{"id":420,"date":"2025-05-13T06:00:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T06:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/?p=420"},"modified":"2025-05-15T14:57:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T14:57:47","slug":"the-rise-of-sunscreen-anxiety-are-we-taking-spf-too-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/13\/the-rise-of-sunscreen-anxiety-are-we-taking-spf-too-far\/","title":{"rendered":"The Rise Of Sunscreen Anxiety: Are We Taking SPF Too Far?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Welcome to\u00a0Sun Blocked, Refinery29\u2019s global call to action to wake up to the serious dangers of tanning. No lectures or shaming, we promise. Instead, our goal is to arm you with the facts you need to protect your skin to the best of your ability, because there\u2019s no such thing as safe sun.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Holly Beddingfield, 28, grew up as a self-proclaimed \u201csun baby<\/a>\u201d \u2014 the kind that could lie in the heat<\/a> for hours, emerging glowy and unphased. True to form, she recently escaped to Spain in search of sun, sand and cocktails. But on arrival, there were no warm rays \u2014 just grey skies and rain on the forecast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cue the disappointment: who wants to fly miles just to bring bleak, wet weather with them? \u201cAt first I was gutted. I wanted to relax and read my book in the sun. But a small part of me was relieved,\u201d Beddingfield admits. \u201cI imagined the intense [UV] rays<\/a> I would be exposed to and the kind of damage that would do to my skin. Lately, I carry a lot of guilt and anxiety<\/a>, worrying about whether my SPF is enough,\u201d she reveals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Beddingfield isn\u2019t alone in feeling increasingly anxious about sun exposure. As summer approaches, many young people are growing intensely reliant on sunscreen: \u201cI caught myself unzipping my handbag three times before walking to the train station last weekend because I kept feeling like I had forgotten my sunblock,\u201d Fiona, 25, tells me. She has even brought it up with her therapist. Diagnosed with OCD, Fiona says that her fixation often flares up around health-related concerns; in hot weather, it\u2019s usually about staying hydrated and always carrying her spray-on sunscreen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So is it common to be this concerned? And how important is wearing sunscreen<\/a> really<\/em>?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

First things first, it\u2019s helpful to understand how the sun affects your skin<\/a>, starting with UVA rays. Consultant dermatologist Dr Derrick Phillips<\/a> says these can penetrate deep into the skin, breaking down collagen and elastin, and accelerating ageing. Besides premature ageing, UVA rays are also linked to skin cancers such as melanoma<\/a>. Then there are UVB rays, which are the main cause of sunburn<\/a> and can also contribute to skin cancer. With this in mind, Dr Phillips is clear on the importance of sun protection: \u201cI treat skin cancer and see firsthand the devastation it can cause, so my messaging is very clear \u2014 I always tell patients to wear high-factor sunscreen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why are we so obsessed with wearing sunscreen?<\/h2>\n

Dr Phillips agrees that public awareness around SPF has grown significantly in recent years, particularly in colder climates, where many people once mistakenly believed that overcast skies offered protection and that sun exposure was only a concern when travelling abroad. But he is quick to add that the growing paranoia around wearing sunscreen can be counterproductive: \u201cWe\u2019re living in a world where people are more and more anxious, and while awareness is good, for some people receiving the same message repeatedly on social media can be overwhelming.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sure enough, a quick TikTok search for \u201csunscreen\u201d<\/a> serves up countless videos \u2014 from skincare enthusiasts to dermatologists \u2014 extolling the virtues of daily SPF use, but in the same breath, shaming those who skip it. On Instagram, it\u2019s not uncommon for beauty enthusiasts and even experts to share photos of extreme cases of sunburn and deep wrinkles in a bid to scare viewers into using SPF religiously. Here lies the catch-22: sunscreen is beneficial for your skin and overall health, but the way the message is being delivered is starting to take a toll on people\u2019s mental wellbeing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Head to Reddit, and you\u2019ll find multiple subreddits<\/a> where users confess to a growing \u201cobsession\u201d with sunscreen. One person, who reapplies every two hours, rain or shine, shared that after a day at the beach, she was stressed for a week, convinced she was \u201cdoomed to premature ageing.<\/a>\u201d Interestingly, the common fear underscoring these conversations isn\u2019t skin cancer; this is often an afterthought. The real concern is that sun exposure beckons fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity and pigmentation. It\u2019s a worry that many in the digital generation are battling with well before they hit their 40s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr Zainab Laftah<\/a>, a consultant dermatologist at HCA Healthcare UK<\/a>, has seen this firsthand and reports an uptick in younger patients asking about sunscreen: \u201cI have several Gen Z patients who are particularly anxious about skipping sunscreen due to a strong fear of ageing<\/a>,\u201d she tells me. \u201cOne even admitted to wearing SPF while asleep, worried about potential UV exposure when she wakes up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Is wearing sunscreen about skin health, or a fear-mongering tactic to prevent ageing?<\/h2>\n

