Sunscreen

[bricheese]

What is a good sunscreen to use and what Number??
i think im using 30 now
i have super sensitive skin!!!

[Nija]

I use banana boat 30 SPF

[ooBaKeep]

I have a friend who is a pharmasist his suggestion is Coppertone Spectra 3. It has zinc, waterproof and SPF 30. I have fair skin so I worry about it. He told me that anything more than 30 is a waste. But be sure and reapply frequently.

I personally like banana boat 30 and suntanicals because they smell so good.

Have fun in the sun!

[yippiekiyeh]

at this point I think continuous spraying sunscreen is the best! get the best and highest SPF you can!

[PiPhiAngel]

I have a friend who is a pharmasist his suggestion is Coppertone Spectra 3. It has zinc, waterproof and SPF 30. I have fair skin so I worry about it. He told me that anything more than 30 is a waste. But be sure and reapply frequently.

I personally like banana boat 30 and suntanicals because they smell so good.

Have fun in the sun!

second on the coppertone spectra 3.

[mrmb123]

Love the bullfrog

[Yossarian]

if i ever use it, which is very rarely, i'll use bullfrog.

but i don't like paying to be a test subject

[brainsmile]

I go with olive oil

[ooBaKeep]

I go with olive oil

Oh Yummy! , wait what was this about?

[Grimm]

Sun is not as bad for you as everyone seems to think. So long as you are not baking yourself everyday it's fine. It is the primary source of vitamin D (20 min in the sun can be as much vitamin D as 200 glasses of milk) which is suspected to prevent some of the worst forms of cancer.
So, don't overdo it on the sunscreen.

[molecularfire]

Until you turn 50 and start getting 20 billion AKs, BCCs and SCCs all over the place... not even counting the melanomas.

[bbrian]

There's was a recent study saying that smothering yourself in sunscreen blocks enough sun that you can have a vitamin d deficency, which increases your risk greatly of getting cancers much worse than most skin cancers. It said something along the lines that the average person gets almost all of their vitamin D from the sun. There was also mention that mild sun burns had a neglible affect on raising your risk of skin cancer, but the risk increased in people with very fair skin.
(I'd look for the links, but i'm too lazy)

I'm with Grimm, some sun is good for you. If you know you're going to be out all day and the risk of a bad burn is high, use sunscreen. Otherwise you might consider getting a little vitamin D for the day..

[kimchicowboy]

get the biodegradeable stuff. i read it in a scuba magazine. i forget the brands though.

[tupacboy]

There's was a recent study saying that smothering yourself in sunscreen blocks enough sun that you can have a vitamin d deficency, which increases your risk greatly of getting cancers much worse than most skin cancers. It said something along the lines that the average person gets almost all of their vitamin D from the sun. There was also mention that mild sun burns had a neglible affect on raising your risk of skin cancer, but the risk increased in people with very fair skin.
(I'd look for the links, but i'm too lazy)

I'm with Grimm, some sun is good for you. If you know you're going to be out all day and the risk of a bad burn is high, use sunscreen. Otherwise you might consider getting a little vitamin D for the day..

ins't that if you do it a lot every single day?

[MrEous]

What is a good sunscreen to use and what Number??
i think im using 30 now
i have super sensitive skin!!!

You need to get a sunscreen that has non-chemical ingredients since you are sensitive.
Look for ingredients like 'titanium dioxide' or 'zinc oxide'.

I work for a skin care company and could go on and on.

Lastly, don't think the SPF factor gives you more protection. The only thing an SPF factor means is you can stay out in the sun longer without having to reapply.

[InfiniteNothing]

non-chemical ingredients

Don't get any of that dihydrogen monoxide on it either. I heard that stuff can choke you.

[smeakim]

There was an article not too long ago that said we may be over doing it with protecting ourselves from the sun. You probably should use sun screen, but some sun is good. There was a news article just last night that said there about 60,000 people a year that die becuase of a lack of vitamin D. I am not saying you should not put it on, but you might want to give yourself a little unprotected sun time. Also there have been many studies that show sunscreen over SPF30 is a waste of money. JMHO.

[surfer]

I like Bullfrog and Coppertone Spectra 3. I use the spf 45/50 on parts that burn easy. I use 15 or 30 on parts that don't burn easy.

[chrissy]

I use Spectra on me personally.

But I also use NoAd on the kids and it works well on them.

I am very pale and in 30 min can be pink to red depending on the index. I skip the tanning stage. I sometimes fade back to it, but would rather not be red/pink in the first place.

[ufcrusher]

Sunscreen is for the weak. But if you wish to slather your body with creams and gels, i would recommend going with BullFrog. Many hours spent surfing, diving, snorkeling, and sailing with the stuff led me to the belief that it stays put.

