Most sunscreens can be tacky. As a result, many women have a never-ending love-hate relationship with the product that’s supposed to protect them, and we don’t just mean their skin but their overall health, from one of the most dangerous elements from space: ultraviolet radiation.

The 8 most compelling reasons to use sunscreen.

Let the haters keep hating and complaining. We still believe that there are more reasons why we all should keep using sunscreen despite its many drawbacks. Below lists the top 8 reasons why you should keep using it too — and, we fervently hope you’ll change your mind if you remain skeptical about the benefits of using sunscreen everyday.

More UV radiation is reaching the earth’s surface. 

If you recall your elementary science telling about the “greenhouse effect” and how this causes the earth to become warmer, then you can readily appreciate the very basic need of man for sun protection.

If not, here’s a brief refresher.  UV from space reach the earth’s atmosphere. Some of these are reflected back into space but some are able to reach the earth’s surface. These are the radiation we all need to be wary of. Ozone, the layer of the atmosphere that acts as our shield to UV, has been observed to continue depleting for decades now. That means, more UV is reaching us. The NASA Earth Observatory reports a continuously warmer earth.

Skin cancers are becoming more prevalent.  

No less than the World Health Organization estimates that about 300,000 people more will suffer from skin cancers for every 10 per cent deterioration of the ozone layer. While a sunscreen will never be able to provide us with 100 per cent protection from the sun’s harmful UV, at least it offers a good start at significantly lowering our risk for these chronic, life-threatening diseases.

Sun exposure causes skin to dry.  

You must already be aware of the chain reaction of detrimental skin effects a dry skin exposes your skin surface and skin cells to. It’s no secret that dry skin leads to higher risk for skin to experience premature, more intensified aging.

If you want to keep your youthful skin then, you must keep to the two most important lessons you can learn from any list of sunscreen tips and uses. First, is to never miss a day without sunscreen. It truly doesn’t matter whether it is sunny or stormy or snowy outside, UV is lurking, waiting on an opportunity to hurt your skin. Second, is to keep reapplying sunscreen throughout the day.

UV causes wrinkles to form and deepen.  

To keep your skin smooth and free from creases for a longer time, wearing sunscreen regularly is a requirement not a choice. 

UV causes age spots to appear.

Age spots, liver spots or sunspots and even hyper pigmentation — these dark marks are, in fact, damages inflicted by UV on your skin.  They appear as a result of overexposure to UV. During such times, your skin produces higher amounts of melanin than usual to attempt to protect your skin from further damage.

UV damages skin cells.  

There are generally two types of UV that hurt your skin. One is UVA, the deep-penetrating kind that damages skin cells from the dermis layer and beyond. The other is UVB, the surface burning type that toasts your epidermis, the surface layer of your skin, and gives you a nasty tan. When either ray acts on your skin, it’s always likely that the damage is permanent.

What then happens to your skin? Your skin cells loses its efficiency in capturing, storing and locking in moisture. Other consequences include the early manifestation of multiple signs of skin aging.

A sunscreen can be the only cosmetic you wear. 

The beauty with significant updates in sunscreen manufacturing these days is that sunscreens also now come in tinted formulations that lets you get away with clear, unblemished skin without the need for several layers of foundations and concealers.

Our techie lifestyle exposes us to more UV.

A sunscreen will definitely provide much needed protection from UV emanating from our laptop monitors and smart phones as well. However, the more effective kinds are the ones that also blend in antioxidants for maximum protection from UV.

Conclusion.

“Every day is a good day to be alive, whether the sun's shining or not,” singer, Marty Robbins, once said. So, whether the sun is visible or hiding, keep using that sunscreen. It’s for your own good.