A last a more considered approach to sunscreen use!

[brightbrightsun]

Every year I have a meltdown over sunscreen. Ingredients, consistency, application all being considerations.

Some ingredients break down (both chemical and mineral) within a couple of hours and actually cause more skin damage. Some cause hormonal disruption, some environmental damage. Some sunscreens are sticky, messy, sweat off easily, get over everything.

The most readily available forms of Vitamin D comes from sunlight. Deficiencies have been linked to circulatory diseases and cancer.

The sunscreen industry is massive and increasing.

But skin cancer!

My Eureka moment! A calculator I have found that calculates burn time for different skin types at different UV levels with no sunscreen/ sunscreen factor level. This coupled with the hourly UV forecast has allowed me to see how risky it is to forgo sunscreen depending on the time of day I am going out and how long for.🙂

www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/gcpvj0v07#?date=2023-04-19

www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=time+to+sunburn&assumption=%7B%22FS%22%7D+-%3E+%7B%7B%22TimeToSunburn%22%2C+%22tb%22%7D%7D&assumption=%7B%22FP%22%2C+%22TimeToSunburn%22%2C+%22SST%22%7D+-%3E+%22ST1%22&assumption=%7B%22F%22%2C+%22TimeToSunburn%22%2C+%22UVI%22%7D+-%3E%223%22

Hope this helps people. I'd be interested to know what others think.

Are there any brands you could recommend? I need to cover up (skin cancer) but struggling to find things to keep me cool when exercising in the middle of summer. Thanks!

@WoofWoofBeachLife Yeas, I remember the blisters with the backless dress! I think one takeaway is to follow the application advice. If you have to reapply every 2 hours it is because some of the ingredients break down. If you are buying new stuff, reef safe is a good indicator it is relatively less harmful to living organisms in general. Long lasting means the formula has been made more robust.

I am really just going one step further and considering whether I'll be out long enough to need it, with regards to the UV levels, at the time when I am going out.

@WaitingRoomBoredom my only solution so far has to be to go out at the crack of dawn!

MN where people apply factor 2500 before answering the doorbell.

Well, I've just been out in the sunshine for about an hour and 20 mins without sunscreen. Wore a hat, sunglasses, trousers and high necked t shirt with over shirt over the top. Not remotely burnt.

UV was reported as 3 going down to 2 over the initial hour. Previously I would have put sunscreen on for a UV of 3 as that was my cut off point to start wearing it.

Plan is working so far. 🙂

SPF breaks down with sweat, physical removal like rubbing with a towel and UV. If you are indoors not sweating, it won't break down fast. If I am outdoors having a brisk hour walk in the sun and I'm sweating then yes, when I return home I'll reapply. Obviously on holiday in and out of the pool I'll reapply all the time. It depends what I'm doing.

Hyperpigmentation gets worse at the mere hint of sun. For that reason again I wear spf50 on my face every day

@mybeautifuloak, so how do you ascertain when exactly to reapply? What parameters do you use? I am pretty active. And menopausal. I sweat....hence, when I use it it's a long lasting robust (often special sports formula) for me.

And how much sunscreen do you go through in a year? How many bottles? Mind boggling to me.

I watch Ben Fogle interviewing some 'Lives in The Widerness' people earlier. They had been nomadic for 7 years, carrying everything they owned around in a backpack. I'm sure they were surviving without glopping on sunscreen every day, all year round, regardless of the UV levels or time of day.

Hyperpigmentation gets worse at the mere hint of sun.

@mybeautifuloak, I got rid of mine with this. (over 10 years ago now).

www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/dr-organic-royal-jelly-light-bright-cream-60086386

I think some of the ordinary, non long lasting sunscreens, actually make me sweat more. When I run in them it comes off in great big white droplets. This type of sweat doesn't happen without sunscreen.