To not understand why some people won’t wear suncream?!

[ClandestineAdulation]

Currently sat in the garden and enjoying the sunshine with my factor 30 on... with the family and not one of them is wearing suncream.

I can see their skin burning.

They can see their skin burning.

But they think I’m weird for wearing suncream.

I don’t understand why some people would knowingly do this?!

I'm allergic to so many sun creams but burn, even in the shade, so being pointed in the direction of eucerin factor 50 has made a big difference to me because it doesn't give me a rash.

The downside is that it's particularly sticky, it I don't care!

And the though of merino wool on a muggy day like today is making me itch!

I use a once a day cream, and a separate one for my face usually. But I admit I only use it in the UK if it is hot and sunny. I don't use it all year round - though often my face cream has a little SPF in.

I tend to use SPF 30 as most research seems to suggest the difference between 30 and 50 is very little, and 30 is easier to get hold of.

I used to use P20 but got fed up of the staining, and the sting. We always use UltraSun now - its a little bit dearer generally, but it works really well, and doesn't seem to have the same issue with stains. Its a cream rather than an oil though.

Just ordered a whole new lot ready for holidays in a fortnight - big tub of general family SPF 30, a lightly tinted face one (SPF 30) for me, and also the SPF 30 glimmer one too for me and dd on the off 'nicer' day out for arms. But its not cheap!

Oh and DD used to react a lot to most suncreams and end up with a rash, but has never reacted to UltraSun so she's been using that since she was small. She's 16y now and has never burnt whilst using it even on the hot humid summer Florida sun.

I’ve been outside a lot this weekend wearing factor 50 but i’ll Still get comments on Monday at work about how i’ve “Caught the sun” ... some of us just go red 🙄

BW - I got a merino wool blanket and I love it! Used with a sheet and I never wake up sweating like I used to

Ollivander..my whole body has lost its pigment apart from a few brown patches on my back and a small patch on my neck

I bloody hate having it, but ts been a part of me now for 19 years

Me and DD don't sunburn but we both get the most horrible rash. So we don't wear any suncream, just don't do any sunbathing etc. And while DD is outside every day, she never gets red, only brown.
I was diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency too so I am soaking up the sun whenever I can right now.

Altruist Factor 50 - it’s the only one I can tolerate (I have sensitive skin and sensory issues, so doubly difficult with suncream). I don’t find it sticky on my skin like all of the other brands I’ve tried.

To people who wear it on holiday, but not in the UK - it’s the same sun?! It’s been at least as hot - and hotter in many cases - than a lot of European holiday destinations lately, so why the difference?

This horrifies me. I didn't grow up here, but I live on the coast in the US and half the people in my office have had skin cancer. Most are old enough to not have known better when they were kids and teens, but today we know what the sun can do to you. Why would you risk this?

I will not put sunscreen on because I don't want their very nasty chemicals on my skin

The main reason is that I want as much sun on my body as I can to maximise my Vitamin D

I have slightly dark skin, so I can stay in the hot sun for 30 minutes before I sit in the shade

If I was "gingie" with very white skin that I might change my views and cover up or use the old-fashioned Ambre Solare oil that the French used to use, but never the Titanium Oxide or some other nano-particles in modern sun-screens.

I wear sun screen, and I do sit in the sun, as I have bad psoriasis and it clears it up ( usually). I missed a bit with the suncream and went a bit red at top of my leg ( not burnt though). Am getting brown, but the bloody psoriasis is refusing to budge!
Am not a sun worshipper though, sunbathing bores me.

Evidence suggests that tanning greatly increases your risk of developing skin cancer. And, contrary to popular belief, getting a tan will not protect your skin from sunburn or other skin damage. The extra melanin in tanned skin provides a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of about 2 to 4; far below the minimum recommended SPF of 15.

Let’s hope you won’t need any “very nasty chemicals” to treat malignant melanomas - or metastatic areas. Cancer treatments aren’t ‘natural’, or a barrel of laughs, either.

We know better now, so surely we do better? If you want vitamin D exposure - which I absolutely agree with, incidentally - go out for 30mins at the beginning or end of the day without suncream. You don’t have to be out in full, glaring sunshine.

I'll take the chemical. Oil will do nothing when you've got the skin type that burns in minutes, I had to use suncream at 6pm tonight

I never burn & go golden brown in about two minutes. Literally love the sun but I always wear sun cream. I even buy specialist anti pigmentation cream for my face. I think people who don't wear sun cream can't moan if anything happens in the future! Anything lower than spf15 doesn't give enough protection.

I'll take some nasty chemicals over the risk of getting cancer any day.

@NotTakenUsername - we use P20, mostly when we go on holiday (but have some around for summer here). Always have the SPF50 in the spray form. Pp is right to say it will stain clothing but then, what sunscreen doesn't?! We put it on (and assist each other so no missed bits) and let it dry/soak in before we finish getting dressed and going outside. It lasts very well but we do top up if we've been in the sea or pool a lot, and try to be in shade over lunchtime anyway.

