
If I had a dollar for every time I was asked IF and WHY we need to wear sunscreen indoors, or in winter, or when it’s cloudy, I’d be able to afford Meredith Dairy Goats Feta in my weekly shop. The large jar.
I’m soooo sick of answering this question. SO, instead I asked Ava Matthews, co-founder of Ultra Violette and sunscreen aficionado, to do the explaining.
Here’s a transcript of our conversation.
Watch: What's actually happening to your skin when you tan. Post continues below.
Do I need to wear sunscreen inside?
“Well… A bit of context is required. Are you inside near a window? Do you leave the house at any point during the day (coffee breaks, to take a phone call outside, eat a snack on your balcony, to walk to get your lunch, sit in the car and scream etc. etc.)?
If the answer to any of the above is yes, then you need to wear SPF.
“If you literally sit inside all day every day from 8am to 5pm and you don’t have any windows and don’t leave the house then you’d probably be fine to go without. If that is the case, SPF application probably isn’t your biggest problem. Check yo vitamin D levels!!”
Okay so I don’t sit in a dark room all day, so that means I need it. But why?
“Because you’re still getting some exposure. Pending the time of year, how close to windows you are, how often you leave this inside area... it could be a lot or a little. Either way, you want to be protected. I don’t make the rules.
“Windows protect from most UVB rays (the ones that burn you) but not many UVA rays (the ones that cause premature skin ageing).”
But it's winter.
“Yes, I’m in Melbourne and it’s freezing. It was a max of 15 degrees here yesterday and the UV index hit 3. Anything above (and including) 3 and the Cancer Council recommends application.
“If you’re in NSW/QLD/WA/NT then the UV index probably isn’t dipping below 3 much, if at all, during the year.
Unless you want to be glued to the Bureau of Meteorology app all day furiously checking the UV index, just save yourself some peace of mind and apply in the morning so you’re covered.
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