Not wearing a sunscreen while stepping outside during summer season amounts to almost throwing an open invitation to hyperpigmenation, fine lines, and premature ageing to show up on the face. Actually, sunscreen is an absolute skincare essential that one should wear all round the year. Whether it is a hot and sunny summer day or a cold and cloudy winter day, your skin needs the protection that only a good sunscreen can offer all year round. Correct and adequate use of sunscreen not only protects your skin from cell damage, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles and premature ageing, but it also plays a key role in preventing skin cancer. However, some women complain that their skin gets tanned even with sunscreen and in this post, we will try to find out reasons why your face is still getting tanned even with regular use of sunscreen.

1. Your Sunscreen is not a broad-spectrum Sunscreen: Most importantly, the sunscreen should offer you broad-spectrum UV protection, which means that it should protect you from both UVA and UVB rays.

2. You are relying on SPF factors from makeup products instead of using a proper sunscreen: Using a sunscreen underneath the makeup is a must to stay adequately protected against the rays of the sun. We often make the mistake of using a foundation, BB cream or CC cream that contains a specified amount of SPF and skipping the sunscreen as part of our daily skincare routine.

3. You are not applying sunscreen every 2-3 hours: You need to apply your sunscreen every 90 minutes to two hours to remain protected against the harsh rays of the sun. Make sure that you carry a handbag-sized tube in your bag at all times.

4. You are Forgetting to Apply Sunscreen on These Spots: While we do care to apply sunscreen all over the face, do you religiously apply sunscreen on the bridge of the nose, behind the ears, on the neck, and in general, body parts that get exposed to the sun? If you skip these spots, it’s as good as not wearing a sunscreen.

5. Your Sunscreen Does not have SPF 30 or Higher Value: Interestingly, a sunscreen with SPF 30 provides only up to 97% protection. Therefore, for adequate protection, your sunscreen should have at least SPF 30 or above value with broad spectrum protection.

6. You are not using Adequate Amount of Sunscreen: For adequate protection, one should apply at least a nickel-sized or 5-rupee coin sized amount of sunscreen on the face.

7. You Do not give enough time for the sunscreen to work: Most people just the dab the sunscreen on their face right before they step out; however, it is important to remember that any sunscreen takes 20 to 30 minutes to start its work and venturing out into the sun before giving it enough time, makes it inefficient.

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