'I swear by this $1 hack to protect my skin.'

Hush, friends. A bit of hush. Because if you've ever noticed that one side of your face/arm/body is giving more weathered vibes than the other, we have news: it's probably thanks to all that time you spend in the car.

Yes.

Turns out that driving around doing errands/school pick-up/literally anything else is secretly wreaking havoc on your skin.

Well, actually — lots of people in our You Beauty Facebook group knew (ps if you're not already in the group, do yourself a favour!). Because everyone has suddenly come through with some very genius hacks that'll help protect your skin from sun damage while driving.

Watch: Speaking of beauty, here's You Beauty host Em Vernem trialling the foundation whisking makeup hack. Post continues below.

It all started when a lovely Youbie by the name of Denise Pitcher Clark recently shared her clever (and thrifty!) solution for protecting herself from sun exposure while driving — and we're honestly wondering why we didn't think of this earlier.

Her hack? A $1 men's dress shirt from the op shop.

Image: Denise Pitcher Clark/You Beauty Facebook group.

"Latest effort to reduce my sun exposure," she wrote. "$1 op shop large men's dress shirt worn backwards like a smock. Leave it in the car, chuck it on when driving… large cuff covers the back of your hand and pop up the collar and it covers your neck."

Image: Denise Pitcher Clark/You Beauty Facebook group.

Genius, right?

The post quickly gained traction, with a whole heap of You Beauty members jumping into the comments section to praise the affordable idea.

"Thanks for sharing this great idea. Very helpful. And nice with an affordable option as sun-smart clothing can be $$$," wrote one member.

Another said, "Love this. I normally burn whilst sitting in my lounge room wearing 50-plus zinc! Genius. Stealing too!"

Why do you need to protect your skin while driving?

While it might seem... extra... there's actually a very good reason to protect your skin while driving. Because despite what you might think, your car windows don't block all UV rays.

In fact, many members pointed out the telltale signs of sun damage on their 'driver's side'.

"It's not a coincidence that most sun damage I 'had' previously on my arm and face was on the 'driver's side of my arm and face! Sun damage is no joke!" shared one member.

Other ways to protect your skin while driving.

While the $1 shirt hack is brilliant for those on a budget, members also shared some other options for protecting your skin while driving:

As many members suggested, it might be worth investing in UV protective clothing: "I have some sleeves from Solbari that I love — I keep them in my car," one person suggested.

There's also dedicated UV driving wear on the market. "Lauren Curtis has created Sun Smock — you should check it out because it has actual UV protection in it."

Another suggested keeping a sarong in the car: "I've been doing this for years! I also have a sarong that lives in the car for legs/knees etc."

Someone else said, "I usually have a cotton scarf for décolletage and cotton gloves for my hands."

SMART.

Another great sun protection tip? Get your windows tinted. As one person shared, "You can also get your windows, sunroof and shield tinted — mine are all factor 50."

Whether you opt for the clever $1 op shop hack or invest in some UV protective gear (there's loads of great options out there), protecting your skin while driving is clearly something we should all be thinking about.

Now, if you'll excuse us, we're off to raid the local op shop...

Have you tried any of these sun protection hacks? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Feature Image: Supplied/Denise Pitcher Clark.