SPF-how many use it correctly?

[Jazzbea]

Considering that the amount of SPF one must use throughout a day is almost half a container, a large spoon sized application and reapply every 2 hours on an ordinary day? Using SPF in the morning (only) does little to nothing. Especially if you are using SPF incorporated in foundation or a tinted moisturizer. How many use the product correctly?

Yeah sure, it's called feka uri and I bought on Amazon. It's a round tin and I apply using a makeup brush. It's really high protection and got me through a Rhodes holiday without my melasma darkening at all.

Yes to this. I feel like women are being encouraged to prioritize their skin over all of their other organs combined. What's particularly ironic about this is that it's probably not even going to make them attractive - who looks their best with heart disease, brittle bones and insomnia?

As someone who burns easily and is therefore slightly obsessive about sunscreen, I still think everyone obsessively reapplying every 2 hours is a load of bollocks in a place like the UK.

I have sunscreen in both my moisturiser and my make up. If I am going to be outside at all - eg running around doing chores etc but not sitting in the sun as such, I apply a sunscreen in addition beneath my make up. That's it for the day.

If, however, I am going to be fully in the sun for any meaningful amount of time (in my case, anything over about 20 minutes as I do burn ridiculously easily) I will apply additional sunscreen at that point. I keep tubes of various moisturising sunscreens in my handbag and car for this exact reason.

During longer-term sun events such as sports day, I apply fully before I leave, wear a hat, and will usually reapply mid / late morning. I physically could not be in the sun for all that much longer than that but theoretically, would reapply at regular intervals if I was.

This

The sun is the sun is the sun. It may feel cooler in the UK but I can't imagine the effects of UVA and UVB are dramatically different

I use garnier SPF 50 face every day unless it's deepest darkest winter and I'm not planning on leaving the house. Today for example if I sit in the garden taking an age drinking my coffee I'll probably put more on top of my make up and then SPF on arms and chest

Apart from anything else I ❤️ the sun and sheer vanity means I want to avoid looking like a handbag

I just spent 2 weeks in Europe using only factor 50, apply before heading out for the day and reapply after swimming or every 4 hours ish. Plus stayed out of the sun wherever possible, so under a parasol on the beach etc, always wear a big hat and have a sarong over my shoulders at hottest part of the day. Didn't burn at all. Not even my nose.

Lay Sunday in England, despite having a really nice base tan due to sensible precautions above not 2 weeks previously, and I burned to a crisp after not wearing the hat nor reapplying the sunscreen to my face.

Feel quite righteous that I applied it correctly on holiday, yet utterly stupid for not doing so in England.

I don't wear regular sunscreen in the UK (nor much in the way of make-up) unless I'm going outside and it's sunny.

I agree with the points made about cardio and metabolic health. But if I expose other areas of my body and protect my face then it’s not either/or.

@Delatron I think the point is, it's about balance isn't it? We need to find the balance that is appropriate for our lifestyle and skin type. However, there is balance to be had because it's not a case of the more suncream the better for health or ageing.

Personally, I hate the 'virtue signalling' style of some of the messaging we get regarding suncream, especially from social and mass media. Its obvious that there is huge a commercial interest in sunscreening products. What is heartbreaking is that people will be worried about financing their families sunscreen use with such disproportionate 'advice' which really doesn't consider all the factors relevant.

@CertainUncertain
And again having to purchase effective Vit D supplementation (which is not the whole story regarding sunscreening risk) is another cost which will worry people.

Yes I’ll fully admit to lying in the sun and to be honest I wait for a bit to put any cream on to maximise vitamin D uptake.

But I won’t put my face in the sun if I can help it. That’s purely from an ageing point of view.

Then when we have no sun strong enough - from Oct-April I’ll supplement with vitamin D

@Delatron, yeah it can all be a bit to negotiate. I'm pretty fair skinned and blonde so tend to wear a hat in summer. And in winter too because of the cold!!! As I said I wear long lasting sunscreen. I just put that on after my run and bath in the morning. If I am running outside I go early before the UV is too high and don't wear any. I do supplement but only from a multi vitamin. I get Vit d from my diet too. But as I say I am pretty fair skinned so will get the Vit D with relatively less exposure than lots of people.

My skin's not too bad - I'm in my 50s. No make up selfie.

Isn't it a quarter teaspoon or two fingers worth for your face? I wear Spf every day. Im never out all day, I reapply when i go back out to do school pick up

You look amazing - fantastic skin! Whatever you’re doing is working.

