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Bella Breakdown

Using sunscreen just when you spend more than an hour out in the sun isn’t what you’re supposed to do anymore. With growing concerns about skin cancer and just protecting your skin, in general, it’s important to know the truth when it comes to sunscreen. So, here are the biggest myths you should forget when it comes to your sunscreen.

Having dark skin doesn’t mean you don’t need sunscreen:

Just because you can’t see the effect sun has on the skin with a more malanated pigment doesn’t mean the UV rays aren’t causing damage.

“It’s just harder to see sun damage on dark skin,” Sapna Patel, M.D., says. Skin cells respond to UV rays by releasing pigment. This pigment, which we think of as a sunburn, is harder to see in darker skin. “Your skin color is not the same as SPF sun protection,” Patel says.

Regardless of your skin color, apply sunscreen liberally 30 minutes before going out in the sun, and don’t forget to reapply.

My sunscreen is waterproof, so I don’t need to reapply it after swimming or sweating:

There’s no such thing as waterproof sunscreen. Just like how you have to reapply lotion whenever your skin is wet, you have to do the same with sunscreen.

Now some sunscreen and sunblock may be water-resistant, but not waterproof. In fact, you will need to reapply your sunscreen more often due to the layer of UV protection being lessened.