The sun is shining brighter and the temperatures are getting hotter, which means that summer is officially here! That means beach days, road trips and exciting vacations to different places, but it also means excessive sun exposure and spending long periods of time outdoors. While sun protection is an essential all year round, it’s especially important during the summertime when more people are going to be outdoors for hours at a time.

Sunscreen is probably the most popular form of sun protection around, but there are still misconceptions and myths about it that can be extremely harmful and damaging. 

Myth #1: You Only Need to Use Sunscreen During Sunny Days

Summer often means long and sunny days, but you’ll definitely see some rainy and cloudy days too. While most people believe that these less sunny days mean that they don’t need to slather on their SPF, that’s actually not true! Just because the sun isn’t visibly shining, doesn’t mean that you can simply forgo sunscreen altogether because the sun’s harmful UV rays could still be extremely high during these days.

Furthermore, clouds don’t actually provide enough protection against these UV rays as more than 80% of these rays can easily penetrate through clouds, which means that your skin is still at risk of sun damage. It’s important to remember that ultraviolet rays aren’t directly proportional to the visible light that you see.

Myth #2: Darker Skin Tones Don’t Need Sunscreen

This has been a very dangerous misconception that has been around for far too long. While people with darker skin tones may have more melanin—the skin’s natural protection against the sun—this pigmentation is not enough to completely protect them from sun damage. 

Those with more melanin in their skin may have a lower risk of sunburns, but they’re still susceptible to premature signs of aging, hyperpigmentation and even skin cancer. This is because the UV-A rays have much longer wavelengths that allow them to penetrate more deeply into the skin and cause some serious damage in these lower layers. The bottom line is that everyone needs to wear sunscreen, regardless of skin tone and color.

Myth #3: Using Sunscreen Once a Day is Enough

While putting on a layer of sunscreen is a great step towards better sun protection, this single application might not be enough to protect your skin for the whole day. Many brands and manufacturers have revolutionized their sunscreen formulations to not break down as easily anymore, but there are still other factors like excessive oil production, physical touch, sweating and more that can compromise the protection of your sunscreen.

That’s why it’s important to regularly reapply your sunscreen throughout the day, especially when you know that you’ll be spending a lot of time outside doing various activities. Dermatologists and other experts recommend reapplying every 2 hours, but you might have to reapply more often when engaging in water activities or excessive sweating.

Myth #4: Sunscreen is the Only Form of Sun Protection Available

Sunscreen is definitely the most well-known form of sun protection out there, but it’s not the only measure that you can take. Simple things like wearing hats, sunglasses and protective clothing can help you level up your sun protection game and offer protection to more than just your facial skin. Aside from those, you can also bring an umbrella with you at all times to shield yourself from the sun’s harmful rays.

If you’re looking for more ways to protect yourself from the sun this summer, download the Temu mobile app today and browse through our wide selection of high quality and affordable products!