Sunscreen has become a staple in everyone’s beauty routine. It’s essential to prevent sun damage and premature aging and goes a long way in helping to protect you from developing skin cancer. That’s because sunscreen helps block damage from the sun’s harmful UV rays. While most people know you should wear sunscreen during the day, should you wear it at night, or is it unnecessary?
The truth is harder to decipher than whether you should wear sunscreen at night. In this article, we’ll review everything you need about sunscreen, whether you need it at night or some of the best products with an SPF.
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Do I Need To Wear Sunscreen At Night
First, let’s look at the purpose of sunscreen. It’s designed to give your skin sun protection. There are formulas for sensitive skin, and you can easily find an SPF, the ingredient in sunscreen that helps protect your skin. You won’t usually find this in products designed for nighttime use, such as night cream. That insinuates that you won’t need sunscreen at night. But are there UV rays at night that your skin needs protection from?
Does The Moon Emit UV Rays?
The moon itself does not emit UV rays. The moon is very dark, especially when compared to the sun. The moonlight that we see is a reflection of the sun’s rays. If the moon reflects the sun’s rays onto us, it makes sense that the moonlight contains UV rays.
This is true, but the UV rays that reach us in the moonlight are drastically weaker than the suns. For example, you’ll never get a tan or burn from hanging out in the moonlight all night. So, wearing sunscreen is unnecessary to protect yourself from the rays of beautiful moonlight. There are a few other things to remember about wearing sunscreen at night.
Sunscreen At Night Protects Your Skin From All UV Rays, Including The Ones From Your Television
Everything emits UV rays nowadays. Your television, smartphone, laptop, and even the moon emit UV rays. This light exposure is significantly less damaging than the rays from the sun, but if you want to provide your skin with maximum protection, there’s nothing wrong with wearing sunscreen at night while watching a movie. However, I don’t consider it necessary. The UV rays from your smartphone are more than likely at least 2000 times less damaging than the rays from the sun.
However, recent studies indicate that the light from your screens, including your laptop and television, can contribute to photoaging. Photoaging is one of the many terms used for premature aging that only happens to the skin. This article points out that it’s due to excessive amounts of blue light exposure. To protect your skin from blue light, pick up a broad-spectrum sunscreen. A standard sunscreen with SPF is only designed to protect the skin from UV rays, not blue light.
Broad Spectrum Sunscreens
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Water Resistant and Non-Greasy Sunscreen Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 70 ($10)
This sunscreen is one of the most affordable physical sunscreens on the market, providing a wealth of benefits. An SPF of 70 provides superior protection to help you have healthy skin. It dries to a clear, dry finish, making it great for lighter and darker skin types. The broad spectrum protection protects against various types of UV rays. It’s non-greasy and suitable for all skin types.
No Excuses Gel Sunscreen By Julep ($28)
No Excuses Gel Sunscreen combines a standard sunscreen with skincare benefits your face will love. The gel-like consistency glides smoothly across your skin before it’s quickly absorbed. A 40 SPF helps protect your skin but doesn’t leave a white cast. Meanwhile, rose hip oil helps to promote an even skin tone, aloe extract soothes skin while providing intense hydration, and sunflower seed oil helps nourish your skin. This sunscreen is a must-have for the summer months!
Sunscreen Can Prevent Melasma
Melasma is a medical condition that results in uneven patches on the skin. While it’s common in people with darker skin tones, anyone can get it. Science attributes melasma to exposure to UV rays and things like blue light. Wearing sunscreen while exposed to screens that emit blue light can help prevent the condition.
Sunscreen Is Pointless While You’re Sleeping
While sunscreen can help protect your skin while awake, it offers no added benefits if you’re sleeping. You don’t need to protect yourself from an increased risk of skin cancer while you’re sleeping, you’re not exposed to blue light, and there’s zero chance you’ll get a sunburn while sleeping through the night.
You Need Different Products At Night
Washing off your sunscreen and any other skin care products from your daytime routine is a must before applying your nighttime skin care products. Products such as retinol can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so they should only be worn at night. Applying them on top of thick products like sunscreen won’t be effective.
Switch Out Chemical Sunscreens For Night Time Formulas
Products designed to be worn at night time are formulated for night use for a reason. While we are getting our beauty rest, our skin is in repair mode. Night creams, such as those packed with hydrating ingredients, help give your skin the active ingredients it needs to repair itself.
Using Sunscreen At Night Gets Expensive
This is another reason why sunscreen isn’t the best idea at night. Sunscreen is expensive, and it will hurt your wallet if you use it every night on top of using it every day. You can also purchase products without an SPF cheaper than those with an SPF.
Can Sunscreen Clog Pores?
Yes, some sunscreen can clog pores. If you have one skin type prone to acne, always use a non-comedogenic sunscreen. Non-comedogenic means that the product is specially formulated not to clog pores.
However, wearing sunscreen all night can also increase your chances of getting breakouts. That’s because sunscreen is so thick that your skin can’t breathe when wearing it. If your pores are covered all day and all night, they don’t get a chance to clean themselves out, resulting in acne flare-ups.
Wearing Sunscreen At Night Can Create Larger Pores
Sunscreen is a larger molecule, so your pores will try to compensate when your face is slathered in sunscreen all night. To do that, they’ll get larger to breathe and clean themselves. Over time, you’ll wind up with significantly larger pores because of it.
Final Thoughts
Wearing sunscreen while you’re out and about is a great idea. You don’t have to rush home to wash it off as soon as the sun sets. However, make sure that you wash your sunscreen off and get started on your nightly skincare routine before going to bed. There’s also nothing wrong with wearing sunscreen inside to protect your skin from blue light and the premature aging that can come with it.
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