The chilly winter weather combined with a few months spent at home in iso means that your daily sunscreen habit might have recently lapsed.
What’s the point in putting on sunscreen when you’re just popping out to the shops or for a walk, right? Well, here’s the thing. The sun is still potent in winter, no matter how subtle it might feel compared to the scorching heat of summer.
Saving your SPF products for the warmer months means you’re not protecting your skin for several months of the year, and that’s a dangerous move, says Call Time On Melanoma founder, Lisa Patulny.
“The myth that you only need to wear sunscreen in summer is problematic because it puts us at risk of skin damage,” Patulny told TheLatch—.
“Experts recommend wearing sunscreen when the UV Index is at three or above, and that happens pretty frequently during winter in many parts of Australia.”
While the strength of the sun’s heat might feel greatly reduced in winter, the UV rays are still doing damage to your precious skin.
“People tend to connect the warmth and light of the sun with UV rays, but UV rays can’t be seen or felt so it’s unwise to rely on those factors to tell you when you need to protect yourself,” Patulny said.
“For instance, you probably wouldn’t think about applying (and reapplying!) sunscreen to hit the ski slopes, but UV levels tend to be higher in alpine regions. Plus, snow is highly reflective of UV. My advice, year-round, is to incorporate a high-protection, broad-spectrum sunscreen into your daily skincare routine.
“It’s your best bet for preventing the kind of skin damage that leads to skin cancer and melanoma, as well as warding off signs of premature ageing (if that’s something you care about).”
Through Call Time On Melanoma, Patulny has teamed up with six sunscreen brands to create 20% off discount codes exclusively for the CTOM community.
“The idea was A) to make it a little easier for you to purchase your favourite SPF and B) to encourage you to keep wearing it through winter and iso,” Patulny wrote on Instagram.
The six brands currently offering the discounts are Aspect Skincare via Adore Beauty, Beachfox, O Cosmedics, SunSense via Ego, Ultra Violette and We Are Feel Good Inc.
Some of the discount codes are valued indefinitely, while others expire in September. Head to Call Time On Melanoma’s Instagram to find the discount codes and all of the other relevant info so you can snap up a brand new SPF.
If vitamin D absorption is what’s stopping you from layering on your daily sunscreen in winter, this usually isn’t an issue for many people.
“Studies have shown that daily sunscreen use has minimal impact on vitamin D levels (remember – sunscreen is a ‘screen’, it’s not a complete block) but if this is something you’re concerned about, see your doctor for testing,” Patulny said.
“Some people are at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency in general, including people who cover up for religious, cultural or other reasons and people with darker skin tones, so if you fall into one of these groups it might be something you want to discuss with your doc.”
According to the Cancer Institute NSW, it’s estimated that roughly 95% of melanoma skin cancers, and around 99% of non-melanoma skin cancers, could be prevented through reduced exposure to UV radiation.
And, considering that Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, slathering on SPF every day is an important act of protection and self-care you can exercise quite easily.