{"id":849456,"date":"2026-08-07T13:52:21","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T13:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/849456\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T13:52:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T13:52:21","slug":"sunscreen-alone-isnt-enough-to-protect-your-skin-dermatologists-warn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/849456\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunscreen Alone Isn’t Enough to Protect Your Skin, Dermatologists Warn"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Estimated3 min read<\/p>\n

Key Points<\/p>\n

\"CaretSunscreen alone isn\u2019t enough to protect skin from the sun\u2019s harmful rays.Dermatologists say this is a common myth.A combination of protective measures\u2014such as seeking shade, wearing sun hats, and wearing sunscreen\u2014provides the best protection.<\/p>\n

For decades, dermatologists have warned that sunscreen is important for skin protection, and it seems that the message has gotten through: Data suggest<\/a> that 57% of Americans use sunscreen regularly. But now, experts are urging the public to remember that while SPF is crucial, it\u2019s a myth that sunscreen alone will completely shield you from the sun\u2019s rays. Moreover, relying entirely on sunscreen\u2014particularly if you\u2019re not using enough or not reapplying frequently\u2014can open the door to health concerns associated with sun exposure, such as skin cancer and premature skin aging, she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a perfect scenario, you would do more than apply sunscreen,\u201d says Ife J. Rodney, M.D<\/a>., founding director of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics. Gary Goldenberg, M.D<\/a>., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, agrees. \u201cSunscreen alone is not enough,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean sunscreen is useless\u2014far from it. But it\u2019s possible to rely on SPF too heavily, when you could be taking a more effective approach. Below, doctors break it down.<\/p>\n

Meet the experts: Gary Goldenberg, M.D<\/a>., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital; Ife J. Rodney, M.D<\/a>., founding director of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics; Joshua Zeichner, MD<\/a>, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital<\/p>\n

Why isn\u2019t sunscreen alone enough to protect your skin?<\/p>\n

There are a few reasons for this. One is that many people who use sunscreen don\u2019t apply enough, Dr. Rodney says. \u201cThey put on a very thin layer or accidentally leave gaps of exposed skin, which doesn\u2019t give you enough protection,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Adults need at least an ounce of sunscreen to cover their exposed skin, which is about the amount that it would take to fill a shot glass, according to the American Academy of Dermatology<\/a> (AAD). But that\u2019s a minimum amount. \u201cSome people just don\u2019t put on enough sunscreen\u2014that\u2019s the bottom line,\u201d Dr. Rodney says.<\/p>\n

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Something else to consider, per Joshua Zeichner, MD<\/a>, director of cosmetic and clinical research at Mount Sinai Hospital: \u201cThe SPF value of a sunscreen is measured based on a density of 2 milligrams per square centimeter. If you\u2019re not applying that much, then you are not getting the SPF labeled on the bottle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many people also fall short with reapplication, per Dr. Rodney. \u201cIf you\u2019re out in the sun for two hours or more, you need to reapply,\u201d she says, adding that if you\u2019re swimming or sweating, it\u2019s more like every 40 minutes. \u201cIf you don\u2019t apply enough sunscreen or don\u2019t reapply, you get to the point where you\u2019re completely exposed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additionally, even if you apply (and reapply) sunscreen perfectly, it\u2019s not foolproof. \u201cEven the highest SPF sunscreen does not block 100% of UV rays,\u201d Dr. Goldenberg says. \u201cPeople get a false sense of security and then are surprised when they get a sunburn even though they applied sunscreen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Rodney agrees: Sun exposure is still sun exposure. \u201cYou want to be in a shaded area,\u201d she says, noting that wearing long sleeves or a broad-rimmed hat can be helpful, too.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s ideal for sun protection?<\/p>\n

Wearing sunscreen daily\u2014and reapplying as needed\u2014is a good start, Dr. Rodney says. It just shouldn\u2019t be the only protective measure you take. Dr. Rodney suggests seeking shade where you can, too, if you want to do all you can to shield your skin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going in the water and back to the sand with sunscreen on, or go for a walk, that is fine,\u201d Dr. Rodney says. \u201cBut just hanging out in the sun isn\u2019t ideal. You want to find shade, if you can.\u201d That can be in the form of an umbrella, sun-protective clothing with a UPF rating, a hat, and sunglasses, Dr. Goldenberg says.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rodney also stresses the importance of wearing sunscreen when you\u2019re indoors. \u201cSome of my patients will say, \u2018I don\u2019t go outside, so I don\u2019t need to wear sunscreen,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cBut those rays can still harm your skin, especially if you sit next to a window.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men\u2019s Health, Women\u2019s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master\u2019s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"3 min read Key Points Sunscreen alone isn\u2019t enough to protect skin from the sun\u2019s harmful rays.Dermatologists say…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":849457,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[295526,49,48,184573,295529,18968,295527,784,84,237154,1642,199835,295525,273948,295528],"class_list":["post-849456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-according-to-doctors","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-collection-health-news","tag-collection-skin-concerns","tag-content-type-news-explainer","tag-contentid-1d73f4fd-9274-40bc-8d43-bb24dd109f77","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-health","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-us","tag-read_time-4","tag-shorttitle-this-is-a-big-sunscreen-myth","tag-sponsored-false","tag-subsection-skincare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849456","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=849456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/849456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/849457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=849456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=849456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=849456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}