Everyone remembers going to the beach and lathering up with sunscreen with the sun beating down. However, we often forget that even on cloudy days, UV rays still shine through the clouds and can hurt our skin.
Even on cloudy days, up to 80% of UV rays can penetrate your skin through the clouds. In order to protect your skin and reduce your risk of skin cancer, you should apply sunscreen every time you are outside, even on cloudy days.
Another very important benefit of wear sunscreen on cloudy days, or every day, is to prevent signs of aging, and even skin cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “You should wear sunscreen every day! The best absolute practice is to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before venturing outside to allow the sunscreen to bind to your skin. Reapply every two hours of exposure and immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.”
Clouds may seem like a protective barrier against damaging UVA and UVB rays, but experts like warn that ditching the sunblock isn’t the best idea, being that you still can easily burn, even when it’s overcast.
Dense clouds would reduce UV radiation to some extent, however, clouds are better at blocking visible light, than they are at blocking UV rays, meaning you could still easily burn, even while it’s overcast.
We highly suggest consulting your esthetician about all the benefits to wearing sunscreen daily and determine the best SPF sunscreen for your skin.