For all the known science on sun safety and skin protection, it’s unfortunate that so many myths persist. Maybe it’s time to bust them.
After all, your health is at stake. Not only can sun damage lead to sun spots, wrinkles and other changes in your appearance, but more importantly, exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can raise your risk for skin cancer and other problems with your physical health.
Clinging tightly to old wives’ tales can exacerbate those problems. One egregious example that you should definitely not do: Using mineral oil instead of sunscreen. Whereas people once thought it gave skin a healthy glow, it’s now known to raise the risk of potential damage. Luckily, that one’s not nearly as popular as it once was—but there’s a lot of misinformation still out there.
So if you think you can decipher between what’s true or what’s not, put your knowledge to the test with the following myth-or-fact lineup.