Have you been wearing sunscreen during lockdown?

[InOmniaParatus42]

Especially if you aren't going out much? I've been working from home with 2 DC and barely get the time to step out, apart from hanging up the laundry.
I never seem to grasp the sunscreen rules and always doubt if I'm overdoing it or not

So here my questions...

1. Do you wear sunscreen all through the year? Even when at home? (our family room is south facing and can get really hot - not sure if this is a factor)
2. What factor do you use during the winter?
3. I know I'm supposed to have a separate sunscreen and not rely on what's in my moisturiser, but can I rely on these if sitting at home or during the winters?
4. Your best sunscreen brand?

Thanks

Er, no. I don't wear any make-up/ daily moisturiser, so don't get SPF that way and don't put sunscreen on everyday. In the summer I wear it if I am going to be out for a while, in spring/ autumn if I am going to be out all day like if I am camping (I have got burnt when the sun wasn't even shining before when camping). I had very, very low vitamin D last year so do try to get some sun on me, as I work long shifts that mean I often don't see day light for most months of the year.

I read that we should have a small amount of sun without suncream on to get vitamin D?
I always used to put lots on before I even went out, but now I have a bit of time first with none on and no sunglasses etc..

I’ll probably end up a wrinkly old prune though 🙄

Thank you all for your replies and recommendations.

@lljkk I guess I'm more concerned about the ageing effects of the sun.

If I read the style and beauty threads, the general recommendation seems to be to wear sunscreen all year round! Which is what got me thinking in the first place...

I had very low vitamin d a few years ago so I consciously go out without sunscreen for at least 30 minutes between. 11-15 o'clock. I don't wear it afterwards unless I want to prevent burning. I'd rather have strong bones in old age than a smooth face. I like la roche posay 50. It's the only one that doesn't irritate my eyes and skin and it doesn't feel so sticky.

I always have La Roche Posay sunscreen or Clinique city block on my face, every day, year round, even if i’m inside all day. I try and remember to do the backs of my hands too! If i’m off for a run or know i’ll be outside for a couple of hours and it’s sunny i do my arms too but if i’m just going for a walk/to the shop or whatever i leave them bare for vitamin d purposes. I think it’s the single best thing you can do for your skin.

Should add - i supplement vit d and weightlift for strong bones. You don’t have to choose between one or the other!

I wear a factor 30-50 sunscreen on my face and neck, all year around. It's just part of my morning routine, so I prefer to just put it on daily instead of having to think whether I'll be going out or for how long. I've been doing my arms every day for a few weeks now (if they're exposed - I often wear long sleeves even in hot weather).

I'm currently using a Nivea moisturising sunscreen, which I find really pleasant to wear. I don't reapply throughout the day (unless on holiday), and I rub it in quite a bit (because I wear makeup on top) so I think I'm still getting some sun exposure and vit D, but it's just helping to reduce sun damage. I do take high dose vit D capsules. I'm more concerned about the ageing effects than burning (I'm originally from an Asian country and I've never actually had sunburn).

I'm not spending much time outside between 10-4 as the sun is pretty relentless in our south facing garden. I'm exercising earlier in the morning and later in the evening and not going out in the middle of the day as usual, so have used less sun cream than I normally would for peak and prolonged exposure.

My vitamin D must be going up as my nails are finally growing long. After last year's washout of a "summer" they started going brittle unusually early into the autumn.

I always find Mumsnet a little bit ott around sunscreen. I always wear a moisturiser which is a 15 for normal walking around.
If I’m going to be out in the sun I wear it wherever is exposed (like if I’m sitting in the garden etc).

Am amazed at this thread.
I would only put sun-cream on if I were - well - going to be out in the sun for any length of time

I wear spf every day over my moisturiser, factor 25 in the winter, 50 in the summer. The amount of spf in moisturiser is not a large enough quantity to give protection and is just a marketing ploy which is why a separate spf is important. Obviously I’m protecting against skin cancer, but also aging, wrinkles, pigmentation etc. I sit by a window so top up during the afternoon with a spray spf.

I wear factor 50 la Roche posay face moisturiser every day. Mainly because I lived in Spain until recently and needed it as I am very fair.

However my make up artist friend you should wear it even when inside. I generally have been every day even during lockdown as my face feels a bit tight without it.

Have a look on the british Assocation of Dermatology website and Skin Cancer sun protection pages on Cancer Research OP. They have great advice.

You don’t need it inside, you do need it outside if you would be outside for longer than about 15 minutes, especially if you are out when the sun is strongest.

However I'm also chronically low vit D and the docs told me I need to be out with bare face and bare arms every day in the sunshine as well as my tablets!

Your doctor says you should risk skin cancer to get vitamin D?

I’ve never read any suggestion that SPF should be worn to sit in the house until everyone went in to lockdown. Now there’s a plethora of articles about it all with links to expensive facial SPF so I’m taking it with a bucket of salt.

Still working so yes. Actually I have been using it everyday because it was the nearest face cream to me!

I put factor 50 on my face 365 days a year.

my normal moisturiser has spf30

if I go for bike rides more than 10min I put on factor 50 on face&hands.

Wear it all year round religiously.

1. Even if inside or on cloudy days, the UVA sun rays are still coming through and causing premature ageing. Spf is a very easy way to protect yourself.
2. You need a quater of a teaspoon for your face and neck to provide the level of Spf stated on the bottle. Moisturisers with Spf will not do it so you need a separate one.
3. I don't buy spf solutions which cost like £30 for 50 ml. They feel lovely on the skin but it's insane. I use Korean sunscreen and I also have found, by trial and error, some affordable ones that don't leave white cast and don't dry out the skin.
4. I use mineral spf.
5. If you want to protect yourself against sunburn then you are OK only applying it if you plan to be outside for a longer time. If you also want to prevent premature ageing spf needs to go on even if you are only nipping in out and out.

I suffer from PLE and roseacea aggravated by the sun. Interestingly it has not flared up so far this year. I use a dermalogica spf 50 moisturiser and their sensitive shield on face and neck...they have just discontinued the latter so I hope the replacement works as well.

This is the first year I've started wearing spf 🙈
But my plan is to wear factor 50 every day! (On my face)
Once the elf primer with factor 50 goes back into stock I will wear that during all the winter months and wear my water biore during the warmer months, I find my foundation goes on really well over it tbh so not much of an issue!

I also wear a hat, I tan my body so my face looks completely different to my body but I fake tan my face so it's not too bad

I wish I had done this years ago as I know I've caused sun damage but not much I can do about that apart from change my ways!

If I was just popping out for a few mins in the garden I would put my hat on!

Very, very rarely wear sunscreen, DC wear it if out for hours but only if temp is high. We never burn and prefer vitamin D and not to fill our bodies with chemicals.

Everyone should be reducing sunscreen use this year to make sure their vitamin D levels are as high as possible for the projected winter Covid second peak.

The sunscreen industry who turned us all into factor 50 nutters has a huge amount to answer for

@mandalayogatapestry

I think you need help for your anxiety, wearing sunscreen inside is INSANE. You are a human being you need sunlight, you need vitamin D.

Do you get lots of colds and flu out of interest?

Rarely as I don’t lie in sun for hours unless on holiday. Vitamin D is pretty essential.
If you don’t spend long outside in high temperatures and don’t smile then your skin ageing is dependent on your genes and not much you can do about that. Eternal youth is overrated. Accepting a few wrinkles is liberating.

Grobag you need to learn some manners and get some knowledge.

I work in the open conservatory with sun coming through and I go in and out of the garden. That's enough sun exposure to warrant spf protection.