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?

UVA, UVB and UVC relate to different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Broad spectrum means that it protects from both UVA and UVB.

UVC light emitted by the sun is absorbed in the upper atmosphere so we aren't exposed to it.

I lived in Australia for a few years, and it just became habit. Now I’m back in Scotland, I still do almost every day. Given I had a close family member die from malignant melanoma in their early 50s, I’m careful. I take vitD supplements, but I do allow myself a tiny bit of unprotected real sun too.
I think it’s paid off, as in my mid-40s, I’m considerably less wrinkled than most of my friends - and am regularly confused for my 30s.

Yep-daily delight in OZ!found out the hard way that the UV is seriously dangerous during the early days of emigrating..Got a tinted moisturiser with SPF 50&also use Sunzapper zinc stick blended in as i spend fair amount of time outside..Rashie/shorts&hat are standard too.

I very rarely wear any kind of SPF in the UK.

Then again I don't wear moisturiser, have no skin routine and wash my face with plain water in the shower.

I'm 37 and have zero wrinkles!

I have to say though I don't sit out in the full sun, unless I'm walking around or gardening I'll be found in the shade. We've got a big parasol over our garden furniture so I might sit in the full sun for 20 mins first thing in the morning and then I'm under the parasol.

So those who don’t wear it every day aren’t bothered by ageing or don’t think it makes a difference? I’m talking face not body. You don’t make vitamin D in winter but UVA rays will still age your face.

I wear factor 50 on my face every day

I should hope you don’t have any wrinkles at 37 wheresmymojo that’s young! You wouldn’t expect to see the impact of sun damage until 40s. Then the years of SPF or not will make a difference.

Do you wear 50 factor sun cream or moisturiser that has factor 50 in it?

A suncream but one designed for face like La Roche Posey which has a high UVA rating. You don’t get high UVA ratings from your moisturisers and they won’t have been through the rigorous testing. I wear this instead of a moisturiser, over a serum.

Which serum and which RLP?

DM has friend who is a recently retired GP (UK). She (the GP) says that she saw far more cases of Rickets in the 2010s than any other time in her career. She attributes this to using sunscreen year round.

Yes but you can get vitamin D without exposing your face! It’s much better to expose a large area such as arms and legs. I’m sat out now. SPF 50 on my face and a cap but legs and arms have no cream in and I will sit here for 30 minutes to get the vitamin D.

Plus you won’t get any vitamin D in this country from November to March so ‘Year round’ suncream use on your face is not contributing to a vitamin d deficiency.

I agree there’s no need to slather yourself from head to toe.

Arc1ctern I use a vitamin c serum, the LRP anthelios XL cream. Also love Altruist SPF 50. Both have high UVA ratings.

I’d rarher have rickets than cancer anyway.

Which sort of cancer Arctic? The sort that’s caused by sun exposure or the sorts that are prevented? I’d rather have the certainty of wrinkles than a slightly increased chance of bowel cancer.

Skin cancer.

You can avoid cancer elsewhere in other ways.

I'm sticking with the SPF. Red hair means vitamin d deficiency is unlikely and the only history of cancer in my family is my mum who had skin cancer (dark olive skin, never been abroad)
I burn in 5-10 mins anyway so if I want to go outside on my lunch at work I need to wear it

I’m 55 with no wrinkles yet
I don’t wear make up at all and rarely moisturise - if I do the one I use does have sun protection
I’m not out in the sun much though at home and on holiday always put factor 50 or total block on face and try and keep my face/head in shade as it gives me a headache
I’m always the one round the pool half under a parasol or with a huge sun hat
For rest of body I start off at 50 then drop to 30 and reapply - but I tan easily as have dark hair and olive skin

I definitely don't use it every day. I'll put SPF30 on my face if it's sunny and I'm going to be out in it for a long period of time but that's it.
I'm from a much warmer country and became badly Vitamin D deficient living in Scotland and now have to supplement daily.

Having just had malignant melanoma (skin cancer) and looking at the stats around skin cancer deaths, it is absolutely terrifying. I have started wearing SPF50 on my face most days and generally keep covered and stay out of the sun. Interestingly, part of the treatment following skin cancer is to test and monitor Vitamin D levels because they tell you that you have to wear high SPF sunscreen and stay out of the sun.
There is a link between getting sunburnt as a child and skin cancer in adulthood so it’s most important to protect children as we already know. I don’t know what the balance is though 🤷🏻‍♀️

Can anyone - esp someone with sensory issues - recommend a good sunscreen that a) doesn't have that chemical sunscreen smell b) doesn't make your eyes water c) doesn't feel really greasy?

I've tried so many and they all smell and feel revolting to me, including supposedly fragrance free ones and ones for sensitive skin.

Sorry, that was probably a bit of a derail.

I only wear it on my face (to prevent aging). I loathe it and prefer to cover up/seek shade-although that is very difficult difficult in the UK.