AIBU to think that sun cream was rarely used in the 70s? Recovering from the big C.

[Serendipity12]

So, am always paranoid about sun exposure with my two DCs and with good reason - 6 years ago I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Luckily am still here but it really got me thinking back and as I was growing up, although we rarely went abroad, like all other kids I enjoyed playing out and about and I have no recollection of ever being slathered in sun cream. Do remember the calamine lotion for occasional sun burn though😬
Not meaning to be judgey of my parents but is this the experience of other similarly aged people on here? Because it was obviously a factor in me developing that disease. Just trying to get perspective, really...

Born at the end of the 60s. We definitely used sun cream frequently, especially on shoulders. We are very pale skinned though and my mum didn't want us burning. Only factor 3 or 5 though.

I was born in the mid-60s. We never went on foreign holidays but had beach holidays in the UK. DM used to slather me in Ambre Solaire factor 4 & my sibling, who she reckoned was fairer skinned than me, in factor 6. Only on holidays, never at home. I suppose I should be grateful that I had any sun protection at all, I am actually very fair, never tan & these days stay out of the sun as much as possible as I have sun damaged skin.

I grew up in the 60s in Australia. I can remember copper tone, in baby medium and low protection, but often forgotten. I've got sun damage from the awful burns I had. The surfers wore zinc on their noses. One of tge first things our landlord said to us in about 1966 was to always wear a hat- he'd had skin cancer and wore hat and long sleeves all year. My friend now runs a skin care company specialising in sun protection. He gives lectures all over the world and is always shocked at how cavalier Europeans are about it.

I grew up in the 70s in Scotland and every year we would run around in the sun all day and burn, then peel off masses of skin when it started to flake.

The only cream bought was huge tubs of thick white stinking ointment for sunburn which was put on at night.

I found this suntan lotion (that’s what it was!) in my parents house at the back of the cupboard. Think it’s from 70s.

I thought the pictures I took of it before chucking it would be enoyed on this thread!

I grew up in Scotland and don't remember getting burnt but then it seemed quite rainy most of the time (west coast)

We lived on the coast (late 60's to early 80's)and spent almost all of the summer on the beach, we were slathered in factor10 suntan lotion and had it reapplied after every time we went in the sea. We never had any put on when we played outside though.

I'm no scientist but I was reading recently about a Danish study that showed people who'd had skin carcinomas (not melanomas) actually lived longer than average because sun exposure lowers other health risks such as cardiovascular disease. I thought it was very interesting.

My grandfather had non melanoma skin cancer from fighting in the middle East during World War 1. He died from a stroke in his early 70s.

@jamoncrumpets she'll look like boiled leather when she's older

I look forward to seeing if women look younger in midlife in 20/30 years due to sunscreen. I know I've been wearing it on my face daily since age 22 and hope it pays off.

My parents never used it in the 70s and 80s

I was born in the 60s and don't remember sun protection creams being a thing until my teens.

I was born in the late 70’s and don’t remember getting sun cream on at all. I tanned very well as a child so had obvious sun damage. I also remember being burned quite often, I think it just wasn’t considered necessary in Scotland due to the very rare sunny days. I’m much more careful now but DH hates feeling sticky and has been really burned a lot and now has a UV activated soon condition.

My parents put sun cream on us when we had holidays abroad - 1970s, Greece/Italy - Factor 3 or 4!!

When I was a bit older, as a teenager, we were all desperate to tan & used a tanning lotion called Bergasol which was supposed to help you get a really deep tan. Never went above Factor 2.

Some of my friends used coconut oil and silver foil. They are v wrinkly now, compared with me.

Earthly 1980s: We had a factor 2 oil for use on holiday in hot climates. And a little tube of factor 6 reserved for crispy burnt bits!
Never wore it at home in England. Funny thing is I don't ever remember getting badly burnt.

Born in the 80s. I don't remember ever using suntan lotion until I was about 15

I was a child of the 70's. I don't remember suntan lotion at all. When I was a teen my friends used to use babyoil and sit out in the sun for hours. I was always outdoors but I never loved the direct sun and didn't tan easily so never really bothered.

