We’ve all heard that sunscreen is absolutely essential for healthy skin, but have you ever wondered what sunscreen actually does? The general misconception is that sunscreen is a magic elixir that’ll fix any and all skin issues, including any sun damage, and lighten or whiten your skin. But the truth is a bit more complicated than that, so let’s really figure this out.
Understanding The Skin
To understand how sunscreen works, and to answer the question of whether it lightens the skin, it’s important to first understand how our skin works.
Our skin tone is determined by a pigment found in the skin called melanin- the lesser the melanin, the lighter the skin tone. The basic function of melanin is to absorb ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun to protect our skin from harm. Therefore, greater sun exposure calls for more melanin production, and hence, a darker skin tone. This is where sunscreen comes in.
It is also important to keep in mind that a lot of the confusion that comes with sunscreen lightening the skin arises because many products advertised as skin whiteners do contain sunscreen. This is not because of the sunscreen but other active ingredients in the product, and such products may actually do more harm than good.
What Does Sunscreen Do?
First things first, let’s clarify what sunscreen actually does. Sunscreen is designed to protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation. UV rays from the sun can cause a range of health issues, ranging from sunburn to skin damage, premature aging of the skin, and even skin cancer. Sunscreens work by absorbing, reflecting, or scattering these rays, forming a protective shield around your skin to prevent the rays from reaching it.
Does Sunscreen Whiten the Skin?
This is where things get a little confusing. In theory, contrary to general belief, sunscreen does not actually whiten the skin. However, it is often observed that people who regularly use sunscreen have lighter, brighter skin tones. This is not because sunscreen actually contains any active ingredients that lighten the skin, but rather because it simply prevents further damage and tanning.
As explained, when the skin is exposed to the sun, it ends up producing melanin to protect itself from damage. Regular use of sunscreen blocks the sun’s UV rays from penetrating the skin, which means the skin does not need to produce as much melanin. This in turn may make the skin seem whiter.
In short- no, sunscreen does not lighten the skin, but it does help reverse damage and prevent further darkening of the skin.
Why Sunscreen Makes The Skin Seem Lighter
Consistently using sunscreen might make your skin appear lighter overtime. This is because the regular use of sunscreen helps even out your complexion. One of the main causes of hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and sunspots is the exposure to UV rays. Sunscreen acts as an important tool to counter these issues in number of ways:
1. Protects
As mentioned before, it provides protection from sun rays, which in turn inhibits the process the leads to the formation oof melanin. This is especially important for issues such as hyperpigmentation because UV exposure can make dark spots more pronounced.
2. Repairs
Your skin cells are constantly working to repair and renew themselves. Using sunscreen gives your skin a break from UV damage and gives it the chance to repair itself, thus newer, healthier skin is regenerated, seeming lighter because it is undamaged.
3. Evens skin tone
If applied evenly, sunscreen protects all areas of the skin and helps prevent uneven darkening that leads to an irregular skin tone. Over time, this can result in a more uniform and balanced complexion, one that makes the skin seem lighter and brighter.
4. Supports
All skin care experts always advise the use of sunscreen with any skin care product used any skin concern. This is because sunscreen works with these products and protects the skin to help reap the maximum benefits out of them, making it the best product and most necessary for any skin lightening effort too.
Remember though, this only works if sunscreen is applied consistently and evenly to the face and body parts exposed to the sun!
The Final Verdict
So, does sunscreen actually whiten your skin? In truth, no, because it does not have any bleaching effect on your skin. In fact, its main purpose is to just protect the skin from UV damage. Instead, it works by preventing sun exposure that could darken your skin, reversing sun damage, and helping retain your natural, untanned complexion.
Thus, best way to achieve an even, radiating complexion is sun protection, hydration, and a healthy skincare routine. In this case your best bet is a broad spectrum sunscreen like the Solero Sunblock SPF 100 for the highest protection, paired with any of the wide range of products available at Rederm Aesthetics to start the process to glowing skin!
