Do You Still Have to Wear Sunscreen in Gloomy Weather?

While you might not see the sun and are even feeling cold, the rays of the sun are still coming through. What this means is that both UV A rays (that trigger the aging process) and UV B rays (that can cause cancer) are impacting your skin.

This is true in any type of weather, and it’s even true when you’re inside and the sun is coming in through the windows. If you’re not wearing sunscreen, you’re exposing your skin to sun damage. I talk about this on my instagram reel, “Sunscreen on a day like this?”

If you’re not used to cloudy weather, you might forget all about sunscreen when the skies aren’t clear. But it pays off to remember…wear your sunscreen! People who make this an every day habit and priority to protect their skin over the years have remarkably supple, youthful-looking skin. But this requires commitment and dedication.

Sun exposure is one of the worst things you can do when it comes to accelerating the aging process on your skin. Sun exposure is just as bad for the skin as smoking is. The damage is significant–sun exposure is responsible for up to 70% of skin aging.

It’s healthy to have a small amount of sun exposure to get your vitamin D. But the truth is, this necessary vitamin D is actually achieved much faster than most people realize. You only need about 15 minutes of sun exposure, and only a few times a week. And when you’re out in the sun, it’s vital to keep the sun off your face in order to protect your facial skin from the aging process.

Sun exposure causes collagen to break down, resulting in thinner skin, fine lines and wrinkles, darkening pigmentation, larger pores, and a range of other skin problems.

It’s a common misconception that any sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or above will protect your skin from the rays that cause aging. This is not true.

There are two types of radiation that come from the sun: UVA and UVB. UVA causes skin aging. Think, “A for age.” UVB causes sunburns and can also lead to skin cancer. You will want a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Unfortunately, a lot of sunscreens are chemical based and only protect against UVB rays, the type of sun exposure that can cause cancer. To keep your skin fresh and youthful, you will need a mineral-based sunscreen that protects against both UVB and UVA rays.

Your sunscreen should be broad-spectrum and provide a barrier block against the sun. Be sure it includes ingredients such as zinc and titanium oxide at a level of 6%-9% and above.

Sun protection is one of the most important factors in achieving beautiful skin, but it’s not the only one. What you put on your skin matters, and that doesn’t just mean sunscreen. Your skin needs active, potent ingredients applied to its surface consistently, every day, to thrive. These ingredients include retinols, hyaluronic acid serum, vitamin C, niacinamide, growth factors, and a range of others.

Whatever skincare products you use, be sure they include these ingredients. But also, you need to be sure the regimen your skincare products require is simple enough that it’s easy for you to be consistent. All the best ingredients in the world won’t do much at all for your skin unless they are applied every single day, once in the morning and once at night. A lot of skincare routines out there are over complicated and make it difficult to stay consistent. That’s why I created the Trifecta–I wanted to make it simple and easy for my patients to achieve beautiful, radiant, youthful-looking skin.

I spent years looking for skincare products that had the vital ingredients skin needs to be healthy, vibrant, and luminous. The selection was overwhelming, even for me as a facial plastic surgeon that knew exactly what to look for. Some products simply didn’t have the right ingredients at all, while others required a complex routine that few people could realistically follow every day. I wanted to provide my patients with a home skincare routine they could follow easily but could be trusted to provide real results. Surgical procedures and in-office skin treatments aren’t enough–the skin can’t be made to look fresh and youthful without skincare products packed with the ingredients the skin requires every morning and night to the face. 

I spent the following years formulating an easy-to-use skincare line, the Trifecta. This three product, three step routine is clinically proven to reverse the signs of age and achieve glowing, youthful-looking skin. For vital exfoliation several times a week, I added the gentle but powerful exfoliator Polish. 

I am proud to offer these groundbreaking products, each packed with the necessary ingredients your skin needs to thrive and simple enough to make your morning and night routine easily consistent.