With temperatures rising and the heat from the sun announcing the coming of summer, the threat of developing a skin condition as a result of prolonged exposure is a possibility that grows even more probable. Unfortunately, none of us are safe. Sun-related skin conditions can affect any of us, regardless of the skin type we have. While putting copious amounts of sunblock is the go-to solution for beating the sun’s harmful UV rays, it doesn’t change the fact that people are still prone other troublesome conditions like sun spots, discoloration, dry skin, and irritations from sweat and heat if they aren’t careful enough. 

When rainy days come and the blinding sunlight lessens in terms of severity, people who are sick and tired of having to put up with the effects of the sun’s rays immediately rejoice because of the immediate relief from the diminished presence of the sun. Although, recently, more people have grown more worrisome as the sun’s rays continue to grow in strength even with clouds blocking it. This is an occurrence that has brought up a specific question that people have been thinking about: “can I still get a sunburn even when it’s cloudy outside?

Setting the record straight

To get straight to the point: YES. The fact that clouds are able to cover and deflect the sun’s rays to some extent doesn’t mean that they can protect you from getting sunburn, especially when you live in a tropical country. More scientific studies covering the phenomenon and the cases related to it have been showing an increasing amount of people affected by sunburn in spite of cloudy weather. The trend in increasing sunburn cases during partly-cloudy to cloudy weather is primarily caused by a lack of awareness on the reality of sunburn still persisting in spite of duller lighting conditions. 

Whether you’re skiing in the Swiss alps or crossing through Manhattan on a slightly-gloomy day, there’s no doubt that you’ll still be prone to sunburn even when it’s cloudy outside. Even when the weather is “fair,” temperatures are lower, and the sunlight isn’t too strong, it’s still a good idea to put on some sunblock and other types of products to reduce the likelihood of getting sunburnt. 

The science behind getting sunburnt in cloudy weather

Contrary to popular belief, you can actually get a severe sunburn come winter time as well, in spite of the presence of snow and constant shivering! To put things into a more technical perspective, you can still get a sunburn, no matter how many clouds are present. This is because 87 percent of the sun’s rays still manage to penetrate through clouds, mist, and fog — a fact that makes the lack of awareness even more dangerous. Although severe sunburns are associated with immensely bright sunlight and higher temperatures, the worst cases of sunburn (and even skin cancer) actually occur in more cloudy weather when you least expect it. In fact, the situation only gets worse during winter time because UV rays that reflect off of snow are twice as strong as being directly exposed!

An essential to prevent sunburn

We’ll say it again for the people in the back: no matter how cloudy it may be, you should definitely put on some sunblock because you can still get a sunburn even when you can’t see the sun. 

While there are hundreds of sunblock options to choose from, there’s one particular product that can go the job extremely well compared to other options on the market: self-tan lotion. Aside from making it easier for you to get that killer tan that you’ve always wanted, self-tan lotion is also packed with numerous effective, yet safe ingredients that will prevent the harmful effects of UV ray exposure as much as possible. With self-tan lotion, you won’t have to risk getting a terrible sunburn and put yourself in danger of getting skin cancer because of the blend that is used in the product’s composition — making it a more effective and safer option to choose!