Somewhere along the way, wearing sunscreen went from a gentle PSA to a full-blown fear-mongering tactic. Although seemingly well-intentioned, this messaging not only relies on fear as a motivator, but it also reinforces society\u2019s desire to resist all signs of ageing. According to intelligence firm Circana, 70% of Gen Z is already using anti-ageing serums daily<\/a>. While popular culture has always been youth-obsessed, it\u2019s clear that in today\u2019s aesthetics-driven virtual world, our grapple with age has become more complicated than ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To many, sunscreen boasts the alluring promise of holding back time: \u201cIt\u2019s been instilled in me by TikTok\u2019s skincare obsessives that wearing sunscreen every single day is non-negotiable,\u201d Sophie*, 32, tells me. \u201cI went away with a friend recently and felt a genuine wave of panic when I realised I\u2019d forgotten to pack my SPF,\u201d she continued. \u201cI even considered asking her to turn the car around, despite it not being sunny and knowing we wouldn\u2019t be spending much time outdoors.\u201d Sophie says that we\u2019re constantly fed a narrative that ageing is something to fight, delay and fix: \u201cI\u2019ve never been drawn to injectables, but I tell myself that if I just take care of my skin, I\u2019ll reap the benefits later on,\u201d says Sophie. \u201cBut that kind of pressure, even when it comes from a place of self-care, can be exhausting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This rhetoric is constantly echoed back to us: on one hand, prepubescent children are buying under-eye creams; on the other, AI filters<\/a> give us a glimpse of how we might look with wrinkles, deepening our collective discomfort with ageing. Young people are submitting to sleeping with face masks, mouth tapes and chin straps to freeze their skin in time, while the booming popularity of \u201cbaby\u201d Botox<\/a>, fox eye lifts and red light therapy<\/a> reinforces the message that looking youthful is sacrosanct \u2014 and easily achieved if you spend enough money.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the thing: it\u2019s normal to be nervous about your face and body changing, especially in an era where women are publicly torn down for getting older. It\u2019s hard to fault people for caring about ageing when the system feels so rigged against us. It\u2019s no wonder, then, that whether you have a 13-step skincare routine or reject the \u201cbeauty girlie\u201d label altogether, SPF has become the bare minimum tool to resist looking older.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Is global warming fuelling our SPF paranoia?<\/h2>\n

Concerningly, sunscreen paranoia is starting to take over \u2014 and disrupt \u2014 everyday lives. Fiona decided to skip an upcoming group holiday to Italy because she worried that her UK-friendly sunscreen may not be good enough for the high temperatures. Similarly, on the rare morning when Beddingfield forgets to apply sun protection before going for a run, she says that her exercise feels unproductive and even \u201cdangerous\u201d. Likewise, Sophie says that leaving the house without wearing sunscreen on her face feels \u201cirresponsible.\u201d<\/p>\n

People take sunscreen very seriously. In 2024, consumer watchdog Which? claimed that popular Bondi Sands SPF50+ Face Sunscreen Lotion had \u201cfailed\u201d its UV protection tests<\/a>, sparking uproar on social media. Users were outraged<\/a> at the idea that the product might not live up to its promises and could leave them unprotected. Reassuringly, under UK and EU law, cosmetic brands must undergo rigorous SPF testing before making sun protection claims, and while Bondi Sands told Refinery29 it works with compliance experts Delphic HSE, fears around sunscreens not delivering on their promises continue to grow.<\/p>\n

This is especially true as the Earth warms up. In 2025, we witnessed the hottest January<\/a> on record. Sanjana, 29, says climate anxiety contributes to her sunscreen usage: \u201cIt sounds shallow, but I wish I could calculate how much faster I am ageing being born in an era where global warming is worse,\u201d she says. Sanjana adds that she applies two fingers\u2019 worth of sunscreen every four hours from April to July when UV levels are higher, and has a reminder set on her phone to ensure she never forgets.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

