Why you should use sunscreen even on rainy days

The onset of the rainy season does not excuse you from using sunscreen daily.

In an interview with GMA News Online, Kiehl’s product manager Joan Hwang busted one of the myths surrounding sunscreen — that you only need it when it’s sunny or when you’re going out.

Hwang said that this is a misconception. The different types of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays are equally harmful in equal but different ways.

“There’s so many sunscreen myths. The thing is, fine, you don’t get burnt, but there’s such thing as UVA and UVB. UVB is the one that burns your skin,” she said.

UVB usually burns the top layer of the skin while UVA penetrates deeper, causing premature ageing and skin cancers.

Hwang explained that the two types of UV rays can be thought of as UV-Ageing (UVA) and UV-Burning (UVB).

“You only get UVB when you’re exposed to the intense heat of the sun, then you get a sunburn. But what you don’t know is that you can also get sun damage through UVA,” she explained.

“UVA is the one that can actually penetrate through clouds, it can penetrate through glass,” she added.

This means that even when you’re indoors and sitting beside a window, you are vulnerable to sun damage caused by UVA.

Sunscreen helps prevent 90 percent of skin ageing, Hwang said.

“I would suggest you really use a sunscreen, even now the weather is really murky,” she said.

Rainy day tips

‘Tis the season of flaky patches due to the cool weather.

However, since even rainy days in the Philippines tend to be humid, sometimes you get oily patches too.

“Right now during this changing weather, people tend to realize [they] have some oily patches, some parts are flaking. Combination skin, everyone talks about combination skin,” she said.

Hwang said that people who experience this may look for skincare products that target combination skin — products that soothe dry patches while keeping the oiliness at bay and your face shine-free.

Oil free moisturizers are your best bet, as well as products that are not too heavy or too thick. — LA, GMA News