We all know that damage from UV radiation causes premature ageing and that we should wear SPF 365 days a year. However, I often hear that people with breakout prone or acne skins don’t use an SPF, as they feel it makes their spots worse. Can you relate to this? Let’s go through the reasons people mention and see if we can do some myth-busting!
Myth 1: Wearing SPF isn’t needed for oily or acne skins
This one isn’t true, as actually when exposed to UV radiation, acne flares up even more. Why? UV rays cause inflammation in the skin and we already know that acne is an inflammatory condition. This means that UV damage will worsen inflammation and therefore worsen acne too.
Myth 2 The sun dries out my acne!
Entirely false in fact. It may get better with for a short while, but actually it can cause the skin to become dehydrated (and not less oily) so it will end up looking and feeling dry. Also, if that’s not bad enough, UV rays actually stimulate sebum (oil) production = oilier skin!
Myth 3 It will help my scars to fade.
Eek, definitely not I’m afraid. Sun exposure can actually darken pigmentation. So the acne scars you’ve been trying to get rid of will only get worse if you let them soak up the sun. Why? Because the sun encourages melanin production (this is how and why we tan) and scars and pigmentation are just a buildup of extra melanin.
Myth 4 Wearing sunscreens will clog up my pores and make my breakouts worse.
Nope, this definitely doesn’t need to happen. In fact if you find a really good physical (not chemical-see my IGTV on sunscreens) SPF designed specifically for your skin type, it will be non comedogenic and super lightweight. Also, if you find an SPF with Zinc Oxide in it, there is some research to show that this is both anti bacterial and anti inflammatory and therefore that it will help to actually control your acne.
So, what are you waiting for? Slap on that SPF peeps!!
If you have found this useful, please drop me a message below and let me know. If you have any topics you’d like me to cover for you I’d also love to hear from you.