AIBU to think that it's not usual to wear sunscreen all the time?

[TheKitchenWitch]

Leading on from another thread of mine in which I asked for recommendations for a tinted moisturiser without sunscreen in it (due to skin reacting), I was surprised that it seemed to be very much a given that one would wear sunscreen every day.

Now, I don't think I know of anyone who slathers sunscreen on their whole family every single day of the year. It might well be that it's included in a daily face cream for some, so they are getting it by default, but I don't put any on my children until we get to proper summer, hot sunny days etc and they are outside way more than me.
My husband also would only ever put it on if we're spending the day outside in summer. We live in Germany, so climate is similar to UK for much of the year.

So my question is: do you (as in your whole family) wear sunscreen all year round?

My husband and I do, but we live in Australia where it’s much more common.

In Vietnam last year we were at the beach covered in sun cream in rash vests sitting under an umbrella totally astounded by the English girls next to us lying in full sun with nothing apart from some spf 15.... which I don’t think you can even buy here anymore

Most women I know use moisturiser with a UV 15 filter to protect their face and hands, but I’m unaware of anyone doing anything beyond that, Certainly not on children unless the sun is strong.

You could use a night cream but they aren’t tinted.

I also live down under and wear SPF50 on my face every day (and any other exposed skin in summer).

I live in a climate similar to yours and yes, I wear a moisturiser with sunscreen on my face and neck every single day. My grandmother had skin cancer on her face and I think it's so important to protect your skin from the sun.

I live in the UK and wear SPF 50 everyday. Its part of my skin care routine buts it separate to my moisturiser.

I wear factor 50 on my face every day

I use a moisturiser that's SPF30 and foundation that's SPF15. I also put sunscreen on the back of my hands, as I'm getting old-lady brown spots.

I think this has paid off because at 63, most people think I'm in my 40s.

I have a sunscreen allergy so cannot wear SPF moisturiser as they all have the ingredient I'm allergic to.

But I wear sunscreen daily on my face. I use a mineral block.

I use retinol and acid tone, so it's even more essential that I do so.

However, I don't slather up my body or the kids in the sun until 11am when it's sunny, try and get some vitamin D!!

Other than my moisturiser (spf 15) I don't wear sunscreen every day in the UK, no.

My moisturiser has spf 25 in it but I'm very pale.

Only if I wear foundation. Looking out of the window today I don’t think there is any need for sunscreen today! ☁️ Also we need the vitamin D.

It is usual for those interested in not prematurely ageing their skin, yes

Having previously been badly sunburnt through a tshirt whist wearing factor 30 in Scotland (was only 25 degrees) I always slather myself in 50 I do this for my DS and ds my sister doesn't she's had skin cancer multiple times but wants a real tan😯

A day like today where it's barely scraping double figures behind a blanket of cloud and drizzle, no I won't put it on, only my face and hands are out anyway. If I'm going out for a longer period (e.g. running) in lighter cloud, I will put it on. My suncream season is generally April to September. Beyond that the angle of the sun in the UK becomes too weak for the body to generate vitamin D.

Temperature is a poor indicator. While Britain was basking in the sun at Easter, I was shivering in a sharp north wind in the Mediteranean. I was wearing suncream as well as a coat because the lattitude means that the power of the sun was about 8 on the UV index.

It is a difficult call on the balance of protecting against excessive UV damage and getting a sufficient quantity of UV to generate vitamin D which is a widespread defficiency in the UK.

I wear a daily face protector at factor 40 every day.

DH -who has had 7 patches of squamous cell carcinomas removed-wears prescription sun block every day.

I have an SPF 15 moisturiser, very fair skin, medium to high risk of skin cancer, and dog-walk for two hours daily so yes, I protect my face every day. Hands not so much, but I'm pretty much allergic to most handcreams.

DS is 13 so on the rare occasions he emerges from his teenage cave I let him get some vitamin D in him but I do fret about that and getting the right balance.

I don't either OP as I react to sunscreens on my face,I wear a wide brimmed hat in the summer and don't sit out in the sun at all.

I wear factor 50 under my make up every day of the year and I live in Scotland. It's purely from a protection against further wrinkles point of view. The sunscreen I wear is lovely and feels more like a primer so it's not a chore to use daily.
For those mentioning vit D, I supplement by taking a vit D tablet daily.
It's kind of a no brainer for me.

Nope. I put sunscreen on ds if the uv is medium or higher and he's going to be spending a lot of time outdoors in shorts & T-shirt. I put it on myself if the uv is high and I'll be outdoors a lot.
We live in Scotland and have a very long, dark winter so I like some sunshine on my skin, never enough to really tan/burn but enough for some vitamin D.
I even let ds run around outside in the morning for half an hour in the summer before putting any on him. In the evenings last summer he'd run around the garden naked for a while before going in for his bath.
He had a very light tan on holiday once (with factor 50) but that's it so I'm confident his skins protected enough. (He is also part Asian/Middle Eastern)

I'm in the north of England so definitely not! Supplements are no substitute for sunlight, also in my family there are a history of deaths caused by a disease that's most associated with lack of vit d.

I wear spf 50 every day after about mid March to mid October, in the north of England, even when it's grey, but only because I get pmle otherwise, which is seriously unpleasant

I aabsolutely agree that as a population we don't wear it enough.

But for those who wear it every day in the UK - why? The UV index is at 0 or 1 for at least 50% of the year.

and rickets is on the rise - all babies in my area are given vitamin drops inc vit D from newborn.

It would be more than unusual for any of us to wear suncream, let alone all year around.

You need the sun to produce vitD for all sorts of things and it’s actually very good for your health. Seeing that motif us are deficient in vitD, I dint think making it harder for the body to produce it is a good idea.

We also very rarely need protection from the sun in the U.K. That’s incl DH ad ds2 who are white blond and have a very fair skin.
By any mean, when you know you will be OUTSIDE for the day, the sun is shining, then yes suncream is great. But all year round, why would you protect yourself from.... nothing?

I did until my mid-20's.
Not worn it for the last 20 years though (UK).