Interestingly, my dd14 has psoriasis. She's had UV light treatment at the hospital before now when she was 6. She's allowed 480 hospitals sessions in her lifetime until she's into a ' high risk' category for skin cancer. Her dermatologist maps her moles.

She has a milder breakout of psoriasis now. We have a holiday in Mexico. He's prescribed her going out for a carefully timed 10 mins each day with no protection at all in order to benefit from the sun.
It's hard for me because she was a toddler/child in todays era of sunhat, sunblock and shade!

I cant remember my parents ever putting sun cream on us even when a abroad.

I get the impression sun cream was seen as a promoter of a tan not something to protect your skin

I don't recall Sun cream but then we didn't ever go abroad. I do remember my mum lying in the back garden, with oil slathered all over her, trying to turn her very fair white skin brown. Nope, didn't work, I think she went a tad pink and got more freckles.

I was born early 80’s but my older brother was born in the 70’s. We were both slathered in suncream as children. We are both fair skinned red heads so my mum was extra careful we didn’t burn. I do however remember the majority of my friends never wearing suncream and happy to get a tan. I definitely felt like the odd one out at the time. I was always covered in sticky cream that made me look ghostly white. I remember being really jealous of the other children at the time because they never had to get suncream on.

Looking back I’m very grateful my mum was so careful with our skin. I definitely have younger looking skin than other people my age do, not just my face but the neck and chest area. I notice a lot of the people I grew up with that did tan and used no/low spf into adulthood do look older and you can see the sun damage.

I have to admit I’ve burnt a few times over the years, generally when caught off guard about the weather. It’s much easier nowadays with weather app and checking the UV index for the day. If it’s above 3 then it’s time for the sunscreen. The last time I did burn was when I tried out a new formula by the brand I had been using for years. I bought the factor 50 but still burnt my back and shoulders to a crisp. I do try to be careful as best I can and my own DD has never been burnt. I suspect she would actually tan because her colouring is very similar to my husband (both dark blonde/mousey brown, grey eyes) and he does tan - that nice Scandinavian golden type of tan. She will never get the chance to find out though, maybe when she’s an adult and can make her own choices about these things but not under my watch.

I also had a friend who died from skin cancer at the age of 22. He was badly burned a few times as a toddler (his dad didn’t believe in suncream because of all the chemicals) and developed skin cancer by age 6. It came back 4 times and spread so fast and aggressively the last time round they couldn’t save him.

Born in the late 70s. I remember my mum (a redhead who burns easily) putting suncream on us sometimes but my dad thought it wasn't necessary. I don't think we wore it all of the time because I remember it was considered normal to get so burned on holiday that our skin peeled. I would be horrified if my DC went even slightly pink, so attitudes have definitely changed.

I get the impression sun cream was seen as a promoter of a tan not something to protect your skin

And you'd be right, @Oldraver. Tanning oil, as it was called, was recommended for skin that tanned easily, suncream was for people with fairer skin. Naturally we all went for the tanning oil if we used anything at all, as it promised quick results. It was all about the tan, no mention at all of the protection.

Oh and all the girls I went to school with who spent every morning, lunchtime and afternoon in the sun-well they look well older than our age. At least 10 out of my year have been treated for melonoma. Two have sadly died from it.

In California we had regular sun safety lessons in primary school. From about 1975 I suppose. There was slathering with zinc oxide for skiing holidays from 1960s if not before.

Early 80s child. DM was quite good at putting factor 6 Ambre Solaire on me... the highest was 8 at the time. I didn't sunburn until a one-off when I was a teenager. I'd had factor 8 on, and it was a sunny day by the North Sea and you just couldn't feel the strength of the sun through the sharp wind.

The factors gradually increased through the 90s. I remember 25 seeming ridiculously high.

I was thinking about this recently

I was born in 1968 and remember burning every summer from playing out at home and on the beach. We did not have sun cream at all. DM had Bergasol tanning oil.

I first found out about SPF when I visited family in the US and I was given a sunblock to use.

Unfortunately I did not take care of my skin and in the 80s used sunbeds a lot. I had acne so it made me feel like the spots were less obvious.

Now have quite damaged skin - not too wrinkly but a lot of white patches and age spots.

I just love having a tan