When did daily sunscreen become a mainstream thing?

[dolobug]

I'm 45 and have been using spf on my face every day since I was in my late teens / early 20's. I think that when I was in my earlier teens the info about sunscreen and skin ageing just wasn't as known and that very few moisturisers or foundations actually contained any sunscreen at all and not many would have put (sun tan lotion) on their face in winter! In fact I remember when most sunscreens seemed to be spf 6 and my parents using tanning oil in the 80's. Perhaps people from different countries where it is sunnier had different attitudes to spf but in the UK I don't think anyone was really wearing it daily until the early 2000's where they?

I recall being an outlier amongst my peers for caring about spf when I was in my 20's in the early 2000's and that people even thought the spf 15 I was wearing in winter then was excessive, never mind the daily spf 30 - 50 I was wearing daily by the mid 2000's. Even at that point when spf was more commonly found in make up and moisturiser it was and spf 15 and mostly you weren't applying that in a thick enough layer for it to be effective.

Am I wrong now in thinking that most people are wearing spf 30 - 50 on their face and exposed skin everyday even in winter? When did you first start to take notice of how important sunscreen was for your skin? Do you where it regularly and think it has made a difference to the quality of your skin as you have aged?

I’ve not even been wearing it the last few days. I’ve been either sitting in the shade or sitting inside.

The other one I like is canmake mermaid gel SPF but I'm not sure of the UV rating on that

Zitsticka spf serum is made for breakout prone skin but I haven't tried that yet
Ultra violette do good ones too

Most people don't care about premature skin aging. Or, they care for a short time, and then revert back to not being arsed. Hence the lack of sunscreen stock in winter.

I use a moisturiser which has SPF 20 in, I probably apply it every other day. I still get enough vitamins D as I only wear it on my face as I take suppliments during the winter.

No but I do use tretinoin for acne so I wear face SPF all year round
Body spf no
It's overcast here today but the UV is 7 so I have body SPF on

Tretinoin is an acid.

I use a daily SPF all year round. Started early 40s. But I have age spots on my face which I’m really not keen on, so it’s an effort to try and stop them getting worse.

This. I know I should, but my skin hates suncream. I break out in painful spots all along my jawline and I have never a found a decently high spf facial moisturiser that doesn't turn my skin into an oil slick.

Sorry, hit post half way through sending...I would be wearing sunscreen throughout the year if I used an acid too.

My Mum kindly gifted me a new facial spf called Freezyderm. I'm very sensitive skinned/prone to irritation and have tried am by over the years.
This is a huge game changer for me as it's not at all oily, it's more the texture of a silicone primer and works really well under make-up. Most importantly, it's not irritated my skin is my eyes at all, my skin feels nourished but not greasy and the dreaded freckles are not increasing quite as much as they did before!

You could try a mineral sunscreen, they tend to be a bit better for oily skin.

FREZYDERM Sun Screen Velvet FACE SPF 50+ PN: B007TSU0E2 amzn.eu/d/1vpfMD2

I have used Clinique city block moisturiser since the mid-90s, it has an SPF of 25. On a sunny day if I'm out all day, I would use a suncream with SPF of 50.
I'm very pale - I will never tan. I realised early on that pale is better than burnt with a peeling nose!

I don’t wear it. I would say most people don’t.

I think it’s because retinol has become more popular now. It’s advisable to wear a high spf when you are using it.

I think it started coming in at about the time of the discovery of the holes in the ozone layer in the late 1980s. Which was also about the time of Crocodile Dundee and the arrival of Neighbours, and the Aussies are way ahead of us in terms of sun protection, so it had something of a reinforcement by fashion.

Anti-ageing effects were being discussed, but never really got much traction - think it's still quite often only lip-service.

And there are still loads of people who eschew sunscreen even in summer - they think it's healthier (despite all the evidence, and the availability of safe vit D supplements for those who are concerned)

I wear it if it's going to be hot (over 22/23 degrees) and I'm outdoors in direct sun for more than an hour.

Never wear it in winter, I need all the Vd I can get!

I don’t think it’s common to wear spf50 everyday. I don’t think most people care about skin regime that much. I tried a couple of spf50 creams but they were all oily. And I don’t want to spend Roche posay prices.

@RaisinGhost Yeah that 10 - 15 year timeline tallies with my thinking so I think that must be about right and of course the explosion in active skincare has pushed that even more so.

I think my sunscreen use is the main difference between myself and my sisters and my skin is less aged / lined / pigmented / saggy than theirs. However in general their are so many variables such as how much is it applied and reapplied, what sort of sunscreen is used, other skincare used, lifestyle, genetics etc. There was a twin study but that covered smoking as well so not just about sun damage.

Important to use a vitamin D supplement if you are dedicated to sunscreen as well.

Overall I think it does make a difference to how you look at least and on balance I'd prefer to have nicer skin if I can.

Using SPF 30-50 sunscreen all year round if you live in the UK is just going to give you a vitamin D deficiency.

It doesn't seem all that long ago that sunscreen was called 'Suntan lotion' and came in factor 2, 4, 6 and if you were really pushing the boat out, 8. Almost nobody used that unless they were going to the Sahara.

For all of you who can't stand the feel of daily suncream can I highly recommend Biore UV Watery Essence in SPF 50.

It soaks in really well and doesn't feel like suncream at all, works as a good base for makeup etc, doesn't leave a white cast. It's Japanese, and they have a much wider range of products like this.

Also something that is great for top-ups (even over makeup!) is La Roche Posay Invisible Fresh Mist.
I think this comes in SPF 30 and 50 - I have the 50. It's anti-shine, doubles as a setting spray, quick spray and you're good to go.

I recommend both of these as someone with really sensitive skin who is prone to breakouts. I wear stronger suncream if I'm away somewhere hot or outdoors all day at an event (usually a soltan one) but it does feel thick and greasy on my skin and with sweating it can cause a breakout. I wouldn't like that every day so I can understand some of you being reluctant, but not every product is like wearing a full on heavy suncream, while still protecting your skin.

Personally I've worn moisturiser with SPF in it since my teens (Olay Beauty Fluid for Sensitive Skin) and never stopped. I have a family history of skin cancer though so have always been very aware of the risks and careful with my skin. I wear my Biore one every day now, even in the winter, it's routine and a good habit.

Regular daily use of SPF 15 sunscreen can reduce your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by about 40 percent, and lower your melanoma risk by 50 percent.

We're not all 'skin care nerds.'

Just trying to save our skin.

@FourTeaFallOut yeah it's a tricky one - even if I didn't use tret I would use SPF probably when other people don't
Case in point when I should have used it - I took a bin bag outside and the neighbour stopped me to chat. This was 10 mins outside
Like I said to my dad I didn't think to put it on to take a bin bag out! I need a bubble of SPF

@BruisedSkies I'm very pale and so get away with mostly mineral based sunscreens which dry down nicely on me and suit my skin. I also use garnier spf 50 in the big tube as i like to reapply often, I'd rather my face was a bit greasy than not be protected. I also don't really wear make up so that makes reapplication easy.

I don't like the Biore one at all. Way too much alcohol in it.