Sunlight is essential for life, but prolonged exposure to the same can cause severe irreparable damage to our skin. The UV rays present in sunlight are known to cause age spots, pigmentation, skin cancer and premature ageing. One of the most effective ways of protecting our skin from these harmful UV rays is through the regular application of a sunscreen lotion.


According to experts sunscreen should not be worn only when one is stepping out into the sun, but rather should be used on cloudy days as well as when one is indoors. Thus to answer your question wearing a sunscreen, when at home, will prove to be beneficial.

To determine which sunscreen suits you, you will first need to understand how sunscreens work.


There is no uniform skin type; simply because everybody has different type of skin. Thus the rate at which skin burns will vary from person to person depending on his/her skin type. Now every sunscreen is labeled with something known as an SPF number; this is the abbreviated form of sun protection factor. SPF is basically the relation between the time taken to burn skin that is covered with sunscreen as compared to one that is not. Thus using a sunscreen with a high SPF number will help in providing greater protection against harmful ultraviolet rays. There are primarily two types of UV rays that cause damage: UVA and UVB. The former have a longer wavelength and thus possess the capacity of penetrating deep into the layers of our skin. These rays are the ones that are responsible for causing premature ageing and skin cancer. The latter (UVB) have a shorter wavelength and they are responsible for tanning the skin.

Sunscreen however is incapable of totally blocking all of these harmful UVA and UVB rays. These rays can penetrate the skin even in shaded areas. Hence, it is important to take additional measures, such as wearing sunglasses and hats whenever you step out into the sun. A sunscreen that has an SPF of 15 or above is generally recommended for daily use. These absorb about ninety percent of the harmful UV rays. If you are going to be spending a lot of time in the sun, then you should go in for a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or above, these absorb about ninety five percent of sun rays. Do not limit the application to only your face, but make sure to cover your hands, neck and chest.