Redheads/Fair skined people. What suncream do you use and do you cover up?

[bargainhuntingbetty]

I went to the school fair yesterday and put on sp30 once a day before I went. Once I had been there about 2 hours I started to burn so put on factor 30 suncream too. I am fried. What can I use and do I need to cover up with kaftans etc??? Please help, I dont want to hide from the sun all summer./

[wigglybeezer]

I have a parasol (a plain canvas non- frilly one) it is the best thing for outdoor events like sports days as I always used to end up with at least one bit burnt even if I was careful. Did feel a bit poncey at first but a couple of people have now copied me after admiring mine so don't feel quite so conspicious.

[MaureenMLove]

There should be a number on it that says something like 12m or 18m or 24m. It refers to the number of months it's good for.

[bargainhuntingbetty]

It definately isnt. glad I could help.

[forkhandles]

thanks bhb, for the price of new cream it's not worth taking the risk is it.

[bargainhuntingbetty]

I took a bottle of suncream out of the cuupboard that I had last year andd it had gone out of date. the date was on the bottom of the bottle. I think the general rule is 24 months though but I may be wrong.

[forkhandles]

I've got a question about sunscream - does it go out of date? Would you use a bottle from last year, or the year before?

I've got a feeling that after a year the SPF isn't as effective...

[MaureenMLove]

I'm fair and I was in the sun for over 6 hours yesterday. I had factor 30 on and I didn't burnt anywhere. Not even the bits that haven't seen the sun since last year! I think the trick is, to just keep re-applying whatever factor you are using very regularly.

[bargainhuntingbetty]

Thanks for all the replies. I would just like to add (following another thread) that I am not complaining about the sun I am just pissed off that I ccant spend more than half an hour in it without burning. I love the warm weather it bring people outside where they should be

[maltesers]

I am a brunette and go brown ,,, but my younger ds is very fair skimmed although he has dark hair (his Dad is a red head.... a ginga twat actually,,, i left him 2 years ago cos he pushed me around !!!!!!) Anyway my ds just goes pink so i reckon one hour in the sun is enuf and a really high factor suncream..

[bargainhuntingbetty]

lol tits. You sound like me. Because I spent all day saturady in the sun I spent yesterday moving from one shady spot to another.

I went this morning and bought factor 50 total block for babies withh a 5 star uva rating. Am hoping if I apply it every couple of hours it should work. I will also go and look forr some oversized shirts etc. Have no fashion idea though so might need some help with that one.

Thanks all./

[TitsalinaBumsquash]

I get sunburnt when its not even farking sunny.

This year i have learnt its all part of my having Fibromyalga, i can apply factor 50 every 2hrs and still get burnt i wear the suncream then a kaftan and a hat, i try to stick to shade most the time but may peek my legs into the sun for 10 mins at a time, that is how much of a rebel i am!

[TheMadHouse]

this site is good for suncare advise.

I dont think that any amount of suncream is a balance for being sensible and keeping out of the mid-day sun and coving up when required, but you can not keep an eye on children all the time.

Also I have just come off long term Anti B's which made me extreamly photo senstive, so I had little option that to be informed of all the advise and find the best sun solution for me.

I think that a balance of cream and cover up is best at all times. I encourage my children to wear hats, look for shader, but also to enjoy themselves too

[ilovemydogandmrobama]

Thanks again Madhouse! So, the UVA stars also protect against UVB? I couldn't find any rating separately for UVB.

Ever thought about being a sun car advisor

A woman I know told me about a friend of her who is British, but was visiting Australia. There are sun police (not their proper title) who patrol beaches. This friend of a friend was told by one to get a mole checked out. She said she wasn't Australian (as they have various powers to refer to GPs) so she ended up going home and it was skin cancer .

Disclaimer: not sure how much is urban myth.

[Flibbertyjibbet]

I can't stand using sunscreen, its so yucky on the skin.
I'm red haired with green eyes and the palest skin which burns easily, so I just cover up and use hats and sunglasses.
If I know I'm going to be out in the sun for a long time I use some factor 40 on my face neck and hands etc but find that loose clothing and a tshirt keeps the sun off ok.

