We're huge sunscreen believers over here. Sun damage is the top contributor to early signs of aging, so the more we can lessen the sun's impact on our skin, the healthier and happier our skin will look.
But with June gloom just around the corner, we're about to experience our share of shady days. So what about when it's overcast? Do you still need to wear sunscreen?
Absolutely. That's because there are two different types of sun rays that affect skin: UVB and UVA. UVB causes immediate damage to skin (they're the ones that cause sunburns and tans), but UVA rays penetrate clouds and are most responsible for aging your skin. On cloudy days, you're still experiencing about 80% of the sun's effects on your skin.
And it gets worse: sometimes UVA rays are actually increased by cloud cover because the clouds are acting like a giant reflector and magnifying the UVAs onto the ground and through the air.
So to help you determine whether you should be using sunscreen on any particular day, we've come up with a helpful one-question quiz:
1. Are you still alive?
If the answer is yes, then you should be wearing sunscreen. If the answer is no, you may have larger issues to worry about.
Oh, and one more thing that may blow your mind: you can get sunburned in the shade. So even if you think you'll be protected by sitting under a canopy all day, UV rays can still scatter and affect your skin. Wild, right?
The bottom line is that you need to be wearing sunscreen every single day, no matter the weather. Just make it an automatic part of your routine.
And if you have sun damage that you'd like to repair, don't forget our Mermaid Collagen Serum features potent marine collagen that can help repair and strengthen skin.