But is being diligent with SPF application worth living in panic? Psychotherapist and author Eloise Skinner<\/a> reminds us that an over-reliance on anything can have a negative impact: \u201cIt can reach a point where the anxiety outweighs any benefits from an otherwise positive product like sunscreen,\u201d she tells me. \u201cThis might be the case where the feared element (sun exposure, for example) is invisible,\u201d Skinner adds. \u201cThe lack of immediate physical evidence can push us to spiral or worry more.\u201d<\/p>\n

How should we be wearing sunscreen?<\/h2>\n

This in no way implies that we should stop using sunscreen; rather, it\u2019s a call to find a healthy middle ground, bringing the sunscreen conversation back from the edge and onto more sensible footing. Dr Phillips tries to mitigate any concerns and anxiety about sunscreen by laying out a clear plan for each of his patients. While the instructions require more nuance based on your skin type and lifestyle, he shares some general rules of thumb.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the summer months, particularly on a sunny day between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the UV index is at its highest, you should try to stay in the shade and use SPF,\u201d says Dr Phillips. \u201cAn average adult should be using 30 millilitres of sunscreen<\/a> with each head-to-toe application,\u201d he stresses, which is almost one-third of a 100 millilitre bottle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you go to the beach, you should reapply sun protection every two hours,\u201d adds Dr Phillips, and if you\u2019re entering the water, it may get washed off, so you need to apply it again once you\u2019re out.\u201d The rules are the same regardless of your skin tone<\/a>, says Dr Phillips. But what about when it isn\u2019t as sunny? Suppose you\u2019re heading to work at 8 a.m. when it\u2019s relatively dark outside, and coming home in the evening well after the sun has set. Is sunscreen necessary then? \u201cWhen the UV index is low in early mornings, you don\u2019t need to use [sunscreen] as much,\u201d Dr Phillips explains, especially if you\u2019re wearing more clothes. Dr Phillips recommends focusing on exposed areas, applying a teaspoon-sized amount of SPF to your face and neck.<\/p>\n

The colder months also see less UVB radiation \u2014 the rays that primarily cause burns \u2014 but UVA is still present and can pass through clouds and windows<\/a>. In this instance, Dr Phillips says you don\u2019t need to reapply your sunscreen every two hours<\/a> as you do in the summer months, but if you\u2019re spending a good while outdoors, he suggests carrying a sunscreen mist and topping up when you can.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even as a sunscreen enthusiast, Dr Phillips insists it\u2019s important to uncouple the unhealthy fixation on looking younger from the purpose of sun protection: \u201cWe need to reframe the feeling of disgust that comes with ageing,\u201d he tells me. \u201cThe pendulum has swung too far on one side, where people are scared of wrinkles and fine lines, but these are natural consequences of living,\u201d Dr Phillips says. The reality is that ageing is inevitable, whether you wear sunscreen or not. <\/p>\n

For me, every fine line or wrinkle-in-the-making is a little reminder of the many hours spent laughing with my friends or making funny faces at my nephew \u2014 some of my favourite moments from the last two decades.\u00a0Ultimately, we shouldn\u2019t feel gripped by the fear that our sunscreen isn\u2019t doing enough, nor should we dread spending time outdoors because of it. Unless you\u2019re planning to sunbathe for hours in direct sunlight, which isn\u2019t advisable<\/a>, it\u2019s more important to be practical than perfectionist. Keep some SPF in your bag if it\u2019s sunny or you\u2019ll be outside for a while, and if you forget, don\u2019t panic. There are other simple ways to protect yourself: sit in the shade, pop on a hat or a pair of sunglasses. There\u2019s no need to rush home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Lessons I Learned When I Had My Moles “Mapped”<\/a><\/p>\n

16 Of Your Burning Sunscreen Questions, Answered<\/a><\/p>\n

A Derm Just Schooled Me On SPF & I Learned So Much<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to\u00a0Sun Blocked, Refinery29\u2019s global call to action to wake up to the serious dangers of tanning. No lectures or shaming, we promise. Instead, our goal is to arm you with the facts you need to protect your skin to the best of your ability, because there\u2019s no such thing as safe sun.\u00a0 Holly Beddingfield,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=420"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":424,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/420\/revisions\/424"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}