Do You Need to Wear Sunscreen Indoors? An Analysis | Lab Muffin Beauty Science

Do you really need to wear sunscreen when you're inside all day? It depends - here's what you need to consider. Yes, one Michelle was harmed in the making of this video.

In this video:
* Why wear sunscreen?
* How much UV is indoors?
* Direct and diffuse UV, and estimating how much you get
* What about glass?
* UV and season, location, time of day
* Individual UV susceptibility

Key references:

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Lab Muffin Beauty Science is a channel by me, Michelle - I'm a chemistry PhD and beauty lover, here to explain how beauty products work, debunk myths, and help you make smarter decisions about your skincare, hair and makeup!

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[royalindication]

I understand why I look like an 18 year old even if I'm almost 30. My long years locked in my room playing games and watching anime are finally giving fruits

[tehreemraza]

I think the stress of wearing a sunscreen is going to damage my skin more than the sun itself at this point.

[KHtrinity]

FINALLY, a reasonable analysis for sunscreen usage. It's nice to see something to combat all the hysterical sunscreen advice we find online...

[DaniL-hrxo]

Finally, a scientific and reliable analysis! Everyone on YT acting like the average person spends their days under the sun in the Sahara counting the grains of sand. Most of us are lucky if we actually get out in the sun for an hour during the week. This sunscreen panic is getting out of control.

[imaginingdefeat]

Conclusion: remain in the dark in a windowless basement at all times.

[Donna-cckt]

My husband actually installed lights in the backyard so I could garden at evening time. I’ve had skin cancer twice and I do everything I can think of to protect my pale skin. It’s so maddening. Gardening is my passion.

[riskriskmks]

I really appreciate this. I’ve been hearing dermatologists online say you must reapply every two hours even if you are indoors. There is no way a normal working person spending most of the day in an office can or will reapply sunscreen at six a.m., eight a.m., ten a.m., noon, two p.m., four p.m, six p.m., and eight p.m. (assuming summer). At the beach, sure! But inside? Thank you for adding reason to the conversation.

[DesiMakeupGrl]

My house has windows everywhere and my family loves the sunshine so the blinds are always open. I guess it’s sunscreen for me until the day I can find a cave to move into and live my life as a vampire. Loved the video. Funny and informative.

[rigobertouwu]

Finally an answer to this mystery.

Now I don't feel guilty for not applying sunscreen indoors. I'll let my skin breathe since I'm just at home all day with minimum sunlight.

[thisisacrappyusername]

the editing in this video is ASTRONOMICAL....I love it

[DrDLL]

I love Dr Dray massively, but she kinda lost me when she says she uses sunscreen indoors everyday AND reapplying 2-3 times a day. That's..crazy. First, that's a lot of money and second, that would clog the hell out of my pores.

[mlancholia]

after watching dr dray video about sunscreen, this video gives me a peace of mind. i like how lab muffin approach considers a lot of variables when it comes to sunscreen application in daily life, it’s more sensible and less veering on extreme side.

[jun-qp]

Everyone over on r/scaredofaging oops I meant r/skincareaddiction is probably gonna lose their shit when they see this and I absolutely love it ❤️

[natjackson]

This is a brilliant video. There is an anxiety-inducing mantra propagated by the beauty & cosmetic industry regarding the application of sunscreen. While everyone else is just repeating this mantra and spreading unnecessary anxiety, you have, with science, alleviated a significant portion of that anxiety. Thank you.

[gal]

Imagine, you'll get old faster for overly stressing about applying sunscreen 😁

[nah]

Thank you for the in depth explanation. As someone with anxiety, the stress of people acting like we all need to live in a bathtub full of sunscreen has already aged me more than my very limited sun exposure ever could.

[jasminel]

I cant be bothered to wear sunscreen indoors because I like taking naps and hate the feeling of sleeping with it 😴😴😴

[kristylopez]

This is why I love this channel- common sense science- based info and advice!

I use SPF regularly, but will oftentimes forgo it if I'll only be getting short bursts of incidental exposure and the UV index is 2 or below. I'm very light skinned and know that I need to take precautions, but trying to block out every single ray of UVA/UVB to the point of wearing SPF indoors is too exhausting to even think about and and seems a little overzealous and unnecessary to me. Thank you for this!

[klaudiamihalj]

Seriously THANK YOU for this.
Dr Dray constantly implies on the importance of applying sunscreen while indoors THREE TIMES a day. She's way too obsessive, it's unhealthy. It made me feel guilty, although I never sit near the window and am mostly behind the blinds.

[JustJnathan]

Thank you so much for this video. 🤗 Hearing Dr. Dray’s recommendations of applying sunscreen 3 times per day has given me anxiety. It has almost made me fear being outdoors at all during the day. I’m going to keep applying sunscreen daily if I’m outdoors, but I’m not going to obsess over it anymore. If I still get skin cancer and I prematurely age, then so be it. At least I lived my life.