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!

Rash vest.
suntan lotion is just too hard to get every bit especially if in and out of water.
my red headed relative has had several skin cancers removed

I’m not a red head or massively fair skinned, but I do have melanoma (thanks to my parents not really giving a toss about sun safety).

I use Altruist SPF 50 (designed by a skin cancer doctor) if I absolutely must go out. I also cover up, wear UV clothing. I also just don’t go out during the middle part of the day unless I absolutely need to. I re-apply suncream like 5 times a day.

Soltan 50 for arms and legs, Haruharu Wonder 50 for face and neck. Loose layers and a big hat. But mostly I just don’t go out - I physically can’t cope in this heat, my body goes into limp mode.

Strawberry blonde here, with very white skin. Got really sunburnt last month while collecting and taking the rubbish out of my car!
I was INSIDE the car for about 8 minutes. Won't do that again!

My face cream has a SP factor of 50 in it, which I use all year round. I use a factor 50 sun cream on top (my fav is Nivea) if I am going out for the day and regularly reapply.

I stay in the shade at all times, even when "factored up" and keep covered up. I have hats every where, in the cars, my handbag and strewn through the hallway!

My new favorite thing (as it's getting really tiresome working to work where there is very little shade) is an UV umbrella!

Game changer, I now have shade on demand!

Porcelain skin with blonde hair here!

I wear Nivea Factor 50 - home and abroad!

I didn't even know Factor 100 existed!

Heliocare spf100.

Red haired son always covered but spf50 does do the job on face and neck and sometimes legs but long sleeve and loose

Just got back from Thailand with red haired blue eyed pale skinned dd. P20 spf 50 is her go-to but at £24 a bottle (and that’s when boots have it on special) it’s not cheap but it did the job brilliantly

https://www.notino.co.uk/daylong/kids-protective-liposomal-lotion-spf-30/

My whole family (adults and DC) use this which seems to have better staying power than lots of the others. But yes there is absolutely no substitute for staying out of the sun. A linen shirt won't provide much protection because it has such a loose weave. Even if your DD was under a shade umbrella on the boat, the sun rays will have reflected upwards off the water. There is pretty much no chance a redhead can spend a day on a boat deck without sunburn.

I'm an Aussie. If you go to the beach in Australia there is a massive percentage of people in rash vest, swim hats, board shorts, even swim leggings. Sunscreen really just doesn't cut it.

We don't spend more than an hour on the beach in the middle of the day, even with all the cover up gear, or we all burn.

We live in Oz too. I got one of these Nashie shirts for Xmas for son and they’re really nice (not like rashies). It says they ship internationally to some countries https://thenashie.com/pages/shipping-returns

I burned on a boat trip, I had on factor 50, T shirt and shorts and a hat.

I was 30+ so not a silly teenager. I had been reapplying but I forgot to reapply under my T shirt.

Did she have to reapply this throughout the day? I’ve considered this for her body and spf 100 for her face.

I use beauty of joseon aqua spf 50 in a blue and cream box from boots and im a redhead. For my kids who are more blondey red and very pale I use boots soltan kids 8hr and you only need to apply once. It does last and they've never burnt with it and it doesn't cause breakouts or sensitivity.

Pale, red-haired gene carrying mother of a redhead here. Vichy sun cream is good, but lather it on and reapply after 3-4 hours. Thin layers are useless. Every sun cream only gives you 50 x what your skin could stand 'naked', and for redheads that's not a lot... so, get out of the sun in the hours when the sun is strongest. Have lunch in a shaded cafe, hide under an umbrella, or cover up. Note on P50: we all come out in a rash from it, and I've stayed in two holiday lets recently where the rules have said it is banned owing to the marks it makes on sofas etc.

I think one thing that people don’t pay attention to is the amount they use. There are videos on tik tok about how much to use. Most of us don’t use enough. It’s all well and good reapplying but it needs to be the correct amount. I’m Irish with pale freckly skin. I mostly stay out of the sun as there’s no enjoyment for me. But even in the shade I have to limit it or I will burn

I always cover up, especially shoulders and back, and I basically don't go outside. And I accepted a long time ago that bikinis and beach holidays are just not for me, because being burnt is so miserable and suncream just doesn't work that well no matter what you buy.

I use ultrasun spf 50 for me and my son both red heads and we hide in the shadows and do try to retreat in the mid-day. Non greasy - apart from the family oil spray that is super greasy. But their children’s cream is really good and has a longer use by date usually a two year use by date. Swear by this stuff. I have burned so many times with so many sun creams and this one has so far prevent any freckles on my son and mine have not increased since using it. He is now 3.5 years.

Red head here, i now use
Advanced Care 100+

I used to either use 30+ or not bother, but have just been diagnosed with a basal cell carcinoma on the back of my leg.
So factor 100, some nice tanning lotion, sitting in the shade and a large sunhat for me.

My granddaughter is also a red head, and my daughter smothers her with kid friendly factor 50 before going outside and reapplies it every 2 hours. Shes also just invested in the factor 100 that i use. It smoothes on lovely, but once dry it kinda looks a bit like white powder ...

This sun isnt good for us red heads ...

Second a PPs suggestion of a UV brolly. Absolute game changer for holidays/days out where you can’t seek shade.

Uniqlo do some decent looking UV protection clothes. Not much in stock at the moment but maybe Vinted? Especially important to get a UV protection hat I think as I’ve burned through ‘normal’ ones before.

This one ..

Apply more and every two hours. Stay in shade at hottest part of day and cover up with hat and long sleeves

You do not need higher than Factor 50. They don’t even advise that in Australia.

The UV index is maxing out at 6 this week in the UK which isn’t really very high at all - it’s between moderate and high. Higher factor sunscreen risks skin sensitivity/rashes to the ingredients used so that is why they are not routinely advised.

I use Altruist SPF 30 on my body and La Roche Posay UV Mune on my face. I’m red haired, blue eyed, Fitzpatrick Type 1. I always wear a hat, sunglasses and long sleeves if in the sun more than incidentally.

It’s because swimming obliterates sunscreen, even long wear formulas. Which did research and discovered the P50s of the world are negated by swimming and drying yourself off with a towel. The Australian advice is to reapply after each swim.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/do-once-a-day-sun-creams-last-all-day-a9IzA3X1pyMz

I was that 19 year old once and really get it but life is so much easier if she wears a rash vest in the water.

Altruist is AMAZING and yes apply before going out.

I'm not a redhead but I burn ridiculously easily due to Scottish and Irish heritage.

There isn't a sunscreen that ultimately is a solution. I've burnt in half an hour with factor 50 before now.

The only way to deal with it is to stay out the sun and to cover up.

She will learn that the lobster looks and pain is not worth it.