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!

I'm not a redhead (it's in the family though) but really vulnerable to the sun. I'm old, and I've had an early melanoma (on my face) from running around in the sun 50 years ago when very young and we didn't know any better. Avoid the sun, and when you can't - use factor 50 and cover up as much as possible. The dermatologist I saw said there was vanishingly little benefit over 50%. The best defence is avoidance.

No I asked her a few times whilst away if she needed to reapply and she said no. No burning at all. She first used it in the med when I wasn’t with her so she had already road tested it. We took two bottles away with us for three weeks which was just about right

just checked the receipt- it was the kids version I bought her as i trusted it to be extra waterproof

Decathlon have some good 50 SPF tops in quite pleasant colours.

I use La Roche Posay, or Garnier, or Nivea factor 50. Soltan is also very good. I have always used these brands for my kids, preference being La Roche Posay which is a top Which recommendation. Eucerin was recently recommended to me by the dermatology nurse.

But yeah, covering up and shade essential esp after swimming - not always possible when a teen is out with other friends who don’t get it. My teen has linen trousers, linen shirts, Solabri cover ups, swim tops but me asking her to wearing them doesn’t equal it happening!

This one - doesn't smell, scores very well for containing less nasty chemicals, doesn't upset my sensitive skin. I do not have red hair but I am pale with a lot of moles/freckles so have to be careful.
NIVEA Sun Babies &Kids Sensitive Protect Lotion

My husband is very pale, skin1004 spf50 applied every 1.5 hours (virtually all need a good 20-30 minutes to work), if the UV is above five is also has his skin covered. If the UV is high enough for suncream (3) he also wears long sleeves in water and a hat.

I like ultra violette too since I’ve got older, but my long term love is Institute Ethiderme “sun intolerant”.

look at Solbari, an Australian brand, that make hats and clothes with built in UPF protection. These have been a game changer for me.

https://www.solbari.co.uk

Face - beauty pie featherlight SPF 50
body - ultrasun sports gel and also Aldi Lacura spf 50 spray, surprisingly good.

I am ginger and milk bottle coloured, but can’t stand anything too heavy or scented - this fits the bill

As someone who has burnt through factor 50 my whole life whilst stressing in the UK, let alone abroad. I'd recommend SunBum. They have aerosol and cream options, I've been using it for years and haven't burnt once when using it.

All of the above about less skin exposure to Sun. Very fair skinned and agree with applying 20 minutes before going outside etc.
Brands that work better for us .. 50+ Broad Spectrum sunscreen with physical barrier ingredients as well as chemical. Titanium and Zinc are ingredients that work well for us. Sun Sense is our favourite.

We apply sunscreen on all exposed skin and wear rashies, hats and also apply extra stick Zinc to nose, lips and reapply often.

Very fair blond with 1 red head and 1 blond DD - DH is a red head. We are the palest family!
Buckets of suncream before leaving the house, I put mine on after my shower and let it dry. Hats and rash vests. Cotton long sleeve cover ups by the pool over bikinis, rash vests in the water. Stay in the shade as much as possible.

I discovered this suncream this year: https://www.lookfantastic.com/p/beauty-of-joseon-relief-sun-rice-probiotics-spf50-50ml/15443553/?affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&affil=thggpsad&kwds=&thg_ppc_campaign=20544267983&adtype=pla&product_id=15443553&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=20544267983&cq_con=&cq_term=&cq_med=pla&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_plt=gp&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20544269891&gbraid=0AAAAAD-fXio7xkmTJwOMwE8NnXXZomfGD&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnIDUBhDrARIsAJDGwSuyhL3PCqxcRCYgTCsdCG-V6rltWgg9Yrw9SuFYuPmC51oCH9kUTiEaAlPFEALw_wcB it’s great. And I really like this Nivea https://www.boots.com/nivea-sun-protect-and-moisture-invisible-finish-sun-cream-lotion-spf50-plus-150ml-10354974?traffic=paid.shopping&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21319764377&gbraid=0AAAAA-AdmwSKlQ74Pzv4gNgI-J1MDZ3oo&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnIDUBhDrARIsAJDGwSuIsuZAuNK8ZK73L0IIrpR4VIDwYdO6vNASEbgh_C9DqA52JFgVLLcaApAlEALw_wcB

We are a very outdoor family lots of water sports, I agree with the previous poster - key is application first thing in the morning and then frequent reapplication on dry skin.

Let her burn. Shes 19 and the only way some people learn is by ending up weeping in pain from sunburn.
Boat trips are a nightmare for shade and the only real answer is not to go on one, unless you are totally covered up. Which is not something she'll willing to do clearly. And as a pale red head I have burnt through linen. SpF rated clothing is what she needs (but won't wear Ill bet)
Edit to say SPF 100 isn't allowed in Europe as it creates a false sense of safety. Lashings of any reputable factor 50 is the only way.

Don’t just let her burn. Two lots of bad burning significantly raises risk of skin cancer. Worth being a mum sun bore and foisting sunwear and suncream on them to try and avoid that if possible!

Ultrasun all day factor 50. I'm quite fair and it lasts me all day when I apply at least 20 mins before going out in the sun. It would be even better with top ups. The only times it has let me down is when I have accidentally scrapped it off eg when hot and sweaty I scrapped it off in little patches getting into a canoe, or putting on and off a rucksac or a wetsuit, so watch out for that kind of thing with all suncreams.

"Letting her burn" is awful advice. Skin cancer is horrible.

Yes. As someone who had a (luckily early) melanoma, I'd never let anyone burn if I could help it. I even point out "pink" children to parents now, and don't care if they are offended. I was probably small when my damage was done (in a time when, genuinely, people didn't give this a second thought) and have been a complete sun-dodger as an adult. But it came for me, and if my friend hadn't spotted it and said to get it checked out, it would have been even worse.

The UV index is maxing out at 6 this week in the UK which isn’t really very high at all.

It is when you're very fair.

Not a redhead but very fair skinned. Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyali-Cica Water Fit Sun Serum SPF50. My skin is also very easily irritated. This works brilliantly. I apply one layer, wait 10 minutes and go in with a second layer. I always keep a spare tube in my bag, so I can reapply later in the day. I gave up on Western sunscreens a long time ago.

I use P20 and don't reapply

nivea face one re applied lots but mainly I just cover up - any suncream that gives enough protection looks like I’ve been limewashed.

As a redhead myself I use factor 100. However not sure it’s any better than a 50. Covering her up in sleeves is better and reapply sunscreen frequently

Not all sunscreens are as effective as they claim. There was a bunch of testing done on a big range of sunscreens not long ago, with many of them coming back as having factors well below what they claimed. La Roche Posay came back as one of the best, with some of their 50 products actually having protection factors up to 70. I wear it exclusively now, even though it’s not cheap, because like your daughter I burn very easily. I do also wear a hat everywhere.

This is the stuff. The new formulation needs more reapplication but it’s the only genuinely waterproof, long-lasting factor 50 I’ve ever come across.

The old formula was better but this is still good, you do have to reapply on the day. It also doesn’t feel like you are wearing suncream.

My fair/red DH and kids haven’t burnt whilst wearing it including playing in the sea.

www.technisun.co.uk

Yes, we use La Roche Posay for faces and find the same.