To ask how much SPF you take on a sunny holiday?

[nothingbeatsajet2]

I’m off on my first sunny holiday in a couple of weeks and I’ve just bought all my toiletries.

i’ve ordered:

1 x face spf cream for the mornings
1 x face spf mist for day to day
2 x spf sprays for mornings and after swimming
1 x mist for during the day
1 x scalp mist

all are spf 50 apart from the scalp mist as boots only sell it in spf 30

😂😂😂

This isn't an excuse for not wearing one as a major defence against sunburn and skin cancer though op, is it?

I buy a new hat every year and wear it at home and away. We also have a number of caps that have come on several summer hols to wear in the pool to prevent burning scalps, foreheads and the tops of cheeks.

Buy a hat. As least ugly as you can find. Don't wait until the oncologist removes a lesion and tells you you will need to prevent further damage.

Mists and aerosols run out really really quickly and half of it goes on the ground or sun lounger or into the air instead of on your body. Better to use a normal bottle with a pump or pump spray and a packet of wet wipes for cleaning your hands after.

We are a family of 4 and for a week in the sun I would pack a large (400ml) bottle of 50, a large bottle of 30 and a smaller bottle of each for taking out with us. Possibly a roll on for touch ups. We also take UV tops if going on activities or boat trips where you can’t access shade, a UV top hugely reduces the need for suncream.

2 big bottles of P20 is plenty for a week away. There’s usually some left over.

If you look at guidelines for effective use ( nhs) it works out at about a 500 ml bottle per person for a two week holiday, more if you sweat or are going swimming. I wouldn't mess about with all those different bottles just take a couple of bottles to start you off and get more in resort.

I usually just bring a bottle of 50.

the best thing really is to cover up / stay out of the sun as much as possible.

I don’t like ‘sun hats’. They look ridiculous on me. So, a baseball cap is perfect.

It is enough. We go on a lot of holidays, and none of us has ever had sunburn.

I don’t really think I need to defend myself because it’s not a law or anything. I’m searching for one but until I find one, I’d like the mist for my scalp as a second defence

I’m willing to risk it

You will be able to buy suncream wherever you are going so it won’t matter if you don’t pack enough. But I agree with PP, do NOT rely on those mist sprays. If you are going somewhere hot you need proper lotion that you rub in. And so many people don’t use enough and get burnt and say that sun cream “doesn’t work”. It’s not like expensive moisturiser where you use a few drops at a time. You want to properly slater it all over yourself.

Remember yo pack it all wrapped up in a couple of layers of plastic bags in case they leak / explode on your suitcase.

Ok 😂

Strange to start a thread on sun protection but not take into account the advice that multiple people have given you about the fact you have chosen a fundamentally less affective product.

You're managing to come across as both over the top and pathetically negligent. That's a huge amount of sprays. But you won't wear a hat because you can't find one you like, won't rub the sprays in so that they work, and you don't want to get cream on your hands.

We just did 11 nights away. Two adults and 1 toddler. We took 5 bottles of spf50 and 2 face creams. Not much left by time we packed to come home. I wouldn’t normally use 50 but seemed easier for us all to use what our daughter was using. Just Aldi sensitive and not a burn in sight (and toddler is ginger)

I take a bottle of 30! Done.

"I'm VERY concerned about sun burn, but not so much I am prepared to get suncream on my hands"

I use the spray/mist type sunscreen on holiday because I find it much easier to reapply frequently. I find this better if I am somewhere hot than using standard sun cream when I know I will inevitably not feel like re-applying very often, tell myself I will be fine and then regret it when I burn. However, I find I need far more bottles of this sort than the standard sort if I am applying enough to be sure not to burn. I don't know whether it's because not all comes out of the bottle, I use more or more goes elsewhere. But something to be aware of if you are planning how much to take. I have incredibly pale skin (have never had a tan, I simply don't have the pigment) and after many years of trying all sorts of creams etc I have concluded that the best sun protection is the one you will actually use properly.

The amount you need really depends on how big you are, what clothes you plan on wearing, how long you will be out in the sun and what activities you are doing. Personally, I err on the side of taking more rather than less because I know what I can buy in the UK that suits my skin and as pp said unless you are somewhere with easy access to large supermarkets I don't feel sure that high factor creams sold in local shops will necessarily have been stored properly and won't be past their expiry date etc. Depending where you are going it can also be expensive to buy overseas (and the spray that suits me best is an own brand that's quite cheap here).

Christ, I think you’re reading a bit much into it! All I’m asking is if it’s enough, not enough or too much, in which case I’ll put some of it into my cupboard to use before I go!

Do you mean 400ml? 100ml is a tiny travel size bottle. No way would that last a week if you are in the sun every day.

I am a small person and would get through 100ml in two days of sunbathing.

No I don't, I mean 100ml. A normal 200ml bottle of Soltan Once will last me two weeks.

I mean, the question was not "how much sunscreen does the NHS/WHO/Mumsnet Sunscreen Mafia recommend," it was how much do you use. That's how much I use.

We used about 4 x 250mls of cream when we were recently away for 2 weeks. Dd is a sun avoider so usually only needed arms, legs and face. Ds isn't a lie around the pool type and walked a lot so again not a full body application (arms, legs, face back of neck). Dh and I were full body application but only a couple of times a day. We used a trigger spray cream from lidl and it worked well and made it easier to use with slimy hands.

I was on holiday with a friend who works in cancer research and the advice is that sunscreen is supposed to be a last resort, it’s for the bits that you cannot easily cover.

You should never be applying sunscreen to your entire body, you should be wearing a t shirt or rash vest and staying in the shade. If you find yourself covering your back or chest in sunscreen what you should really be doing is putting clothes on.

We were in SE Asia for 2 weeks and used about 1 bottle between 3 of us and we all left as pale as we arrived so it worked!

Yes but in the real world that isn’t feasible is it

The sun can bounce of surfaces, especially if you're near a pool so it's a good idea to wear sun protection even if you're in the shade.

Why?

In the real world people don’t go out half naked in the direct sun at midday. That’s how everyone in hot countries manages.