Why You Should Think Twice Before Skipping The SPF During Winter

There's a reason why so many makeup products contain SPF — it's important to wear it all year round. Even though winter may not strike you as prime sun season, the rays can still be damaging to your skin when it's left unprotected. "Completely indoor activities don't require sunscreen, but many of us discount the sun that we get on a daily basis from just running errands and all the 'incidental' sun damage adds up," Elizabeth Tanzi, founder and director of Capital Laser & Skin Care and associate clinical professor, told Allure.

Plus, your skin can still get damaged even when you're inside. UVA rays can reach your skin through windows, making them powerful skin-damaging agents. This type of light is responsible for aging and potential skin cancer. The outlet also notes that electronics like phones and computers can omit rays of their own. These beams can damage your skin with prolonged exposure. So, if you're spending a lot of time behind a screen, your skin needs protection. During the winter, when you're focused on keeping your body feeling smooth and soft, make sure that you're giving your face the coverage it needs to avoid sun damage, too.

If that isn't enough to get you to wear your sunscreen, you should know that nearly 80 percent of the sun's rays can filter through the clouds, Birchbox explains. So, when it's cold and gray, your skin still absorbs the same harmful beams that it does in the summer.

In order to ensure that your face is protected from the cold and the sun's rays, you can double up with your favorite products. For instance, moisturizers, BB creams, concealers and foundations now all come with SPF-containing options that can make your skin-healthy habit easier. Birchbox explains that because wearing sunscreen can deter the aging process by nearly 24 percent, it's a good idea to have this ingredient as prevalent as possible in your skincare and makeup routines.

The site recommends finding a base product such as a BB cream to offer the protection you need. For the SPF number, stick with 30. "The American Academy of Dermatology always recommends an SPF of 30, because it is clinically proven to be a sufficient amount of protection to reduce or minimize the adverse effects of sunlight," David Colbert, a New York City board-certified dermatologist, told Allure. In addition to providing the highest amount of protection, this number SPF also ensures that your sunblock keeps your skin healthy for the longest amount of time possible — since many of us forget to reapply.

You can also protect your skin with clothing, the outlet notes, so your masks may be providing more coverage than you think. On top of that, many people forget to apply SPF to the sensitive skin on their lips, so covering this part of your face can have its benefits as well.

This winter, make protecting your skin easy — find a product with 30 SPF, reapply when you can, and cover your face!