Calling all red-heads and those of fairer skin!

[LittleEsme]

Please can I ask what SPF you use when factoring 50 doesn’t give you enough protection? I’m looking at Eucerin 100 for my red headed daughter after a disastrous week with high street/popular factor 50 brands.

Grateful for any advice on this!

*Factor, not factoring.
My edit is glitching.

Altruist 50. Put it on half an hour before going outside and reapply every 2 hours. Biggest mistake people make is not putting it on before they leave the house and then not reapplying.

I wear loose clothing on top of the sunscreen! Yes you need to reapply regulary and stay in the shade

Rash vest/uv suits, sun hats, plus staying covered will all be more effective than just sun cream. Though it’s depends on how old she is whether she is willing to wear them.

Fair skinned read head here. Agree with other posters, behaviours - applying before leaving house, reapplying, covering skin, staying in shade during hottest hours - are far more important that specific brands. Sunscreen can only do so much.

Factor 50, 5 star UVB (A?)

It's more about the product itself that the actual SPF number. As others have said above, apply before you go out and also reapply.

I like the Ultra Violette brand but there's plenty of other ones that'll do the job.

I also keep shoulders etc covered when the UV is high, a cream can only do so much.

I have just bought a 50 SPF rash vest from Decathlon in quite an attractive colour and am seriously considering one of the light 50 SPF hoodies being advertised online.

Less gloop more clothes I have decided!

Fellow redhead. I’ve not previously had an issue with factor 50 not being enough, but that’s with the strong caveat of covering up / staying out of the sun especially during the hottest part of the day. Sun cream can only do so much and there is an element of just being very careful and not having bare skin exposed to the hottest sun. And also the regular reapplication etc. as others have said.

I carry the red head gene and my eldest is a red head - staying out of the sun as much as possible - factor 50 only reallly alllws for a couple of hours of exposure or so before 11am or after 3pm

I’m very blonde but fair skinned and freckled. My DS is a redhead. I use factor 30 and reapply every thirty minutes, as he does. Cool shower at night and loads of after sun lotion. So far, so good. I don’t go outside between midday and four pm which really helps. My DS is in pain in the extreme heat. He never showers higher temp than 35 degrees even in winter.

Factor 50 and staying out of the sun as much as possible 🤷‍♀️

Thanks everyone. DD is 19 so will hate to cover up. I bought her a baggy white linen shirt to wear over her bikini and we ensure she’s in the shade at all times. She went on a boat trip when abroad last week and sat in shade the whole time apart from swimming and she said she applied and re-applied her SPF 50, but still managed to burn.

Ultrasun 50 is good. It needs reapplying though which is where lots of people burn.

I agree with previous posters about behaviour. I lived in Australia for 10 years as a fair skinned redhead. I had skin checks every year and I remember that the skin doctor said with my skin and in that climate I had a 2/3 chance of developing skin cancer. It was one of the reasons I moved back to the UK.

I actively avoid the sun. I will always cross the street to the shady side, sit under trees etc etc and avoid walking in the hottest part of the day. I cycle to work and wear SPF 50 gloves in summer.

One of my children has the same complexion as me and got her first sunburn in July, she's 11. She went outside for sports day and forgot to put sunscreen on and felt embarrassed to say and go back into school and get it - she won't make that mistake again!

I use Coppertone Water Babies 50spf on my very fair and freckle-prone skim. It works as long as I apply it frequently.

If you're on a boat in hot weather, wear a rash vest with sleeves.

I’m a redhead and basically avoid the sun especially between 11-3.

I use Eucerin 100spf but I understand that it only give 1% extra protection than 50Spf. I use it on my face and chest area. I then usec50spf everywhere else.

I also wear a floppy Barts hat and good quality sunglasses.
I've not left the house today except to peg washing out but will be going for a walk shortly now its cooled down.

If you're going to be in the water, then a very water resistant sunscreen like Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral spf 50 would work well.

I’ve been covering up (red hair, very pale skin). Despite that, I’m outside a lot (dogs) and I look like I’ve got highlights, pure blond streaks in the ginger! I’m tempted to add lemon juice and sit outside for a bit, see what happens!

If you used the kids sunscreen the manufacturers reduce the light reflecting ingredients which block the sun, to save money ......I know this because my skin is as pale as A4 paper and I tried a kids branded sunscreen to see if there was a difference and burnt like mad.

They are getting away with it because no government has regulated it.

As an alternative the adult sunscreen factor 50 uva + uvb

I'd be tempted to think that she's fibbing about how often she reapplied and how long she sat in the shade (or that could just be because I remember feigning ignorance about how I got sun burnt at a similar age).

I swear by superdrug solait. I use their kids 50 and it's brilliant. I burn within minutes of being out if I don't have it on. They even did a test on some of the big brands one in a paper a few years back and superdrug was one of the ones out on top. It's cruelty free as well and doesn't smell awful. Goes on beautifully. They do adults too. I have both products lol.

I'm a redhead living in the ME.

Factor 50 La Roche Posay face spray before I leave the house; hat, glasses, long sleeve cover ups, always walk in the shade.

It's so uncomfortable in the sun. Just try to sta out of it. I don't like being hot, so it's not difficult.

I just cover up or sit in the shade tbh.
I can’t be in direct sunlight for long without burning even with SPF50 on.
I never sunbathe or sit in direct sunlight.