[careergirl]

hi I have red hair and also treated for malignant melanoma last year! So I wear nothing less than factor 50 keep out of direct sun between eleven and three and wear a good big hat to keep much of the sun off. Always wear something like a polo neck tee to give my neck as much cover as poss. You need to really slap on the sun cream - not enough wont give you the protection you need and you probably need to apply it more frequently as well.

[ThingOne]

I use my children's green people sunscreen (water resistant, 22spf) or clinique. I have very sensitive skin and have used mineral ones for years.

Mostly I cover up. I wear dresses/skirts below the knee, never walk around in sleeveless tops, and usually have a wide-brimmed hat.

I have a five year old DS1 with red hair too. Today he actually chose a thin long sleeved hoody, and spent most of the day with the hood up which was almost as good as a hat!

[Grendle]

Ds is fair and I use sunsense sunsensitive SPF50+. It's one suitable for sensitive skin because it has the physical not chemical properties that have been talked about.

It's important to say that once you've had your sun exposure (and if you're starting to burn it's already a bit late) then at that point applying more or higher factor suncream is not the answer. You need to get out of the sun or you will burn/it will get worse. A suncream might slow the burning a little, but it can't stop it. As has already been explained SPF predicts the number of times longer you can be exposed to the sun with that added protection, but when the time's up, the time's up.

[TheMadHouse]

There are two types of UV rays?UVA and UVB?both of which can harm your skin. UVA rays penetrate deep into the layers of the skin and leads to premature signs of aging, which include fine lines and wrinkles. UVB rays are the primary cause of sunburn, because they penetrate the outer layer of skin and cause damage to skin cells.

Too much exposure from either UVA or UVB rays can play a part in causing skin cancer. It's important to use sunscreen protection year-round, because the amount of UVA stays fairly constant throughout the year, and also exceeds the amount of UVB rays in both summer and winter. Even on a cloudy day, 80% of the sun's UVA rays pass through clouds. What's more, when it comes to tanning beds, it's important to know that tanning beds work by emitting UVA rays, which penetrate deep into the skin.

What can you do to protect against UVA and UVB rays? Wear sunscreen every day to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun. Apply generous amounts of sunscreen, especially when you are active outdoors. Reapply often after swimming, perspiring, or using a towel and always choose a sunscreen that offers an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or higher.

SPF is a measurement of how long you can stay in the sun with sunscreen before getting burned. If you apply a sunscreen with an SPF of 30, for example, that means it will take 30 times longer for your skin to begin to burn than if you did not wear any sunscreen protection at all. With this in mind, sunscreens should still not be used to increase the time you spend in intense sunlight.

Because SPF measures protection against UVB rays, be sure your sunscreen protects against UVA rays as well by choosing products with ingredients that provide both UVA and UVB protection. These are usually labeled "broad spectrum," and are available as body and face sunblocks as well as daily moisturizers.

If you plan to be in the sun for an extended amount of time, look for sunscreens that offer long lasting, broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection.

[popsycal]

ds2 is fair and pale - i use nivea factor 40 or 50 and apply regularly. ds1 tans quite easily butstill use the same

ds2 also has sensitve skin and i find nivea to be the best 'mainstream' brand for him

i am a pale brunette but am generally ok with factor 15 if regulary applied
nivea again

[bargainhuntingbetty]

Yes I am going to have to get a hat, my DH will not walk with me but its better than being a lobster as you say wrinkleytum!!!!!

[wrinklytum]

I have been using the dcs factor 50 Ambre Solaire sunblock and wearing a big floppy hatI look like a tit in it but better than being a lobster

[ilovemydogandmrobama]

Thanks Madhouse. Was reading that titanium dioxide/zinc were the ingredients to look out for, but didn't know why.

I'm hyper pale (but dark hair ) and use DS baby 50 SPF.

Anyone know the difference between UVA/UVB? I asked in Boots and they weren't sure.

[bargainhuntingbetty]

Sorry just re readd your eaelier post. disregard last comment

[bargainhuntingbetty]

Madhouse, which one do you use????

I have been hiding in the shade all day but have still put factor 30 on several times today. I need to look into shirts etc I think.