Sunscreen in Winter: Cloudy Days, Smog and Indoor Windows (Video)

Transcript

Up to 80% of UV cuts through clouds.

Up to 80% of UV cuts through clouds.

Sunscreen in Winter

Stay for the one car habit that saves your skin this winter.

Cold doesn't cancel UV

Think about it. Here's the thing, temperature is heat, but UV is light. You can't feel it at all. The WHO says UVA makes up about 95% of the UV reaching the ground. It goes deeper, tans quickly, and contributes to ageing. UVB, the burning ray, drops in winter. But that pigment risk doesn't vanish.

Clouds pass most UV

And this is where it gets interesting. The American Academy of Dermatology says up to 80% of UV can get through clouds. Think about it. A heavy overcast day lets through less. But thin cloud barely reduces UV at all. And you can't easily tell which kind of day you're in just by looking out the window.

Smog isn't sunscreen

Thick smog in north Indian and Punjab winters can make the sun look like a pale coin. It might scatter some UV, but no health body counts it as protection. The amount changes hour to hour, and pollution stresses your skin. So treat a smoggy day like any other day and keep the habit going.

Windows don't block UVA

Now, the part most people miss. UVA passes through ordinary window glass, while UVB gets blocked. If your desk faces a bright window, or you spend an hour a day in a car or rickshaw with the sun on one cheek, that side gets steady UVA. Many with melasma notice the darker side is by the car window.

One cream, two jobs

Dry winter skin and a two-product routine rarely last. So pick a cream-textured SPF 30 or higher with glycerin or ceramides, and use it as your morning moisturiser. Two finger lengths for face and neck, after washing. If very dry, add moisturiser underneath first. For oily or sensitive skin, go light gel or fragrance-free mineral.

Melasma doesn't rest

Melasma doesn't take winter off. UVA darkens it, and UVA is present even on short winter days. Patients often relax in December and see patches deepen by March. So keep wearing it every day. Morning, wash, moisturise if needed, sunscreen last. Before going out at midday, top up cheeks and nose if you'll be outside more than two hours.

Cold days don't block light

Cold days don't block light. Sunscreen does. That's the whole idea, really. You can't see UV, you can't feel it, but it's there, working on your skin all winter long. Think about it, if you wouldn't skip sunscreen on a hot July afternoon, why would a grey January morning change anything? The sun doesn't care about your calendar, and neither should your routine.

Take care if

If your skin stings with every sunscreen, switch to a fragrance-free mineral filter and patch test on your neck for three days. See a dermatologist for patches that keep spreading despite daily sunscreen, or any spot that changes shape or bleeds. Babies under six months should be kept out of direct sun, not covered in sunscreen.

The one glovebox habit

So here's the one habit I promised. Keep a small tube of sunscreen in your car's glovebox. Every time you drive, even a short trip, your window side cheek catches UVA. Just swipe a bit on before you set off. It takes ten seconds, and it's the simplest way to protect the side of your face that gets the most winter sun.

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Read the full guide

Read the complete guide on thecareonline.com. This is general information, not medical advice.