Be honest: do you really wear sunscreen every day? According to a 2019 report by RealSelf.com, only 10% of Americans use sunscreen daily1. So if you’re one of the 90% of Americans who skip SPF regularly, keep reading to learn the top 3 reasons why you should wear sunscreen.
Why Should I Wear Sunscreen?
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Sunscreen Protects Against Skin Cancer
Exposure to UV radiation is the top risk factor for the three most common forms of skin cancer (basal cell skin cancer, squamous cell skin cancer, and melanoma, to be exact). Consistently wearing sunscreen is one of the best ways to lower your risk of developing skin cancer.
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Sunscreen Slows Down Premature Aging
The rate at which your skin ages is affected by your genetics and outside factors like exposure to UV rays and free radicals. While you can’t do much about your genetics, you can definitely protect against aging from those external factors by regularly wearing a sunscreen, especially one packed with free radical-fighting antioxidants.
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Sunscreen Defends Against Hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation is defined as areas of increased melanin production in the skin, which can show up as freckles, age spots, and melasma. Sun triggers the production of melanin in the skin, so the best way to protect against hyperpigmentation is by applying sunscreen consistently (read: daily).
How to Wear Sunscreen
Now that you know why you should wear sunscreen every day, here’s how to apply it. First, choose your SPF. We recommend Perfect Sunscreen, which provides broad spectrum protection with 50+ SPF. Perfect Sunscreen has a unique formula that doesn’t leave your face feeling greasy after application. Plus, it offers a smooth application, meaning that it doesn’t “ball up” when applied on top of your daily moisturizer. So there’s no excuses not to wear sunscreen every day!
For best results, apply Perfect Sunscreen 30 minutes before sun exposure to give the product a chance to sink into your skin and work its protective magic. If you're going to be outside for a long time, reapply every 2 hours or after swimming. And yes, you should wear sunscreen even when the weather is cloudy. Clouds only block 20% of the sun’s UV rays2, so make sure you apply your SPF regardless of the weather report.
