The Sun Doesn't Hibernate
- Jessica Rizzo
- Nov 30, 2016
- 2 min read
Unless you live in Alaska where there’s darkness for 3 months out of the year or under a rock like Patrick Star, then you probably see the sun, even in the dead of winter.
With temperatures on the decline and the thought of summer fading our memories, some might think that just because the sun only shines for a few hours a day, it’s not as harsh. Well I’m here to knock that pesky thought right from your brain.
The sun does not hibernate.
Your skin is very vulnerable to the sun, especially in the winter because people assume since the weather is colder then they’re protected so they don’t use additional coverage. Well, that is completely false. Although, yes, it’s true that you are protected from UVB rays in the winter which are the rays that cause tans and sun burns. You are, however, still exposed to UVA rays, no matter the season.
UVA rays can penetrate deep into the dermis which is the skin’s thickest layer aka where most skin cancer cells are formed. There are ways to protect yourself in the chilly months. There’s a thing called UPF Clothes and basically they are specially designed clothing that “filters” UVA and UVB rays. The clothes come in a variety of styles and colors that are pretty on trend but if you don’t want to fork out money for an entire new wardrobe then you can use the next best thing… sunscreen.
Since UVA rays penetrate the skin more harshly than the standard UVB rays do, regular sunscreen that you would buy from the corner store won’t do much. I’ve included a few options below of UVA approved lotion that can help protect your skin.
For me personally, I’d rather just hibernate for 6 months with a few dozen boxes of cookies and an unlimited Netflix subscription but sometimes you’ve just got stuff to do.
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