Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : November 10, 2017 10:30 AM IST
Using sunscreens during winter is as essential as in summers. But we all know that the weather, the atmosphere, the air and everything about the season makes us lazy. And the first thing we do is to become ignorant about skincare routine. Getting up and lathering sunscreen seems like a task. But this is where we do the maximum damage to our skin. If you are staying in a country where winters are long you are probably exposing yourself to various skin related problems (by not applying sunscreen) right from dryness, to premature ageing to even skin cancer. Yes, this is true. We got talking to Dr Soma Sarkar dermatologist and medical director Skin Inn Clinic, Mumbai to know why sunscreens are a must during winters. Here are few of the reasons:
To protect from the UV rays
This is a no-brainer as we all know that this is what sunscreens do. But we have a misconception that during winters the sun rays might be less potent than during summers and giving the sunscreens a miss is fine. Wrong. Dr Sarkar says that no matter how thick those overcast clouds look like during winters, the potent UV rays can still pass through the clouds and they are equally dangerous. In fact, 80 percent of the sun s rays can pass through the clouds and are more powerful than those we face on sunny days. Read to know if sunscreens can prevent tanning.
The best way to protect your skin is to use a sunscreen daily with inbuilt moisturisers and an SPF > 25, at least on the sun-exposed areas. Your basic skin care routine during winter should be like: using a good sunscreen with moisturizing factors in the morning and then following it up with a ceramide-based cream for dry skin. For oily skin use HA-based moisturizer. Once a week apply an overnight mask on the face and exfoliation once in 15 days. Glycerine based face washes with lactic acid are a good choice during winters. Here are 10 other winter care tips that your skin will thank you for.
To protect from the harsh conditions of winters
The weather particularly doesn t favour your skin in any way. It dries up your skin and sets you up for premature ageing if not cared the right way wrinkles, dryness everything contributes towards this. If you have long winters you know what to expect if you don t care for your skin. But if you stay in a snowy area, remember, the UV radiation increases by five percent with every thousand feet above the sea level. So the higher the elevation more is your exposure to harmful rays. Snow also acts as a reflector and intensifies sunlight, making you highly susceptible to sunburns. Do you need us to give you more reasons to apply sunscreen during winters? Here are tips to choose the right sunscreen according to your skin type.
To prevent premature ageing of skin
The dryness in the air robs you of the natural moisture of the skin during winters. It makes your skin more sensitive, itchy, flaky and wrinkly. All of which makes you look aged. Over a period of time, they will lead to premature ageing making those wrinkles and frown lines a permanent feature of your face. Hence act now apply sunscreen. Not only on your face apply sunscreens on your hands and feet as they tend to crack and they are the most neglected areas constantly being exposed to dirt and dryness. Apply thick foot care cream and wear soft cotton socks. When treating your legs add a few drops of oil in the water and soak your feet. Try using gloves to protect your hands. Use a base coat over your nails to prevent the cold weather. Your lips also get dry and chapped use a rich lip balm at night prior to sleep as well as in the daytime which has an SPF factor.
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