Submitted by toolatetobeoriginal t3_10os82m in pittsburgh
I’ve been taken better care of my skin lately and one repeat statement is “wear sunscreen every day”.
The grey and UV report is usually low or 0. That paired with me being outside for 1 hour, most, at a time has me questioning this method.
For those who moisturize, and have a daily skin care routine- do you skip sunscreen from like November-March?
I just double checked ( I use Rhonda Allison hydration or Stratia) and neither have SPF. :(
It’s taken so long for me to find a good moisturizer that doesn’t contribute to my acne. So that’s a bummer it isn’t multi tasking
Bummer! I use Cerave with SPF and like it, though I don’t have a huge problem with acne so I can’t speak to that.
I also use Cera Ve with SPF and it's pretty good.
Ugh. I hear that. I have the worst skin and I have to stay on it, so to speak, to prevent breakouts, including keeping hydrated. My dermatologist recommened any mositurizer that was labeled noncomedogenic which doesn't block pores. Look for one that has the level of spf you want/need. Caerful, good stuff can be spendy.
I’ll check into that a bit. My Rhonda one is like $30? for 150ml. It has Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract and red clover for anti inflammatory which I guess is my issue ? Who knows
UV rays are weaker in winter, but are still present. If you care about preventing sun damage and visible aging, daily sunscreen is the absolute number one way. Check out Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery SPF 50 + / PA ++++ or Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel. I am super acne prone and I can wear these sunscreens daily and not break out. They also feel super light on the skin and don't make you look oily or leave a white cast. You can buy them in bulk sets to save money as well.
I also have horrible skin and spent years finding the perfect solution. Sunscreen and spf lotions tend to break me out or not mix with my makeup. Coola Makeup Setting Sunscreen Spray is the mist I mentioned in another comment
I also struggle with acne and constant oily skin. What I have found that helps is cerave hydrating lotion spf 30 matte finish. It moisturizes, protects, doesn't clog your pores, and it doesn't look like an oil pit on your face!! I love it.
Regarding your initial question, I have seen many dermatologists who state that no matter where you are you are always going to be receiving UV exposure. Inside or outside doesn't matter. I just use it in the morning and then on sunny days reapply in the afternoon.
I like this product.
It’s a tinted moisturizer with spf 47.
Yes, even on cloudy days, but I also use retinol so I kind of have to. Unseen sunscreen is really great, doesn’t feel like sunscreen, and in addition to helping with UV, it helps keep my face from drying out in the winter.
Thank you! I have a nice one for the spring & summer that I use. It almost looks like a concealer though (goes on light), but as soon as it’s up I wanted to look into a new one.
So thank you
Trader Joe’s has a sunscreen (I think it’s a dupe of this) that is really light feeling and $8
only when I'm in the neighborhood that doesn't get snow since it also has an inverted sun/cloud ratio from what the rest of the city gets
And my inappropriate sense of humor wants to say, sunscreen? We haven’t had sun since November. But I won’t mention it out loud.
I do, unless my plan is to stay inside all day. I like Trader Joe’s daily facial sunscreen. It’s SPF 40 in a translucent matte gel that goes on smooth like a makeup primer. I use it on top of a light moisturizer.
I wear moisturizer with SPF everyday because my routine pretty much stays the same year round
My moisturizer has spf 50 in it. The catch is i WFH, so I rarely do a full beat unless I’m going out at night.
But it’s good context and good to know. Thank you for sharing
Edit: I mean concealer, not moisturizer. Big difference there lol
I WFH full time and go to school on campus 2x a week. I’m definitely not outside a lot, but I need consistency so I don’t complicate it haha
I use sunscreen on my face every day. My younger sister had melanoma in her thirties so I'm not taking any chances (she's cancer free now, but super scary regardless).
Sunscreen in the winter (most days) in Pittsburgh is ridiculous.
There are days I need a flashlight outside during 'day' hours.
This thread surprised me, no I don’t wear sunscreen in the winter. Never even considered it
Yeah, skin care is a whole rabbit hole once you get into it.
Are you younger? I didn’t until I got into my late 30s.
