Winter is here. A mild south breeze and dry atmosphere with bright shining sunlight during the day are common phenomena before the arrival of December.
Those who have to go out every single day to get their jobs done keep sunscreen in their bags for summer. Because it is a must for summer in Bangladesh where temperature mostly ranges between 30°C and 40°C.
The summer does not only come with high temperatures, it also comes with UV rays to destroy the natural glow of our skin. Apart from making the skin tan, this ray also contributes heavily to causing skin cancer.
However, people assume that sunscreen is not important during the Winter. Well, Winter doesn’t come with high temperatures, but the UV ray remains there equally. Hence, the importance of sunscreen is too costly to neglect during the Winter season as well.
Why one should use sunscreen and how to use it according to our skin type is a matter of concern for those who are willing to use it.
A study conducted by Henry Lim, a dermatologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, USA found that less than 55-year-old people who used sunscreen regularly had a 24 per cent less chance of getting wrinkles and looking old.
It also gives protection from skin cancer as well as rashes, itching etc.
Why use sunscreen?
Due to ultraviolet rays from the sun, outer skin layers and the deeper layers of the skin get affected as the rays can damage or even kill the skin cells.
The outer layer gives us protection from cancer or other skin issues. So using sunscreen to save those layers is a necessity.
People with less melanin and brighter skin tones are more likely to get affected by the UV rays. Redness in the skin, tan tone, burned skin are quite common due to being in the sun for long. Hence, sunscreen can help to avoid these issues.
Proper use of sunscreen
“Sunscreen should be reapplied every 2 hours if one is actually planning to be under the sun for a long time in order to avoid tan,” advised Dr Afzalul Karim, Dermatologist of Holy Family Red Crescent Hospital, in an interview with a Television channel.
He also mentioned that at least SPF 30+ sunscreens are good for Bangladeshi skin tones but it will vary if someone has brighter skin tones.
If someone has oily skin, he/she has to apply oil-free sunscreens and wash their face with special dry soaps to avoid redness and pimples.
“Even on rainy or cloudy days, it is important to use sunscreen as our skin is susceptible to harmful sun rays considering the fact of hyperpigmentation and discolouration of our healthy skin,” Lamia Tasnim, a freelancing model and popular social media beauty blogger mentioned.
She re-emphasises using sunscreen during winter too stating, “Not using the right amount of sunscreen in your busy days will result in skin damage. So make sunscreen your best friend for healthy skin.”
People who use makeup in their regular routine should not forget to apply sunscreen first after using their required moisturiser. After all, healthy glowing skin is preferable to everyone irrespective of any season or place.
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