Am I damaging my skin if I lie outside on a warm cloudy overcast day like today without sunscreen?

[loveyouradvice]

Just that really - I typically put on sunscreen when the sun is out and not otherwise....

What do you think?

I've recently invested in SPF50 for face for sunny days... and I have SPF30 knocking around for rest of body

What's the UV rating in your area? Google that. If 3 or above you need sun protection.

If you don't want to damage your skin you should wear spf50 everyday, no matter what the weather

second the poster saying check the uv index for your area. 3 or above means sun protection

Clouds don't protect you from UV rays. I wear sunscreen every day, all year round, just a lower one in winter, especially on my face and neck. I've seen how wrinkly you end up at a young age if you don't protect your skin from the sun, and that's not even considering skin cancer.

I thought UVA rays are present all year round regardless of cloud? Or have I got that totally wrong?

Yes you need sunscreen! Many years ago I got absolutely frazzled on a beach in Cornwall, it was cloudy all day. Never made that mistake again.

You can still burn, even if it's overcast. Like pp, I got one of the worst doses of sunburn I've ever had on a beach on an overcast day, because I didn't realise. Cover up, or use sunscreen.

Wear it every day especially if you have fair skin. Even better than sunscreen is a hat, umbrella (actually having the skin covered).

I burnt yesterday sat under a tree in the shade . Feel like a bit of an idiot really I’m 50 and should know better

Years agoI walked over a very long bridge on a hot overcast day without sunscreen. I didn't notice anything until that evening my shoulders and arms were burned and red and needless to say it was very painful!

Yep. UVA (aging, wrinkles, damage and some cancer) is present every day. UVB (burning and most skin cancers), per pp, can burn even through clouds, so check your area.

I've been on the beach in Cornwall in the fog and got burnt. Luckily we still creamed the kids. This was 40 years ago (ish) and I wasn't so clued up then. I always protect now. And stay under an umbrella most of the time too.

The worst sunburn I ever got was on a day like that. Couldn't even turn over in bed. Stealthy sunburn.

Wow - thanks all... GOIng to do this and I had NO IDEA you could check the UV rating for your area. Thanks @Georgie743 and @Cantfindthewordsddstruggling Where do you both look?

I've just looked at Willyweather (?!?!?!?!) and see the alert is 11-4 which I assume is when I wear sunscreen??

Sun can get through clouds

Met office, AccuWeather and bbc all have uv forecasts

Thanks @longdistanceclaraclara ... how come I never noticed?!?!?!?....

https://weather.com/en-GB/weather/today/l/UKXX0085:1:UK
I use this site, pop your location in.

I should imagine you’d end up with a serious vitamin d deficiency if you do that!
And the one time your skin was exposed you burn to a crisp!

Agree with the concerns for vit D deficiency . We need a bit of sun!

Also, surely it depends on how sallow your skin is / your ethnicity?

Anyway, my sister (brown skin, mixed race) has only ever been burnt once and it was an overcast day in India. So clouds don't necessarily mean there's any protection.

I wear spf on face and neck all year round. I take the maximum safe dose of vit d which is 4000iu a day anyway.

the weather app on an iPhone also has the UV index.

Me too. I'm fine, and not burning to a crisp when in the sun!

Is your concern for health or appearance/ageing?

a lot of avid skincare experts I follow suggest that if it’s light enough through a window not to have a light on indoors, then don’t go outside without spf on your face/neck/hands.

I generally use a daily face moisturiser with built in spf so that I don’t really think about it through out the year, but will put on a higher factor targeted product in addition for these days.

That sounds a dear do! Suncream costs a bomb 😂. You're right though!