Just turned 33. Went to the dermatologist for the first time this year, after seeing a weird bump. Was a lifeguard for nearly a decade, and I’ve never worn sunscreen ever. Oops
Absolutely not. My (and almost everyone else's in Pittsburgh) vitamin D levels are low so I need every opportunity to produce it.
The sky is your sunscreen most of the time
Yes, on my face everyday. Every little bit of uv radiation contributes to aging. You only get one chance to maintain your skin.
I’ve never worn sunscreen away from the beach and I still look five years younger than I actually am. This city barely gets sun.
Then again I also have super oily Italian skin - hell in middle school, awesome as an adult.
Same for me basically. I don't like the heat, so I don't spend much time outside in the middle of the afternoon during the summer unless I'm at a pool.
I only wear sunscreen when UV index is 3+
Very fair, skin health conscious here. My view is that it’s more important to get whatever vitamin d you can here in the winter than protect yourself from what little UV there could be.
I’ll sunscreen my face in summer if I’ll be outside.
I wear sunscreen every day but don't reapply during the winter. Windows don't generally protect you from UVA rays so even if you're inside all day, better safe than sorry :) I have tried sooo many sunscreens to find one that feels good & doesn't burn my eyes, my favorites are the Avene Solaire, Australian gold tinted sunscreen, Biore UV, and the trader joes one that has been mentioned a few times.
I will admit that it can feel silly putting on sunscreen when I haven't seen the sun in days if not weeks... but I use tret & get eczema so I figure I need the added protection.
In the winter months I wear SPF on my face every day, but not on my body since I’m always wearing at least one long-sleeved shirt, and probably also a sweater and a jacket, scarf etc. if I’m outdoors. I am currently testing some Korean sunscreens recommended by Lab Muffin Beauty Science on YouTube. For basic skincare I use a mix of products from The Ordinary (cleanser, AHA, and moisturizer) and Paula’s Choice (retinol). I use both a plain moisturizer and a separate SPF product because many of them sting my eyes or are too sticky/occlusive. I also need them to be fragrance-free, which is an extra challenge. I’ve been using Korean face SPF because the formulations are so lovely to wear. As someone else said upthread, I wear SPF every day because I use retinol. For my body, I’ve been using CereMedX lotion and cream, which I get from Amazon. It works better for me than CeraVe.
Love your routine!!!
Thanks! I try to keep it simple, actives only to address actual issues. I use both the retinol and AHA to prevent millia. I get them just like my mom did. :)
I honestly only put it on if I'm going to be outdoors more than like a half hour or it's summer here. I'm not outdoorsy and don't get out much in the daytime. FWIW LA Roche Posay's Anthelios AOX is really good.
So I have to say that I don’t believe you really need sunscreen in Pittsburgh except maybe at the height of summer. We moved to the city in 1979, my mother is now 84 years old and is outside in her garden every day possible and she has nearly perfect skin. So much so that she is often mistaken for someone in her 60s. Picture of her here in this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/zvuu81/cool_balloon_sculptures/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I can't believe that she is 84, you have great genes! BTW, take care of this lovely lady. Both of my parents were healthy, active, and looked much younger than their years until they turned 85 and 86 and things went south like a rocket. Cherish her. ❤️
Your mom’s beautiful—doesn’t look 84 at all!
Thank you and I agree. She grew up in the desert southwest and 100% attributes her skin, lack of wrinkles, etc to Pittsburgh weather (good or bad...lol)
i use bondi sands spf 50 or alba botanica green tea spf 45 every day but my eczema has gotten so much worse since moving here so i like the extra layer of moisturiser anyway.
Didn't use it much at all, maybe in the summer if we were outside a lot or went to the beach for vacation, until I got a carcinoma on my face when I was in my early 50's. Now I wear a moisturizer with sunscreen every day, and layer a makeup with sunscreen over it. If I'll be outside much, I add sunscreen to the mix. Going to try the Trader Joe's brand, have read some good things about it.
