Yes, You Need Sunscreen in the Winter too!
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You may remember last summer when I partnered with Blue LizardĀ® Sunscreen and shared with you our story of my husband’s family history of melanoma skin cancer and these awesome tips on helping to stay safe in the sun.
Everyone KNOWS you should wear sunscreen when it’s hot and sunny outside (even though you might not always use it!) but here’s something that may not cross your mind when it comes to sun safety:
YES – You STILL need sunscreen in a freezing cold winter! There’s STILL SUN!
I know I know, my own family is pretty horrible at using sunscreen during the winter months which is really tragic considering my husband and children are at SUCH a high risk for melanoma but honestly it just doesn’t always cross my mind! I’m trying to be better about remembering before I send my kids off to school. You would think out of everyone we would remember to continually use sunscreen during the winter but we just don’t! Especially with the glare off of the snow.
Somehow I (like many of us!)Ā equate the need for sunscreen with how warm and sunny it is outside, but that same sun is out all year long and so are my kids! Sunscreen is needed regardless of the temperature outside! And I’ll tell you, myĀ Blue LizardĀ® Sunscreen goes a LONG way! The BIGGEST tip I can give you when using their sunscreen is start with a small dot – it goes MUCH much further than you would expect! There’s no need to glob out a huge squeeze from the bottle – you’ll end up with way too much!
Sure youĀ may be bundled up more in the winter but youĀ still have skin exposure to the sun. My youngest one there in the green jacket already has two handfuls of moles on him just like his daddy that we have to watch already for change. They are even on his head in his hairline so we try to cover his head or rub a little sunscreen over them as much as possible. It’s amazing what a tiny spot of even pre-cancerous cells can do to your skin!
Last spring my husband need an entire reconstructive surgery due to a pre-cancerous mole – get this – growing INSIDE of his belly button into his umbilical area! SAY WHAT!? It was insane – one itty bitty greyish black spot INSIDE of his belly button where no sunshine hits – yep, he needed some pretty major repairs. Skin cancer is nothing to play around with – even if you don’t have a family history of it like we do you still need to protect yourself from the sun’s rays.
I like to use theĀ Blue LizardĀ® Face Sunscreen in the winter on our face, neck AND ears (don’t forget the ears!). Especially because it can be worn under makeup too without feeling gross and greasy. (In the summer we tend to use theĀ Blue LizardĀ® Sport Sunscreen since we’re outdoors most of the time.)
When we first discoveredĀ Blue LizardĀ® Sunscreen it was actually at our dermatologist office. (we spend a lot of time there every year!) Anything they recommend is definitely on our radar due to theĀ strong melanoma family history. About a month later by chance Blue LizardĀ® contacted us to work with us and I knew it was fate! I even use their Baby sunscreen for my little one which I’m thankful for a safe sunscreen for her with natural ingredients! (6+ months!) Ā You can check out their awesome social media pages here for more sun safety tips and product information: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
And not only that but you can actually buy it by the gallon which is pretty awesome for schools and daycares! (Check out their fundraising program too!) Blue LizardĀ® Sunscreen covers both UVA & UVB protection, is 30+ SPF, comes in a BPA free bottle (which changes colors in the sun to remind you to put sunscreen on!) AND comes with a 100% guarantee! (plus no nuts, gluten, soy, or animal testing involved!) I feel very comfortable with my family using this on a daily basis. So please,Ā please,Ā PLEASEĀ rememberĀ that YES – you DO need sunscreen, even in the winter! It may not feel nice and warm and cozy outside right now but that same sun is still out there and your skin still needs protection.
I’ve never used it in the winter but should have yesterday as we were outside in the snow for over an hour.
Yes, I use sunscreen every day, including all winter!
Great advice. Using sunscreen year round is super important. Also, when choosing a sunscreen make sure it says “broad spectrum” on the label. This means you’ll get UVB and UVA protection. SPF only measures UVB protection so it’s important to look for. Our sunscreens are “Broad Spectrum” and I believe Blue Lizzards are as well.
I’m so bad, I religiously use sunscreen on my kids when it’s hot out there and sunny but you’re right it’s the same sun in winter! I need to apply in winter too, ugh mama’s job never ends.
We use sunscreen all year.
no, but we should