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 like Ultrasun and have recently tried out La Roche Posay oil control gel-cream on my face, which seems to work better on me than the fluid. I am not red-haired but fair skinned and burn very easily.

A couple of years ago I bought a long-sleeved swimsuit from Amazon. It actually looks quite nice on (zip front, a bit sporty) and more stylish than the UV top I was using before. I use this for sea-swimming.

I never quite understand the spray mists as surely it just doesn’t get applied in sufficient quantity?

I don’t know about them all, but techniblock works. It really works… it’s from South Africa.

We have redheads and survived living in the ME with a combo of rash vest tops and calypso once a day (at the cheaper end of the market as well- ultrasun/LRP is all very well but costs a fortune when you need it every single day). Both kids hate anything creamy or gunky so the alcohol based ones are favourite. Zinc sticks for the face.

The Aldi spray is also pretty good. Needs to go on in enough quantity though. But really covering up is the best.

Boats are the worst. I got the worst sunburn of my life on a boat after diving and was only out in it for about 20 minutes after changing.

Fair skinned redhead, working frequently in the tropics. I have a routine - wash and dry to make sure nothing on skin already, then all over generous coating of Ultrasun SPF50 sports spray or gel and let it dry. She needs to put loads on everywhere except face (as it stings like a bastard if you sweat and it gets in your eyes!) After that, shade, hat, and top up exposed bits after swimming or sweating, I usually use a cheaper but decent brand cream for that such as Altruist or Nivea. Cannot recommend sitting in the shade enough though - never sit in full sun unless you have no other options at all, and even then try to cover any exposed skin with clothing or a towel or something. For face, I use a separate facial suncream because I can’t bear suncreamy sweat in my eyes. Current favourite is by CeraVe.

Do not let her burn to teach her a lesson. My DD is also 19 and at this age they are stupid but think they are immortal. You can’t tell them anything, but as a responsible parent the best we can do it offer advice and assistance where we can, in order that they will get older and wiser without too much harm. My mother let me burn (I was not being stubborn, we were just never educated about sunburn then, and we were sent out to play in the sea and sun as young children with a cotton tshirt as protection and nothing more, and burned horribly.) I worry about the damage this did to me, especially as work colleagues suffer regularly with skin cancers.

Yes - I think the only option is to reapply religiously. Boat trips are perfect for burning - especially if you are swimming in the water a lot as no sunscreen will resist - especially if you are in the water for extended periods of time. A rash vest is probably non negotiable and a hat to cover the face and ideally the neck. And then avoiding the sun as much as possible.

Can I put a plug in for UV hoodies? They are hugely popular for walkers now and I wear mine at the beach and whenever I go for a local walk. They’re not hot to wear and keep your skin cooler. You’re basically always going to miss a spot with sunscreen, so why put yourself in that position to start with?

Lots of brands but this is the one I’ve got:

https://www.dare2b.com/womens-sprint-city-lightweight-hoodie-nordic-blue/

There seems to be a huge reliance on sunscreen in the U.K. but the right way to protect your skin from the sun is to (a) cover up with clothing then (b) put sunscreen on remaining exposed areas.

https://www.sunsmart.com.au/about-sunsmart/media-and-communications/sunsmart-campaigns/cover-up-from-uv#cover-up

At 19 years old you can provide all the suncream and shade and uv protection clothing and nag and nag and nag, but some DC will just not comply until they learn for themselves. When my DC were little I could slather them in cream and put them in UV suits, or just refuse to let them outside until suitably covered, but you can't do that to another adult.
OPs DC will eventually learn sun protection measures for herself. It is hard to accept you'll never ever be a tanned bikini wearing sun bather at that age and will always be the odd one out on holidays with friends though. UV clothing is a godsend to me, but deeply unfashionable for most UK young people.