to think that smearing chemicals on my children every day would do them more damage than the sun?

[morningpaper]

I feel terrible smearing chemicals all over my children and then terrible sending them into the sun with no sunscreen on.

Which is worse? I seem to go through phases of using creams and watching them spend days covered in rashes and itching like mad, and then weeks when I do nothing and feel guilty about that instead.

I've tried lots of brands and really can't afford to keep trying them and finding them useless after a day because they sting the children or make them half-blind with allergies and itching.

I too am a little about the potential risk of chemicals in various products as opposed to the real and very proven risk of cancerous damage caused by the sun. I have bleached all the natural colour out of my hair for years, drink excessive quantities of diet coke and use all the detergents I can buy wothout impunity, however it is my childhood spent on the beach which caused me to suffer from cancer at the age of 30.

What did people do all throughout history before the advent of suncream? Well, they probably died of something else before the cancer got 'em. Or covered up (pictures of victorian ladies with parasols and bonnets).

DD had the same kind of beach and sea based childhood as me, yet I wasn't as stupid as the guardians in my childhood, I didin't let her burn (even though she has lovely olivey skin and doesn't burn as easily as I do). She had the factor 30 slapped on her from birth and wore/wears wetsuits. And of course she complained when I reapplied cream. But she also complains about the inconvenience of cleaning her teeth every day, and not being able to eat chocolate for dinner. When something is important I think it is well worth mandating certain behaviour.

there is definitely a niche in the market for a revival of trendy parasols for the urban-mummy and her brood

but isn't the sun getting stronger due to the breakdown in the ozone layer? so the sun is a much bigger threat in causing cancer than it was 'in the old days'

not read all the posts but i would rather risk the chemicals on my ds than risk him getting skin cancer

My dd was severely allergic to suncream when she was under 5 but as she has got older she is now fine (age 12) although it tends to irritate her face - so she wears a hat that shades her face.

A holiday scheme worker at one point slathered her in the stuff, you could quite literally see the finger marks where she had rubbed in on marked out in the rash.

We were advised that the claggy white suncreams that sit on the skin are often better for allergies - however nothing really was ok, but she did grow out of it. I just covered her up when she was little and she has never been burned.

seems the question is which is the best type, or alterntive to cream . As a child of the seventies, I recall many a painful night after a day in the sun as my parentts knew no better. My DD has inheirited my blue skin tones. I paste her in the stuff but really worry about allergic reactions as there is a history of asthma and eczema in the family. Seems there are some good alterntives so will do some research!

I am about to commit a MN crime by not reading all of the posts but I have a ds in the same boat. There is NO way that he can wear sunscreen and he is 12. No sign of outgrowing it because I am foolish/adventurous enough to try every now and again and the reaction is extreme.

I also had the opportunity to discuss the use of sunscreen with a father who had a PhD in chemistry. He refused to use it on his daughters and said that it would not be long before the harm caused by the chemicals in these products was acknowledged.

Here is one article that seems to agree.

www.naturalnews.com/001264.html

is the reaction to the cream or the sun itself? I have polymorphic light eruption which brings me out in a red rash, itches, small pus filled spots, disappears afer a few days. I thought it was the cream but it is an allergic reaction to the sun. Not sure if children get it though. It is misery inducing. Have to cover up, take anti-histimines and people look at me weird like its catching.

There really is no need to use chemicals the natural ones are just as good,don't irritate,are effective immediately and aren't that much more expensive.

I wouldn't dream of letting my dc spend vast amounts of time in full mid day sun without suncream but I also wouldn't dream of plastering them in all those hideous chemicals.

"and a deep tan actually protects you from cancer. "

from that article - absolute bllsht!!!

MP- those UV suits cost an arm and a leg but I have found that Supermarkets do the best priced ones so when they have their sales I buy the next two sizes up and stock pile. DD had one bought for her birthdsay with a matching hat and it was £8 from sainsbos.

I react really badly to sun cream and get yucky heat rash too which aggravates the irritation. I have found that Dr Haushka is really good and I am sure they sell samples of it. I don't think there are too many preservatives and the shelf life is limited unlike some creams.

I am religious about slapping on sun cream because although I have olive skin my parents never put anything on us and I used to burn, which I hated People think I am crazy as my children are both dark (mixed race)skinned and think they don't need anything at all.

Sorry I'm committing the ultimate sin of not reading all 121 of the original posts but felt I'd chip in as ds1 is also allergic to EVERYTHING - he has really terrible strip-the-skin-off-itch-and-bleed reactions to all suncreams except E45 sunscreen which has just been discontinued. On another mumsnetter recommendation I've tried Avon moneral sunscreen factor 30 and it works a dream - makes skin really soft. no bad reaction so far.

opps well that's me fucked then.

