Can We Apply Sunscreen At Night?

Sunscreen is non-negotiable when you go out, and should also be applied when you stay in, every day throughout all seasons. But what about Cloudy Days? A hundred times yes! Even on cloudy days, you are supposed to use sunscreen. A sunscreen’s work is not just limited to giving you protection when you can look at the scorching sun, the harmful Ultra Violet rays are always there, paving past the layer of clouds, reaching your skin and irreversibly damaging it.

Due to climate change and ozone depletion, more harmful UV rays can reach you even through the cloudy layers. So, sunny or overcast, it is essential to use sunscreen every day. It protects you from these harmful rays which can cause sunburns, premature ageing, sun pigmentation, and may even cause skin cancer. It is also important to look for a sunscreen that efficiently prevents sun damage. A sunscreen with a high SPF and PA++++ gives broad-spectrum protection and protects against the harmful effects of sun exposure. Gold Rush by Light Up Beauty with an SPF of 60 and PA++++ UV filters makes it an ideal sunscreen for everyday use.

Now that we have established how important it is to use sunscreen every day, be it sunny or not, and how we are supposed to choose our sunscreen, a question goes around whether or not you should use sunscreen at night as well.

Some highlight the benefits of using an SPF moisturiser at night while others state that it can be harmful to use sunscreen at night, and some even take the neutral stand stating that it is not that harmful or beneficial to use SPF at night. What should be done is the real question here. While using sunscreen at night is indeed harmful, some argue that you can use a moisturizer with SPF at night.

Let’s go through the potential harms and benefits of using sunscreen at night and the intensity of these so that you can make an informed decision for yourself and end this myriad once and for all, well, for now, because new research and new results come every day!

Harmful effects of using SPF at night :

Upset Skin’s Barrier Function: The skin’s natural barrier after being exposed to pollution, sunlight and extreme weather everyday needs time to heal and prepare to get out there again, and the best time for that is nighttime when the skin’s natural ceramides work to relax and repair it in peace away from pollution and UV rays. Applying SPF interrupts this function and may even further damage the skin.

It's just plain unnecessary: A sunscreen’s function is to prevent sun damage by protecting against harmful UV rays of the sun but at night there are no UV rays and no need for sunscreen's protection function which makes the whole point of applying sunscreen at night quite unnecessary. Why would you want to slather your face with an additional layer of product that may have no benefits but potential harms when you can just go in with a hydrating cream that works to repair and wake you up to a soft, supple skin that is prepared to take it all in once again!

Benefits of using SPF at night (if they exist)

Blue Light from electronic devices such as television, computer screens and mobile phones may cause damage to the skin and contribute to premature ageing. Blue Light is naturally present in the sun and sunscreen protects from it along with protecting against UV rays.

So applying sunscreen in the evening when there is no sunlight may protect against harmful blue light. But there are no research backed claims of benefits from sleeping with a sunscreen on as there is no exposure to even this potentially harmful blue light from electronic devices that the sunscreen provides protection against. If you use a moisturizer with SPF in the morning and do not feel like switching to another moisturizer for nighttime, you may cause the potential harm of using SPF at night to your skin.

Usually, SPF moisturizers do not have a high SPF rating but rather a minimal SPF from 15 to 30 which may not be as harmful as applying sunscreen for the night. Using a Hyaluronic Acid rich hydrating cream, however, will have immense benefits for your skin repairing, treating and nourishing it throughout the night making it a better choice than an SPF moisturizer that might clog your pores and cause skin irritation along with other potential harms.

Wave Hydrating Cream by Light Up Beauty has not just Hyaluronic Acid but also 5% Squalane known for its amazing hydrating and soothing properties making it a great choice for all-day hydration under your SPF and a nighttime repair formula to wake up to a soft, bouncy skin.

So What Does Your Skin Need At Night?

A nighttime skincare routine is so varied from a simple 2-step cleanse and moisturize duo to a full-fledged 7-11 step fancy Korean routine to the 0-step sleep with dirt, dust and SPF on your face ‘no-routine’. Well, 2-step or 11-step, whatever routine tailors to your skin needs and time constraints will work, what won’t work is the no-step routine, especially when you have put sunscreen on during daytime.

It is very important to remove sunscreen before bedtime along with removing makeup, dirt and dust from pollution. Sleeping with an unclean face with pollution particles and an SPF layer may damage your skin’s natural barrier and cause acne breakouts in addition to your already existing skin concerns. A simple Night care routine that you can follow every day to protect and repair your skin is this 3-step skincare routine:

Treat: After cleaning your face, go in with a Ceramides-rich serum to protect and repair your skin’s natural barrier. The Splash Hydrating Face Serum with Ceramides, Hyaluronic Acid and an Active Mineral complex boosts oxygen by 14%, and repairs and renews skin while providing intense hydration for a supple and healthy-looking skin.

Moisturize: After cleaning and treating your skin, it is time to lock in that moisture by using a hydrating cream and Wave Hydrating Cream is the perfect solution for this. It locks in moisture and prepares your skin throughout the night for a challenging day ahead.

Follow up in the morning with Sunscreen. Gold Rush Vitamin C Sunscreen by Light Up Beauty has an SPF of 60 and PA++++ UVA/UVB filters and THD Ascorbate or the Gold Standard of Vitamin C - a gentler yet more effective variant of the usual Vitamin C found in most skincare products. It also features 1% Ceramide Complex that works to constantly repair your skin while protecting it from sun damage. Apply sunscreen everyday in the morning and reapply every 2 - 3 hours for maximum protection but do not forget to remove it before going to sleep.

Conclusion:

So the not million dollar but quite important question asked by many: Should I apply Sunscreen At Night? A simple answer is NO! You should not apply sunscreen at night it is essential to remove the sunscreen that you applied during the day before going to sleep. Applying sunscreen at night might clog your pores because of the large SPF molecules and also interrupt with the skin barrier’s night repair function, and it is just plain unnecessary because UV rays are present at daytime and not at night making the sunscreen’s use irrelevant.

It is very important to clean your face before sleeping, especially when you have sunscreen on as leaving it on along with dirt and dust collected throughout the day might further damage your skin. Having a simple night skincare routine using a face wash, serum and hydrating cream will ensure your skin gets all the necessities and, repairs and nourishes itself throughout the night while you relax and wake up to a hydrated, treated, skin that looks and feels healthy, and prepared