5 Sunscreen Mistakes We All Make

When I went for yoga in the morning today I was militant about my skincare - hydrating serum, moisturiser, and zinc sunscreen. But even though I carried my sunscreen in my handbag I got too lazy to reapply after class, only to be stuck in a traffic jam from hell. If you stay in Delhi, you know the heat these days can literally fry an egg. Being trapped in my car under the sun really got me thinking about sun protection. (However I still was too lazy to reapply but lets just ignore that shall we?) And really no one has the right to complain about wrinkles or pigmentation if they're not wearing SPF. So here the most common mistakes that (even the most evolved among us) are guilty of:

• We don't wear sunscreen
  I can safely assume that more than 50% of women reading this post don’t wear sunscreen. Like really, what’s wrong with you guys? While I understand the concern about toxicity in nano sunscreens and the chemicals added to them, you still have to protect your skin. Try a zinc or titanium based sunscreen. Sure mineral sunscreens have a white pallor, but its better than wearing nothing. Why don’t you get two types of sunscreens? A zinc based one that you can wear on a daily basis, when you can get away with a bit of white tint. Plus, a nano serum sunscreen, with a better finish when you want to look your best. You can try Clinique’s Mineral Sunscreen that contains zinc and doesn’t have too much of that whitish tint. I also like Lacto Calamine Sun Sheild if you’re looking for a budget option.  
• We think higher SPF is better
  Ummm…no. Higher SPF only means MUCH more chemicals. The ideal SPF is around 30. Any higher will only give you between 2-5% more protection but tenfold the amount of chemicals. You’re better off applying more of SPF 30 than applying a sheer veil of SPF 50.
• We rub sunscreen into our skin
  Its not essential oil that you need to work into your skin. Its a shield - apply it like a shield. Dot it over your face and then spread it around from the hairline till the nape of your neck and your ears. You can rub it a tiny bit to blend it into your hairline but no more. Sunscreen has to sit on top of you skin to protect it. 
• We don’t reapply
  I am very guilty of this. Especially in summer, its imperative to apply and reapply every few hours. If you’re on the road, then even more so. How can you expect the sunscreen you applied in the morning to protect you in the afternoon?
• We forget our necks and back of the hands
  Your neck and the back of your hands are the first to show signs of ageing. Never forget to apply sunscreen on these areas. And yes, don’t forget your forearms too as they are very prone to pigmentation. 
• We don’t use hats or umbrellas
  India is such a hat country because of the scorching sun, but for some reason we don’t wear it. We also don’t carry umbrellas, especially when walking in the sun. Have you seen those Japanese girls? They wear a whitening serum, sunscreen, a hat, and for good measure, they'll throw in an umbrella too. If you’re sun sensitive (i.e., your skin gets rashes and breakouts in the sun) then just sunscreen won’t suffice - you need physical protection too.