The weather still may not be the greatest for spending time outside, but that doesn’t mean that your skin isn’t being damaged while you’re indoors. Sunscreen has a lot of additional benefits for your skin, even when you’re inside. It’s great at preventing skin damage, wrinkles, and dark spots. But most surprisingly, it’s fantastic at protecting our skin against the screens of our computers and phones.
Turns out, TV/computer/phone screens are really bad for our skin and we need that extra protection the more we use these products.
Let me explain.
The sun gives off two different types of rays:
UVA rays, which damage the skin and can cause cancer.
UVB rays, which cause sunburns.
Both rays create short and long term skin damage like burns, dark spots, fine lines, melasma, skin cancer, and premature aging. Sunscreen can prevent any of those things from happening, so it’s very important to use it to avoid these damages. However, technology screens emit another subtle ray that contributes to other skin issues that often go unnoticed.
Blue light, aka the glowing light from your phone and computer screens, has a high-energy visible light (otherwise known as HEV). This light can damage your face pretty seriously and lead to dryness, irritation, redness, and early signs of aging. It can also cause your skin to become more sensitive and acne-prone.
While blue light from your screens doesn’t cause immediate damage, it can do so over time. One of the best ways to prevent this from happening is by wearing SPF daily. This is a good idea since we’re always glued to a screen for work, entertaining, or socializing.
When picking your sunscreen, it’s important to choose one that has SPF 30 (at least), and “broad-spectrum.” If you don’t see those words, the sunscreen is ineffective in helping your skin get the protection it needs. Don’t feel the need to shell out extra money for something over SPF 50 though — it won’t be any more effective (just more expensive).
What’s even scarier is that being near a window can damage your skin! That’s why it’s so important to use sunscreen daily.
Furthermore, windows block UVB rays, but they don’t do nearly as good of a job at blocking UVA rays. Those UVA rays are the dangerous ones since they penetrate deeper into your skin and cause more serious damage like skin cancer. So the more you’re inside and near windows, the more sunscreen you should be applying.
Mineral-based sunscreens are the best kind to wear to protect your skin from all the daily dangers. But don’t worry, there are plenty of affordable options for you to choose from when looking for one that’s best for you.
Here are some recommendations below:
Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 – $18.99
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Sunscreen SPF 50 – $14.99
CeraVe Face Sheer Tint Hydrating Sunscreen SPF 30 – $15.00
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60 – $19.99
Sun Bum Sunscreen Face Stick SPF 30 – $9.99
Obviously, you can use whatever you want or find a lot of these products at your local drug store. Just remember to only buy the ones that have at least SPF 30 and “broad-spectrum” written on the label. Apply it to your freshly washed skin after a shower or first thing in the morning. That’s all you have to do to help your skin significantly in the long run. You’ll thank me later.
Featured image Pexels
Sunscreens are essential
Are these sunscreens are good enough