We've been careful as we don't want painful burns, particularly not kids.

I get ours from TK Maxx, it's a bit cheaper than the supermarkets. We allow one 250ml bottle per person for a fortnight and that seems to do us ok.

I'll take some nasty chemicals over the risk of getting cancer any day.

Huh?? Using the chemicals puts you at risk of cancer...

Living in Australia, I've had a lifetime of sunsafe education. I know several people who have had skin cancers - the majority of those used sunscreen.

The problem with using sunscreen is that it give people a false sense of security. It is not as effective as it is marketed to be. The best way to prevent skin cancer is to cover up with a physical barrier such as hats and clothing, use a sunshade/umbrella, avoid prolonged sun exposure, keep an eye on the UV range for the day (cloudy days are usually high UV over here) etc etc.

I live on the beach and its beach weather pretty much all year. Every day I see families out with their children thinking they are protected because they are wearing sunscreen. People who chuck it on at the start of the day tend to stay out in the sun longer than people who use other methods of sun safety. Guess what - it sweats off, it washes off, it wipes off, it wears off. Spray on sunscreen is useless, even the Cancer Council says to avoid it. You literally have to use a 1/4 bottle to get enough of it on to be considered protected and reapply every two hours during the day. It also contains chemicals that gets into your lungs. Its horrendous stuff. If you want a good sunscreen, choose one that is a barrier mineral cream containing zinc. Its thicker, more expensive and will look white on your skin, but its the best choice. Common chemical sunscreen ingredients have been found in blood and breast milk and studies show that they can alter hormones, thyroid activity and the reproductive system. They also cause damage to coral reefs due to the sheer amount of the stuff entering our waterways.

We all want to best for ourselves and our children and are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of chemicals in foods, air pollution, wifi in homes and schools, chemicals in cleaning products, asbestos, smoking etc etc but ignore the incredibly toxic chemicals in creams we are putting out skin?

DH is part Israeli (his grandma was from Israel) and doesn't use suncream because he doesn't burn, he goes a lovely colour in about 10 minutes. It bothers me, he is still a white man but he thinks his lack of burning means his skin can't be sun damaged (I promise he's otherwise very intelligent) 🤦🏼‍♀️

I on the other hand need a factor 50 all over otherwise I end up looking like Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants.

I never wear suncream. It stinks and stains your clothes. However I keep covered up, so I don’t burn.

I wear sunblock sparingly. I used to be all for it and covered myself in it all year but after experiencing infertility and recurrent miscarriage I went to see a leading fertility expert who listed that as a likely factor behind my problems. So I've researched it thoroughly and am now much more discerning about it. I won't wear it in winter, when I'm just in and out of the outdoors. When I do wear it, I choose a low SPF with a high UVB protection. And I choose as natural a brand as possible. I do so in a targeted fashion when I can, ie on my right arm when driving. I only go for full coverage when I'm going to an event where I will be out for several hours with limited shelter.

Strangely enough, I used to burn in minutes on a hot day. Now I rarely burn at all. I monitor my skin, see the doctor right away if anything changes and have had a mole removed when necessary. Sunscreen has many obvious advantages but covering our skin in chemicals and not getting the sun we specifically evolved to need is just as stupid as letting ourselves burn. Especially those of us with ancestry near the poles, our skin went pale for a reason, to help us absorb the goodness we needed in the weaker sunlight. Stopping ourselves from gaining what we need from the sun is just swapping out one set of problems for another.

GarfEatsYellowFood - I’m surprised you have been successful with the P20 spray bottle. I bought the SPF 50 spray when they released it (I was a P20 fan for years before do was very happy to see the higher SPF) but burnt to a crisp. My entire back/shoulders/ tummy and legs - honestly the worst burns I’ve ever had (and being a redhead that burns easily that’s saying something), interestingly that same day I had put some of the old formula P20 lotion on my arms and it was the only place that didn’t burn.

Maybe I had a bad batch but it was enough to put me off ever using it again - I was very annoyed because it was expensive and the results are what I imagine carrot oil would do to me. I did email the company about it and they just ignored me. I’m sure I applied it correctly as I am always generous with the sunscreen and DH done my back (like he always does) to make sure I didn’t miss any spots.

Aragog - ultrasun is on offer in Superdrug just now and it’s a good price (between. £15-18 depending on what you are buying)

aus this is interesting and one of my issues with creams. Are you saying that even if the cream stops you burning or tanning, the sun is still damaging your skin?

One thing that often comes to mind is reading that melanoma often happens on bits not exposed to sun. Also that lack of vitamin D is a risk factor for melanoma in itself.

I live in Scotland and use barrier suncream sparingly whilst I build a light tan. As I don’t sunbathe, I don’t need much cream.

But on holiday, I do use the stuff, especially on the kids.

It’s a minefield!