Before we had sunscreen people used to cover up. Long sleeves, covered legs and hats.

Of course we need some natural sunlight for vitamin D but we don't need to run around naked when it's over 25 degrees to get that.

I have fair skin and red hair. My skin is very sensitive and I haven't used a chemical sunscreen for years. Titanium dioxide works extremely well. But mainly I cover up.

I also covered my children (5.6, 3) up until this year when I have relented and let them go out in shorts/tshirts/hats and sunscreen. But when they want to do wet play at home or elsewhere they wear rash suits. I bought them big, in sales, and we've had lots of wear out of them.

Not sure I would actually base any of my actions on a wikipedia article.

www.cancer.org.au/aboutcancer/cancertypes/melanoma.htm

As I said before I simply don't understand, and I never will. We are just back from the park where DS spent the entire afternoon running around between paddling pool/sandpit/climbing frame in full sun. His rashies kept him cool and sunburn free.

It is very very easy IMO to enjoy the sun to its full potential without any of the risks if you just put a little effort in.

There is no evidence whatsoever that suncreen causes cancer in humans. End of.

Cadmum, he may well have a PHD in Chemistry. Doesn't mean he knows anything more about sunscren than the average person in the street. I just had a look at "Natural News.com", personally I think I'd be more inclined to believe something scrawled on a toilet wall than on that site.

Leonie - don't forget, anyone can edit Wikipedia, and it sounds like anyone has.

More generally - it's about comparitive risk, isn't it? We know sun exposure can lead to skin cancer. We also know sunscreen protects against skin cancer.

If there are chemicals in sunscreen which could possibly cause cancer in large quantities, that is a much, much smaller risk. Particularly as it isn't logical to assume because something is harmful in large quantities, it causes harm in small quantities. Think about any drug - paracetamol for example. Take 200 tablets - it'll kill you. Take 2 - you'll be fine.

Clearly if people have a skin reaction to sunscreen that's an issue, but UV tops would seem the way to go. And finding a brand you don't react to.

What did people do in the millennia before sunscreen? Died of skin cancer, potentially. If the bears and wolves didn't get them first.

Only read the first page so appologies if already mentioned but are you sure that its a reaction to the cream and not a heat rash? I come out in agonising blisters due to the heat, this can be aggrevated by using thick creams or waterproof sunscreens that stop you sweating. I would recommend using clothes where poss, or create a lot of shade in the garden with gazebos etc and keep them cool with waterplay and stay indoors between 11 and 3 if poss.

Also just to chip in with my 2 penneth worth, SPF's aren't regulated so a factor 30 in one brand maybe a factor 15 in another, and so on. Worth knowing if you mix brands.

Ok, read through now and just wanted to add, re Vit D. Your body is more than capable of producing and storing enough vit d to last you the year just through minimal exposure of your face and lower arms and hands. There's only a problem if you cover up completely 365 days a year, ie for religious reasons. Even then you can take supplements. So I don't think there's any need for anyone to get rickets!

I am massively concerned about chemical use on my DCs I rarely use soap or shampoo on them (literally every couple of weeks)...I am allergic so seems wrong to use them anyhow.

But I ALWAYS use suncream on exposed parts if they are going to be out in the sun for more than 15 minutes. and I never let them out between 11-2pm when I can help it. I look for shade and keep them covered up often (though naked running about is a must for a bit!)

This info is from Cancer Research UK:

Over the last thirty years, the incidence of malignant melanoma has increased more than for any other common cancer in the UK. As Figure 1.6 shows, the male rates have increased more than five times from around 2.5 in 1975 to 14.3 in 2006, while the female rates have more than tripled from 3.9 to 15.4 over the same period in Great Britain.

The main preventable cause is known but translating this knowledge into changes in behaviour is not easy. Surveys in the UK have revealed that the majority of people regard a sun tan as a sign of health and few are knowledgeable about the dangers of UVR.26 However, there is evidence that there has been modest behavioural change particularly with regard to protecting children from over-exposure to sunlight. More public education is needed especially for high risk groups.

as for allergy ones it is a pain in the arse but it's surely worth it.

Well, thank you ladies. I am convinced. I have been to Asda and spent £50 on a variety of sun creams, which I have patch tested on DD . I will try her with one at school tomorrow - I am at home all day so if she INFLATES then I can just bring her home.

Funnily enough, after spending yesterday in the garden, my face started looking very red and tight around lunchtime... I then realised that I ran out of my normal moisturiser yesterday and used E45. And my normal moisturiser contains an SPF15...

I think I will make a big box of baggy clothes and sunny-day clothes to put in the conservatory so the DDs can pick and chose something suitable when they go outside.