It's great to hear the message of balance on here. In many other forums it's still all about total avoidance.

I'm certainly not oblivious to skin cancer - I actually have a parent with it (not melanoma thankfully) - and I try very hard not to burn, monitor my moles etc. But from what I've read, getting some sun is one of the most important things I can do for my health, right up there with exercise, good diet and not smoking.

@CertainUncertain

Association between vitamin D supplementation and mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis
Yu Zhang, Fang Fang, Jingjing Tang, Lu Jia, Yuning Feng, Ping Xu, Andrew Faramand
Bmj 366, 2019

There's little evidence that vitamin d supplements reduce mortality, if it does the effects are clearly much smaller than those of sun exposure.
There may be some benefits - I myself take supplements in the winter - but they are no substitute for sunshine that's pretty clear IMO

The sun is the sun is the sun. It may feel cooler in the UK but I can't imagine the effects of UVA and UVB are dramatically different

Er no, it isn't. The further from the equator the less UV. Along with the myth of heat=UV. It's hot today, but UV was generally only moderate, because it's Sept and because we are in the UK.

Thanks @Delatron.

"the UVA filters in sunscreen are pretty unstable and when they break down can cause more damage than no sunscreen. So to get the protection you really do need to reapply according to instructions - with some brands every 2 hours. "

@meanderingbrook something which I have often wondered, but never seen a simple explanation for:
If suncream filters break down into compounds which do more damage, why do they not recommend you completely wash off the old suncream, THEN reapply, every few hours?
Is it that the broken-down filters just make your skin extra vulnerable to sun damage (rather than being damaging in themselves)? And that reapplying more suncream on top should stop the UV rays getting through to the broken-down filters?

I'd be grateful if anyone has an explanation (and I'm not disputing the problem!)

Don't know @Bergamotte. Commercial reasons? Not very practical..Companies do keep changing formulations and there are continuing advances in sun filters and mixing in other ingredients to stabilise them. The other thing is if you mix brands, formulations they can clash! Actually cause the degradation of filters. As I say, I just use a long lasting sunscreen. I have been down several rabbit holes looking into the research. It is truly mind boggling.,added to this my some is a zoologist and is greatly concerned with the effects on wildlife! As a family we could agree on Ultrasun (long lasting, reef safe awards) so I have stuck with it. I am sure there are others but it takes a lot to research them all.

Son not some!

"Vitamin D supplementation alone was not associated with all cause mortality in adults compared with placebo or no treatment."

That's the first line of the conclusion. How is that not supportive of my claim that there is little evidence that vitamin d supplements reduce mortality?

The existence of limitations absolutely does not contradict that finding of an overall absence of evidence. The null hypothesis is of no relationship, so limitations do not undermine it; the burden of proof is on anyone claiming that supplements increase lifespan.

Don't get me wrong, I'm open to the idea that vitamin d supplements have some (modest) benefits. But if they were large and robust, like the effects of sunshine are, I strongly suspect that we'd see them in a meta analysis like this. You are free to ignore this of course, but I personally won't be swapping sunshine for pills just yet.

Can confirm. 30 degree heat in the UK and I'm usually ok with a good slathering of factor 50 once in the morning and once around lunchtime/early afternoon.

25 degrees in Corfu in late May this year and I burned on my first day. Had to reapply every couple of hours and be extra careful if I went in the pool or the sea.

On the face? It's a quarter teaspoon. I put this on in the morning and if I'm able I wash it off avoiding my eye makeup and reapply half way through the day. Otherwise I don't but I'm not actively in the sun

No. To get the stated spf factor you need the set amount. That's a quarter teaspoon for face and neck. If you put less on you are not getting the stated spf beit 30 or 50

"I put this on in the morning and if I'm able I wash it off avoiding my eye makeup and reapply half way through the day. Otherwise I don't but I'm not actively in the sun"

@ohboohoo, on most standard sunscreens the advice is to reapply after 2 hours. This is because the ingredients break down and can actually cause more sun damage. This article states half a tsp for the face:

metro.co.uk/2019/07/25/photos-show-exactly-much-sunscreen-using-10457343/

So yes, I do see the problem as out lined in the op. My solution is to use long lasting sunscreen according to the instructions on the box.
I wear it when I'll be out in the sun when the UV is 3 or above which is pretty much all summer.