World Sunscreen Day 2025: May 27 is observed as World Sunscreen Day, also known as National Sunscreen Day. It serves as a very important reminder of how valuable sunscreen is for your skin health. Sunscreen protects the skin from harmful UV rays, reducing the risks of premature ageing, sun damage, wrinkles, and even skin cancer. Most importantly, sunscreen is not just a seasonal summer product; it is a non-negotiable year-round essential, regardless of weather or season.
ALSO READ: Do you assume sunscreen is unnecessary for dark skin tones? Know the danger that hits melanin-rich complexions harder
On this day, let’s take a closer look at sunscreen essentials. HT Lifestyle reached out to experts to help you understand how to protect your skin effectively, from knowing how sunscreen works, SPF requirements, to sunscreen for children.
First, let’s break down how sunscreen works. Dr Shifa Yadav, Consultant, Dermatology and Cosmetology at Artemis Hospitals, unpacked the science behind sunscreen and what SPF truly means for your skin.
She said, “Sunscreens can be regarded as an invisible shield your skin uses to defend itself from harmful sun rays. Their usage is not restricted to only tanning prevention; rather, their key purpose is to avoid any form of damage the skin could receive. Sunscreen is a shield for your skin, forming a layer that blocks or reflects the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun, especially the UVB rays, so well researched to cause sunburns and greatly enhance the risk of skin cancer.”
Moreover, Dr Shifa Yadav shared a detailed guide on how much SPF is enough:
Now that we are done with SPF, you may have probably come across the term broad spectrum as well. One common misconception is that people often focus mostly on the SPF number when choosing a sunscreen. But true protection lies in a combination of both SPF and broad-spectrum coverage.
Malini Adapureddy, CEO & Founder of skincare brand, Deconstruct, explained, “The most effective sunscreen is one that offers broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays. While UVB rays cause visible burns, it is the deeper-penetrating UVA rays that silently accelerate ageing and pigmentation. In a country like India, where sun exposure is high year-round, this dual protection is non-negotiable. Many people focus on SPF numbers alone, but the real measure of protection lies in how comprehensively a sunscreen defends the skin. Broad spectrum isn’t a luxury, it is the minimum standard for maintaining long-term skin health.”
With so much conversation around sunscreen being an absolute unskippable daily essential, what about children? More than adults, children are vulnerable to sun damage because of their sensitive skin. Which sunscreen is most suitable for children? Should your children even apply sunscreen?
Dr Mikki Singh, Founder and Head Dermatologist at Bodycraft Clinics and Salon, firmly emphasised the importance of sunscreen for children. She said, “Yes, children should absolutely use sunscreen. Early sun protection helps prevent sunburn, long-term skin damage, and lowers the risk of skin cancer later in life.”
Dr Singh shared a guide for parents, helping them to guide sunscreen use for children:
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
World Sunscreen Day 2025: May 27 is observed as World Sunscreen Day, also known as National Sunscreen Day. It serves as a very important reminder of how valuable sunscreen is for your skin health. Sunscreen protects the skin from harmful UV rays, reducing the risks of premature ageing, sun damage, wrinkles, and even skin cancer. Most importantly, sunscreen is not just a seasonal summer product; it is a non-negotiable year-round essential, regardless of weather or season.
ALSO READ: Do you assume sunscreen is unnecessary for dark skin tones? Know the danger that hits melanin-rich complexions harder
On this day, let’s take a closer look at sunscreen essentials. HT Lifestyle reached out to experts to help you understand how to protect your skin effectively, from knowing how sunscreen works, SPF requirements, to sunscreen for children.
First, let’s break down how sunscreen works. Dr Shifa Yadav, Consultant, Dermatology and Cosmetology at Artemis Hospitals, unpacked the science behind sunscreen and what SPF truly means for your skin.
She said, “Sunscreens can be regarded as an invisible shield your skin uses to defend itself from harmful sun rays. Their usage is not restricted to only tanning prevention; rather, their key purpose is to avoid any form of damage the skin could receive. Sunscreen is a shield for your skin, forming a layer that blocks or reflects the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun, especially the UVB rays, so well researched to cause sunburns and greatly enhance the risk of skin cancer.”
Moreover, Dr Shifa Yadav shared a detailed guide on how much SPF is enough:
Now that we are done with SPF, you may have probably come across the term broad spectrum as well. One common misconception is that people often focus mostly on the SPF number when choosing a sunscreen. But true protection lies in a combination of both SPF and broad-spectrum coverage.
Malini Adapureddy, CEO & Founder of skincare brand, Deconstruct, explained, “The most effective sunscreen is one that offers broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays. While UVB rays cause visible burns, it is the deeper-penetrating UVA rays that silently accelerate ageing and pigmentation. In a country like India, where sun exposure is high year-round, this dual protection is non-negotiable. Many people focus on SPF numbers alone, but the real measure of protection lies in how comprehensively a sunscreen defends the skin. Broad spectrum isn’t a luxury, it is the minimum standard for maintaining long-term skin health.”
With so much conversation around sunscreen being an absolute unskippable daily essential, what about children? More than adults, children are vulnerable to sun damage because of their sensitive skin. Which sunscreen is most suitable for children? Should your children even apply sunscreen?
Dr Mikki Singh, Founder and Head Dermatologist at Bodycraft Clinics and Salon, firmly emphasised the importance of sunscreen for children. She said, “Yes, children should absolutely use sunscreen. Early sun protection helps prevent sunburn, long-term skin damage, and lowers the risk of skin cancer later in life.”
Dr Singh shared a guide for parents, helping them to guide sunscreen use for children:
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution
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