The Importance of Wearing Sunscreen: 10 Key Benefits

Wearing sunscreen every day is important to protect your skin, yet only 11% of people in the United States wear sunscreen every day. Nearly half of people in the United States never wear sunscreen. 

While many people use anti-aging secrets and products to protect their skin and look young, many people don’t realize how much damage the sun’s rays can do to their skin. Do you want to learn more about the reasons why you should wear sunscreen each day? 

Keep reading this article to learn more about the top benefits of wearing sunscreen and learn how to protect your skin!

Protects from UV Rays

One of the primary reasons you need to buy sunscreen is that it protects you from UV rays. Sunscreen acts as a thin protective layer that can prevent UV rays from reaching your skin and causing damage. 

It works by blocking and absorbing these UV rays with its physical and chemical particles. You can get more protection from sunscreen depending on the level of SPF you choose. 

While you can protect yourself from UV rays by avoiding the sun and wearing protective clothing, you can protect your skin and still enjoy the summer weather when you wear sunscreen. 

Safety From Depleting Ozone Layer

While UV rays have always been dangerous for your skin, the risk of skin damage from these UV rays has increased as the ozone layer of the earth has started to deplete. 

This is part of the earth’s atmosphere that protects the planet and us by absorbing the more harmful UVB rays. 

As the ozone layer has continued to deplete, more of these harmful UV rays are able to reach the ground. Sunscreen will provide you with an additional shield and layer of protection from the rays that make it past the ozone layer. 

Avoid Skin Spots

When people don’t wear sunscreen outside, it can cause them to develop sun damage spots on their skin. These typically form after regular exposure to UV rays and look like large freckles or brown spots on your arms. 

These skin spots are most commonly found on areas frequently exposed to the sun, like arms, legs, faces, necks, and more. Regular exposure to UV light can increase the production of melanin, which will lead to darker, more pigmented skin. 

There are other types of skin spots that can form due to reduced melanin production in damaged cells. 

Both of these types of skin spots will make you look older than you are. Luckily, there are many treatments that can help you avoid skin spots, like a chemical peel. Still, it is best to avoid this type of skin damage by wearing sunscreen!

Prevents Wrinkles

Not only will wearing sunscreen protects your skin from unnecessary sunspots, but it will also help you prevent wrinkles. Exposure to UV rays and the sun is one of the most common causes of wrinkling and skin aging. 

In fact, exposure to UV rays is thought to be responsible for 80% of visible facial aging. This premature aging of your skin will cause more wrinkles to form and will make you look older than you are.  

Wearing sunscreen can protect your skin from losing its elasticity which can prevent early aging and wrinkling. 

Keeps Skin Tone Even 

Wearing sunscreen can also benefit your complexion. Because it prevents unnecessary discoloration or hyperpigmentation, your skin tone will look much more even and healthy. 

Too much sun damage can destroy the collagen in your skin, which can also affect your complexion. Wearing sunscreen will prevent unnecessary skin damage and will make it easier for your skin to produce new collagen for an improved texture and complexion. 

Prevents Sunburns

One of the main reasons why people wear sunscreen is that it prevents the risk of sunburns. Nearly everyone has experienced a serious sunburn after spending too much time in the sun. 

In fact, 60% of people in the United States have reported getting sunburned so badly that it was uncomfortable to wear their clothing.

Sunburns can lead to changes in your skin tone, swelling, tender skin, and skin that feels warm to the touch. In more serious cases, sunburns can lead to fluid-filled blisters, headaches, nausea, and fatigue. 

Sunscreens contain ingredients that either reflect and scatters UV rays or absorb the rays to prevent them from damaging your skin. This extra layer of protection on your skin will protect you from UV rays and will help you prevent getting sunburns. 

While it is important to wear sunscreen each day, it is especially important to wear them when you are going to have more sun exposure than normal. This includes going to the beach, going on a hike, or even sunbathing.

Still, it is completely possible to get a sunburn from something as simple as driving or on a cloudy day. Because of this, you should never leave the house without applying sunscreen first!

Protects From Skin Cancer

Not only will excess sun exposure lead to sunburns, but it can also lead to skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States and it is estimated that one in five people will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. 

Most types of skin cancer are caused by too much exposure to UV rays. As was mentioned before, sunscreen can protect your skin from these rays, which will greatly lower your risk of developing skin cancer. 

Melanoma is one of the most serious types of skin cancer. It is more dangerous than many other types of cancer because it is able to spread too quickly. If you don’t catch it at an early stage, it can spread to other organs and increase your risk of death. 

Luckily, it is a highly curable type of cancer as long as you catch it early. Because of this, prevention, regular screenings, and early treatment are critical. It is also essential that you avoid unnecessary UV damage from sources like tanning beds. 

Leads to Healthier Skin

Sunscreen can also help you maintain healthier skin! Having a good skin care routine is more important now than it has ever been. It seems that everyone has the goal of improving the appearance of their skin. 

Simply wearing sunscreen can help you have healthier skin! This is because sunscreen protects vital proteins in your skin, like keratin and collagen. 

Too much exposure to the sun can destroy the collagen, elastin, and keratin in your skin. These proteins are necessary for healthy skin. They help your skin retain firmness and make it easier for it to bounce back. 

When you wear sunscreen every day, you can protect these proteins in your skin and have healthier skin!

Protects During Any Activity

When you wear sunscreen, it also protects you during any activity. This makes it beneficial for anyone, regardless of their activity level. 

For example, you can use sunscreen to protect your skin when you are going for a walk, run, or hike. Spending any amount of time outdoors can increase your UV rays exposure, so it is important that you never go outside without sunscreen. 

Sunscreen can even protect you while you are in the water, as long as you wear the right type of sunscreen. No matter what you are doing outside, wearing sunscreen will provide you with extra protection and peace of mind that you are protecting your skin. 

Prevents Serious Reactions From the Sun

Not only can you develop a sunburn from spending too much time out in the sun, but sun exposure can lead to many other serious reactions. 

For example, some people may develop a sun sensitivity rash. This leads to inflamed bumps on patches of your skin. 

Sun damage can even enlarge your blood vessels and draw them close to the skin. As the sun breaks down the blood vessels near the surface of your skin, it can cause your capillaries to pop. 

Each of these conditions can lead to pain and discomfort that may not clear up for several days or weeks. Wearing sunscreen every day can help you prevent these serious reactions from extended exposure to the sun. 

Learn More About the Benefits of Wearing Sunscreen

Taking care of your skin is something that needs to start now! If you wait too late to start wearing sunscreen, you may have irreversible damage to your skin that will be more difficult to treat. Wearing sunscreen will provide you with each of these benefits and more!

If you want to learn more about the best sunscreen to wear or other skin care and anti-aging tips, Zero Gravity can help! We are a medspa that provides aesthetic treatments. 

Contact us today to learn about our services or to schedule an appointment!