Do You Need Sunscreen in Winter?
Yes. Winter sun still reaches your skin. The UVB that reddens and burns is weaker in the colder months, but UVA, which makes up around 95 per cent of the ultraviolet reaching the ground, barely changes with the season, and it is the wavelength behind ageing and pigmentation. In India, low latitude and high-altitude hill stations keep winter UV higher than most people assume, so sun protection stays a daily habit.
The short answer, and the part most guides skip
Almost every winter sunscreen article agrees you should keep wearing it, then explains why with the wrong reason. They treat winter sun as summer sun turned down — the same light, just gentler. That is only half true, and the half they leave out is the half that matters.
Ultraviolet light is not one thing. UVB is the part that burns and tans, and it does fall sharply in winter because it depends heavily on the sun sitting high in the sky. UVA is different. According to the World Health Organization it makes up roughly 95 per cent of the UV reaching the Earth's surface, and it stays far steadier across the year. UVA is also what drives long-term ageing and much of the pigmentation Indian skin is prone to. So the light that changes least in winter is the light doing the slower damage.
What changes in winter, and what holds
Think of it as two dials that move at different speeds. The burning dial drops in winter; the ageing dial stays close to where it was.
UVB is strongly seasonal. The WHO notes that UV levels in mid-latitudes peak in summer in the hours around noon, because that is when the sun is highest and its rays travel the shortest path through the atmosphere. Turn the season to winter and that path lengthens, so less UVB gets through. This is real, and it is why you are far less likely to burn in December.
UVA does not follow the same curve. It penetrates more deeply, it is present through daylight hours across the year, and thin cloud does little to stop it. A grey winter sky feels like protection and mostly is not. The tan or the darkening you might notice after a bright winter afternoon is largely UVA at work.
Where winter sun actually reaches you in India
The exposure that matters in winter is rarely a beach afternoon. It is ordinary, and it is easy to miss.
There is the desk by a window. UVA passes through ordinary glass while UVB is largely stopped by it, so a sunny seat at work or a long drive delivers a steady dose of exactly the wavelength that ages skin, with none of the warning a burn would give. There is altitude: the WHO puts the rise at roughly 10 per cent more UV for every 1,000 metres, which is why a winter trip to the hills carries far more sun than a winter day in the plains, snow and bright surfaces adding reflected light on top. And there is latitude. Much of India sits close enough to the equator that the midday winter sun still carries a meaningful UV index, even when the air is cold and the light looks soft.
What this means for how you wear it
The winter case for sunscreen is not about burning. It is about the quieter, cumulative exposure that a cold, bright day hides well. Broad-spectrum protection, worn daily, is what covers the UVA that the season does not switch off. If you want the reasoning behind the ratings, our guide to what PA means explains why the UVA mark is the one to read in winter, and the month-by-month weather guide sets winter in the context of the whole Indian year.
Winter does change one thing worth adjusting for: the air. Cold outdoor air and heated or air-conditioned rooms both pull moisture from skin, so the sunscreen that felt right in a humid August can feel too thin now. This is where a formula that carries its own hydration earns its place. Artisun Origin is a dewy milk that moisturises as it protects, which suits winter skin that needs the water back as much as it needs the shield. How a formula sits and settles is a subject in itself, covered in how sunscreen should feel.
Sun protection chosen for the season rather than the calendar month is the whole idea behind Skinwear: you wear it for the weather you are actually in, and winter is not an exception to that but a part of it.
Frequently asked questions
Do you really need sunscreen in winter?
Yes. UVB, which causes burning, weakens in winter, but UVA stays close to constant year-round and drives ageing and pigmentation. Broad-spectrum sunscreen worn daily is what protects against the UVA that winter does not reduce.
Which SPF should you wear in winter?
The same broad-spectrum SPF you wear the rest of the year, with a strong UVA rating. Winter lowers UVB, not UVA, so there is no reason to step down. Look for a high PA rating alongside the SPF number.
Can you get a tan or pigmentation in winter?
Yes. UVA, the wavelength least affected by season, is behind much of the gradual darkening and pigmentation skin picks up, and it works through cloud and glass on cold, bright days.
Do you need sunscreen indoors in winter?
If you sit near a window or drive in daylight, yes. UVA passes through ordinary glass, so indoor and in-car exposure continues through winter even when it is cold outside.
Is winter sun stronger in the hills?
It is stronger with altitude. The WHO estimates UV rises about 10 per cent for every 1,000 metres, and snow and bright surfaces reflect more light, so a winter trip to the mountains carries far more UV than a winter day in the plains.
Kanika Durga, Founder, Artisun · Last updated 26 September 2026
Sources: World Health Organization, "Radiation: Ultraviolet (UV)"; World Health Organization / WMO, "Global Solar UV Index: A Practical Guide".