I use this daily face moisturizer and it contains SPF 15. It's part of my daily routine and I use it partly because it has a low SPF sunscreen quality to it (the product also works well for my skin). In the summer if I'm doing outdoor activities I also apply more powerful dedicated sunscreen to my face and reapply as needed depending on how long I'm outside. This is mostly on weekends and not during the workweek.
Yes.
Only if I'm out all day in the sun and that happens rarely. :/
You start to realize the mistake in not wearing it with tons of sun exposure as you get older. I'm 40 now and that's when the melanomas seem to start popping up. Get to 50s and you've heard of some people having surgery. 60s and older and I know folks who annually get melanomas removed.
Luckily this type of skin cancer is very treatable if you act quickly. Downside is that a lot of people think it's no big deal until it's too late.
No
Everyday, yes. I don't always reapply in the winter, but definitely in the spring and summer.
My favorite tinted moisturizer + sunscreen: Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer SPF 35 Sunscreen. I like Supergood Unseen too, but it's expensive for a sunscreen only option. A great dupe is Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40 Oil-Free Invisible Gel. I love it. It's around in the summer on the regular, but you have to look for it in the off months. (I always ask and they tell me when a shipment is due.)
Almost never. If I'm going to be outside all day in the summer, yes, but otherwise there's no point and I'm not sure that the sunscreen chemicals are particularly good for you. Better than skin cancer, no doubt, but that's the tradeoff.
Not me but my gf does. She did not use sunscreen ever due to it being grey 300 days of the year
I need to give stuff found on my face but I don't in the winter. I probably still should. Though you are right the UV is barely above 1 winter days.
I only wore it the 5 days a year the sun comes out. Remember to reapply as the rain washes it off.
I would if I could find one that doesn’t make my skin feel strange.
Biore UV Aqua Rich. Not greasy or overly smelly.
I wear sunscreen daily and reapply often due to a family history of skin cancer, but I'd guess most people probably don't need to do that.
Definitely smart to wear some SPF if you'll be outside or in a car for an extended period of time, even on a cloudy winter day, but if you're inside most of the day and just walking around the corner for 10 minutes here or there sunscreen probably isn't strictly necessary
Sunscreen only lasts 2 hours, so if you're applying it in the morning with your skin care routine then sitting inside for the next 4 hours it's pointless. I carry a mist with spf for if the sun comes out but its better to just wear a hat and sun gear, umbrellas are not just for rain.
Use it daily
Do I? No. Should I? Yes. Definitely can’t hurt, especially if you just replace your moisturizer or toner with one with SPF. But I also don’t moisturize. My dermatologist would hate me if I had one…
Yes, even though I don’t go outside every day. I use a tinted moisturizer that has SPF 47 in it. It’s essentially what I use in lieu of foundation.
seems a little over the top. I'm sure it protects you but it's probably not necessary here
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I thought this post was a punchline.
I don't skip the spf unless I plan to stay indoors the entire day. I wouldn't reapply though if I'm only outside for an hour. For reference, I use a retinoid which makes my skin more sensitive to sun damage and also I just want to keep my skin decent in middle age.
Edit to say that I change my sunscreens seasonally. In winter, I'm less concerned about the spf rating and my skin is dryer, so I use moisturizers with spf. In summer I go for 50 SPF with the highest UVA rating I can find and make sure it's water resistant.
If it's summer, I swap "lotion for face" with "lotion for face with SPF". If I'm going skiing or like hiking in the snow, same deal.
Otherwise, yes, I skip SPF from November from March, religiously. It's extra chemicals for pretty much no reason.
I haven't used sunscreen in over 20 years
I use coconut oil on myself, which has an spf of 4. So, every four minutes I reapply coconut oil to all parts of my exposed skin. Luckily, I found a bunch of coconut oil for sale at Ross dress for less once and I bought 20 gallons of the stuff that day. I don't leave my home without a gallon jug of coconut oil.
Yes. I also have hats, rash guards, long sleeve lightweight spf shirts, etc.
pebbles837 t1_j6gmaaw wrote
I use an SPF face lotion every day but I don’t re-apply unless it’s summer and I’m spending lots of time outside