I think due to my many years in tropical sun, I have become mostly impervious to the rays. But if I am going out for a full day of direct contact I put on 15spf on my neck, ears, and face.

[DarkFury]

Heh... you "pale faces" and your sunscreen...


heh...

[nickel]

Heh... you "pale faces" and your sunscreen...


heh...

ok, clear this up for me. i had a classmate in college and my roommates and i used to hang out with her and her roommates. so anyways she was black, not the darkest shade of, but probably medium, like you DF.

we'd go over to their place and all sunbathe. she would wear sunscreen. i couldn't figure that out. one of the girls asked her why and she said so she wouldn't sunburn. didn't press the issue.

do you ever wear sunscreen DF? pardon my ignorance of the subject, but that's why i'm askin'.

[Grimm]

Sunburn is damage to the skin due to exposure to too much solar radiation. Darker skins have a greater amount of melanin which gives more resistance to solar radiation, but darker skin can still be burned by too much time in the sun.

[cadetevon]

Sunburn is damage to the skin due to exposure to too much solar radiation. Darker skins have a greater amount of melanin which gives more resistance to solar radiation, but darker skin can still be burned by too much time in the sun.

This is very true.

My son, 1/2 black, 1/2 white gets much darker in the summer time. His neck, face and arms mostly... he just gets tan lines and such.

And for sure he can and has gotten a sun burn (bad mommy!), so when I know he'll be out for a long time I make sure to put sun screen on him.

Mostly, he goes without...like for his baseball games and such, but when he goes boogie boarding with his cousins, I lather him up with Bull Frog as if he were a pink skinned little guy.

[DarkFury]

ok, clear this up for me. i had a classmate in college and my roommates and i used to hang out with her and her roommates. so anyways she was black, not the darkest shade of, but probably medium, like you DF.

we'd go over to their place and all sunbathe. she would wear sunscreen. i couldn't figure that out. one of the girls asked her why and she said so she wouldn't sunburn. didn't press the issue.

do you ever wear sunscreen DF? pardon my ignorance of the subject, but that's why i'm askin'.

To answer your question...

Yes... but only if I plan on being outside more than a few hours in +85 degree sun w/ no shade. (Like this year at the company picnic... it was 93 degrees with no shade.... total misery for the most part.)

But in doing common things... like mowin the grass or yard work (unless I'm gonna be out there for a long time) I don't use sunscreen. Mostly I don't generally need it.

And yes... I do tan... or better yet, I turn a bronze/copper color when tanned, but I NEVER tan on purpose. For the most part.. if it is THAT hot outside, I'd just rather stay indoors with the A/C running. Growin' up a native Floridian, I have a fond appreciation for working A/C.

[zippyjuan]

I have blue eyes, fair skin, and am going rafting next weekend- meaning hours on the water in bright sun. I think I shall require some sunscreen. To be reapplied throughout the day.

[InfiniteNothing]

I've heard that darker skin is apx SPF 4... that is, someone with dark skin can be out in the sun 4X longer than someone with fair skin. Of course, if you're really white, just thinking about the sun for too long can burn you.

[DarkFury]

I've heard that darker skin is apx SPF 4... that is, someone with dark skin can be out in the sun 4X longer than someone with fair skin. Of course, if you're really white, just thinking about the sun for too long can burn you.

Heh... tell the people of Africa (who live out on the open plains with no shade) that.


I'm sure they don't have much sunscreen to pass around. (Of course, there aren't many "fair skinned" native cultures that originated around the equator. )

[InfiniteNothing]

From a quick search on google it looks like it's between spf 4 and spf 15

[molecularfire]

Ok, on the topic of overuse of sunscreen and Vitamin D deficiency...
1) the vast majority of cases of Vitamin D deficiency in the U.S. are in African Americans and dark skinned hispanics and in babies who are being breast-fed whose moms aren't taking a multivitamin.
2) There is a simple way to make up for Vitamin D deficiency that doesn't increase cancer risk, it's called vitamin D supplements or heck, just get back to drinking milk (fortified with Vit. D).
3) The amount of sun that you need to get enough Vitamin D is very short and unless you are very, very good at reapplying regularly you're going to get it anyways.
4) There is a lot of controversy over what the proper amount of Vitamin D is and so a lot of the quotes of Vitamin D deficiency numbers that are quoted aren't for prevention of rickets but for possible prevention of other things which there isn't good data that Vitamin D would be beneficial for anyways.

Here is a link to the CDCs panel on the Vitamin D issue.

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutr...el_Meeting.pdf