Do you wear sunscreen? I know lots of people do not. What makes sunscreen so important though? There are so many factors that make sunscreen so important and beneficial. Although sunscreen harms coral reefs, it can prevent health problems, protect your skin from the sun, and even prevent aging skin! There are so many good factors of sunscreen that have made sunscreen more and more effective over the years.

Sunscreen Prevents Health Problems

First, it prevents health problems. The sun can be very damaging to your body. According to “All About Sunscreen”, “Sunscreen reduces your overall UV exposure and lowers your risk of skin cancer.” Sunscreen is really important to prevent skin cancer. It is easy to avoid all the health problems the harsh sun gives when all you have to do is apply some cream. According to Skin Cancer, Mayo Clinic (warning: graphic images), “There are three major types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.” Make sure to watch out for your skin and contact a doctor immediately if you have skin cancer symptoms. 

Sunscreen Protects Your Skin From the Sun 

Second, it protects your skin from the sun. When your skin is exposed to the sun, it can be very harmful and unsafe. According to “Sun Safety, Skin Cancer” by the CDC, “The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes.” Wearing sunscreen can help prevent damage. The sun can damage your skin really fast. This can be really harmful. You can get sunburn for example, and even a little sunburn can impact your whole life. Furthermore, “Here’s How Much Damage Really Bad Sunburns Can Do” states, “This is because when the skin absorbs ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, it can damage the genetic material in skin cells.”

Sunscreen Prevents Aging Skin

Third, sunscreen can even prevent aging skin. According to “Top 5 Important Reasons you Should Always Wear Sunscreen”, “Sun damage from UV rays causes photoaging of the skin, which is characterized by a thick, leathery look; discoloration; and a breakdown of collagen, which contributes to lines, sagging, and wrinkles. Studies show that those below age 55 who apply sunscreen regularly have 24 percent less chance of developing these signs of aging than those who don’t.” Few would want aging skin, and a simple way to prevent that is by putting on the right type of sunscreen. If you want good skin, try putting on sunscreen. 

Sunscreen Can Harm Coral Reefs

Some people say that sunscreen is bad because it harms coral reefs. “Is Your Sunscreen Killing the Coral Reef?” says, “Recent studies have found that sunscreen chemicals in many popular products actually hurt corals.” Sunscreen may hurt coral reefs, and coral reefs can be really important. However, most of the time, you are not using sunscreen in the ocean, and if you are, you could get sunscreens that do not hurt the ocean. One is Thinksport SPF 50+ Sunscreen, which is the best according to the New York Times and contains no harmful aerosols. In addition, sunscreen needs to be used or else you might damage yourself. Sunscreen is really important to take care of your skin. Also, it is less expensive to buy sunscreen then to get health care. 

Types of Sunscreen That Are Safe

There are many good sunscreens out there, but there can be some harmful ones with chemicals. “12 Best Sunscreens to Protect Your Skin” states, “We recommend SPF 30 and up to all of our patients, says Dr. David Lortscher, a board-certified dermatologist and CEO of Curology”. SPF 30 is really protective of the sun.  Make sure that you look carefully so that you do not take the wrong type of sunscreen that can be harmful. This will defeat the whole purpose of sunscreen. I also recommend not using aerosol sunscreens because those can be harmful to the environment. According to “12 Best Sunscreens to Protect Your Skin”, The best overall sunscreen is the Hawaiian Tropic AntiOxidant+ Sunscreen Lotion. This sunscreen is SPF 50, which is also really protective. There are also many specific brands according to what you prefer most on the site. 

Sunscreen is really important. Without sunscreen, we would not be able to protect our skin and other body parts from the sun. With sunscreen, you would not feel the pain from getting a sunburn or even skin cancer, and why would you not want to wear it anyway? Just because of a tan? There are so many dangerous things that the sun can do, and just getting a tan can be more harmful than you think.