Why you should wear sunscreen everyday

Most of us know we need to protect ourselves from the sun, but don't necessarily wear sunscreen all year round. Sun protection isn't just for holiday - you can burn in the UK even when it's cloudy or colder.

Find out why you should wear sunscreen every day, the important role it should play in your skincare routine and whether to apply sunscreen before or after your moisturiser.

While it's important you get enough vitamin D from sunlight, you should always protect yourself from the sun's UVA and UVB rays. UV-induced DNA damage is a main cause for actinic keratosis and its progress into non-melanoma skin cancer.

Here are some useful facts about UV (which stands for ultraviolet radiation):

• Even when the weather is overcast, up to 80% of the sun's rays are still being absorbed by your skin.
• UV light has shorter wavelengths than visible light and while you can’t see UV, your skin can feel it.
• UVA has a longer wavelength and is associated with skin ageing.
• UVB has a shorter wavelength and is associated with skin burning.

UVA radiation weakens the skin's immune mechanisms and responses, contributing to the development of skin cancer. The impact of UVA damage isn't visible on the skin, meaning we may not be aware of its full impact until years later.

UVB causes direct damage to skin cells, showing up as sunburn, thus resulting in DNA damage. Eventually those cells can become cancerous, so UVB rays are particularly harmful to our skin.

UVA light is present all-year round, even damaging our skin when it's cloudy, and it can penetrate through glass. UVB is present at higher levels during the summer months. Learn more in How do the sun’s light rays affect skin?.

A few minutes in the sun provides a healthy dose of vitamin D, but our skin is often exposed to several hours of UV rays. Sunscreen helps protect against photoageing, cellular DNA damage and hyperpigmentation, so you should wear sunscreen every day as part of your skincare routine and keep applying, even over your makeup. 

Years of sun damage can result in you looking much older then you really are, but if you wear sunscreen every day you can prevent signs of visible damage appearing later on in life. You can learn more about how too much sun can damage your skin, as well as, ways you can prevent and treat sunburn.

Those with fairer skin have less melanin, which is a protective pigment, so are more at risk of UV radiation throughout the year. Discover sunscreen tailored to each skin type in the Eucerin Sun range. Learn more about how much sunscreen adults and children should use, and when to reapply here.

Those with tattooed skin should also be mindful of the damage the sun can cause, not only to their skin, but also to the appearance of their tattoo. Learn more here.

Applying sunscreen should be considered as much a part of your daily routine as cleansing, moisturising and toning. If you're wondering whether to apply sunscreen before or after your moisturiser, SPF should be applied as the final step in your routine, before make-up.

Physical sunscreens are formulated with protective ingredients to create a barrier between your skin and the sun, so layering a sunscreen after moisturising helps block harmful UV rays.

Several Eucerin day creams include a sun protection factor. Your skin may require a higher SPF, which can be used in addition to, or instead of, your usual SPF day cream.

Though the risk of sun exposure is usually low when indoors, if you often sit near windows when working from home you should wear sunscreen indoors. Only UVB rays are blocked by glass, as UVA rays can still damage skin through windows.

You should also consider wearing SPF if you spend a lot of time in your car, because the majority of UV hand ageing occurs while driving. The Hyaluron-Filler + Elasticity Age Spot Correcting Hand Cream reduces the appearance of age spots and prevents their reappearance with regular usage. SPF 30 provides effective protection from the sun.

As well as UVA and UVB rays, we're also exposed to blue light when sitting in front of digital screens like a computer, tablet, phone or TV. Blue light can trigger an increase in melanin production or pigmentation, leading to age spots or melasma. Blue light may also create free radicals, which can lead to the breakdown of elastic tissue and collagen.

As explained, you should wear sunscreen every day even if your skincare or make-up includes SPF. Eucerin Sun products offer comprehensive protection against sun-induced skin damage.

Our superior range is formulated with Advanced Spectral Technology and is tailored to individual skin conditions. The range features colour-coded labels to help you find the right SPF for your skin needs.