Sunscreens are an important of our skincare routine. Without using sunscreen, it is impossible to keep your skin healthy. Sunscreens not only protect our skin from the harsh rays of sun but also helps to make it radiant, glowing and healthy. 

  There are some myths and misconceptions around sunscreens. Let's have a look at them, so keep scrolling till the end.

1) Sunscreen makes your skin darker

This happens when you are using zinc oxide sunscreen or a sunscreen with a physical filter that is not matching your skin. If you are using a zinc oxide sunscreen, it will make your skin appear a little bluish and dull. So that is the reason why you feel that your skin looks darker. 

    In that case, you can go for a chemical sunscreen which doesn't have zinc oxide that will blend well and match with your skin better. Also using sunscreens with antioxidants in them like a Vitamin C in them can sometimes make your skin darker because that Vitamin C can oxidize so try to avoid sunscreens with Vitamin C. So sunscreens do not make your skin darker, you just need to find out the right one. 

2) Chemical Sunscreen are harmful, Natural Sunscreens are better

There is nothing like a natural sunscreen, all sunscreens contain either organic filters or inorganic filters. Inorganic filters are zinc oxide, titanium dioxide and ion oxide. Organic filters are octislaate, ozybenzone, homoslaate, tinosorb, univul, avobenzone. All of these come under organic filters. So, a sunscreen must have either of these ingredients in order to be effective. There is no natural ingredient that can protect your skin from sun.

     Though carrot seed oil and vegetable oils have been promoted as having some protective effect but the only have mild antioxidant effect and do not form a coting on the skin or have enough activity to protect your skin against UV rays. So don't fall for this claim that you need a natural sunscreen.

3) Children don't Need Sunscreen

Children do need sunscreen. You need to apply a plain zinc oxide sunscreen on kids. Kids also tend to burn so that's why application of sunscreen is very important in children as well. Especially if they are engaging outdoor activities or swimming then you have to make sure that you apply enough amount of sunscreen in kids. 

4) Sunscreen Can Cause Vitamin D Deficiency

There have been studies where they studies people who have applied sunscreen on a regular basis and those who haven't. They checked and found out that sunscreens do not cause Vitamin D deficiency. So, remember that some people are genetically prone to be Vitamin D deficient so if you are having any Vitamin D, it's worthwhile to get it checked and be on supplements, but application of sunscreen is not going to cause a deficiency. 

5) You don't need Sunscreen on Cloudy days and Indoors

We all know that this is not true. Even when you are indoors, there can be an ample amount of sunlight that penetrates. So the glass windows can block UVB but not UVA and you are required to wear a sunscreen even indoors and on cloudy days. The clouds do not completely obstruct of UVA so therefore you require sunscreen even on cloudy days. 

6) Physical Sunscreens Reflect & Chemical Sunscreens Absorb

This fact is absolutely untrue. Physical sunscreens also absorb the UV rays and converted to heat, so we used to feel that physical sunscreen just form a layer on the skin or form a coating on the skin and they reflect rays, but that's not how it works. 

     Even zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do absorb the rays and that convert the heat so basically Physical Sunscreen and Chemical Sunscreen work in a similar way. It's just that the physical sunscreen is preferred in people who have sensitive skin type because they tend to irritate the skin less otherwise you can use either physical sunscreen or chemical sunscreen. 

7) Once Application is Enough

Reapplication of sunscreen is very important in order for it to be effective. We understand that reapplication can be tedious especially if you are on the go but remember the reapplication is very important if you are somebody who is exposed to harsh sunlight. If you are mostly indoors or stay away from sunlight, then you can get away with reapplying sunscreen. Only once or twice in a day is enough. 

    But if you are somebody who mostly stay outdoors or working in an office space which has large windows and ambient natural light coming in then reapplication of sunscreen after every 2 to 3 hours is essential. You can use stick sunscreen which is very easy for reapplying. 

8) If You are Getting Tanned, Sunscreen is not Working

Even if the sunscreen protects your skin from UV rays, you can still get tanned. Tanning is actually caused by UVA rays and burns is caused by UVB rays. So, application of sunscreen protects your skin from sunburn and photoaging. Even if your skin tans a little, it doesn't mean that the sunscreen is ineffective. It happens because the sunscreen is protecting your skin from burns and early signs of photoaging, so it is necessary to apply enough amount of sunscreen. 

9) Oxybenzone is Bad for Skin

Oxybenzone is totally safe for our skin. You should only avoid using it if you have melasma, stubborn dark spots, photo contact dermatitis and sensitive skin. These are the conditions where it is preferred to use a plain zinc oxide sunscreen otherwise you can go ahead and use a sunscreen with oxybenzone. 

    Actually, most of the sunscreens which are affordable and present very readily in the market do contain oxybenzone. It's more important to use a sunscreen on a regular basis in order to get full benefits rather than worrying about the UV filters. 

10) Sunscreens Cause Cancer

Sunscreens do not cause cancer. There have been enough studies to prove this otherwise. So, sunscreen when applied in the quantity we use, in the area we use and for the time that we use is actually safe. You don't need to worry about it as this fact is absolutely untrue. 

    So, these were the few myths that we wanted to share about sunscreen. Remember that sunscreen is very important in every skin type to reduce dark spots and reduce the signs of aging. Regular application of sunscreen is also very essential, and it is required to use sunscreen on a daily basis to see the results with the other skincare products that you are using.