, nope! No sunscreen is ever waterproof or sweatproof. If you're ever unsure about how "resistant" your sunscreen is, The Loop reports that you should just reapply it over and over and over again.
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