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Why You Should Wear Sunscreen Every Day

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Old Westbury chapter.

The truth is when I first got into college I never wore sunscreen when it was raining or cloudy, I just figured that if sun wasn’t out I wouldn’t get burned or hurt in anyway. The sun is our skin’s greatest adversary, while time causes chronological aging the sun causes “photo-aging.” Even when the sun doesn’t appear to be shining brightly, its rays are there, working their damage.

 The sun has two types of rays: Ultraviolet B rays (UVB), causing superficial and immediate skin damage by irritating the melanocytes in the bottom layer of the outer skin (depending on degree of exposure we either tan or burn), and Ultraviolet A rays (UVA), which penetrate more deeply into the skin. These rays are a product of all natural lighting, not just direct sunlight, and are capable of reaching the skin through glass, clouds, and smog.

Because of these rays it’s important to realize that even though there may be clouds in the sky, UVA rays are still getting through to your skin. Wearing sunscreen in all weather is important to maintaining skin’s health, especially because skin is the body’s largest organ.

Rebecca Tirino

Old Westbury '20

Hello my name is Rebecca! I currently attend SUNY and Hofstra university.
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Jessinta Smith

Old Westbury

Jessinta is a Media and Communications major at SUNY Old Westbury, and has written for varying outlets including Out.com and StudyBreaks. She edits, writes, and is CC for HCOW, and discusses everything from mental health to politics. To see more of her work or get in contact with her, visit jessintawrites.wordpress.com.