Suncream

[Jinkster]

Hi all.

Just wondred what the best suncream was to use. Is there much difference between the brands from Ambre Solaire to the one tested in the Sahara (cant remember the name!) to ASDAs cheapest.

Jinkster :cool:

[Circuit Basher]

Is this for you, Jinxster, or still for the spaniel??!! :)

ITYWF these days that any lotion has to comply with certain standards relating to the filtration of UV-A and UV-B rays. It then comes down to whether you want oil / cream / lotion and what SPF you need. I tend to work on the 'fry em fast' principle and go for something like SPF 5 or 6 for the first couple of days in the heat and then cut back to 3. This works for most places for me (such as Egypt last summer), but I have worked abroad a lot over the years and have a reasonably brown skin all year round - I also have a reasonably high natural oil content. I am not burn-proof, but usually last all of a UK summer without touching a drop of sun tan oil. This includes working in the garden and on a gliding field for a day at a time.

This is not a strategy which would work for much more than 30% of the people I know!!

[fatboy slim]

Me - I'm a pale white man so its Factor 15 and a hat as soon as I go outside in the sun. It's unbelievable that some Brits still think suncream is just for their two weeks in Spain each year. As for brands i think they all do the same but smell and look different.

[ausdoc]

Sun damage is cumulative and is not related to how brown you are. Malignant melanoma is on the rise around the world, and coming from the part of the world where it has the highest rate, most people here are well aware of the risks. Solar radiation doesn't just cause melanoma - also SCC, BCC, solar keratoses, and significant premature ageing.

There are not many sunscreens here that are less than SPF 30+. Solariums are probably just as damaging as natural sunlight.

[redsnail]

I'm a pale skin that now lives in the UK (from Oz). I rarely go outside with less than +15 on my face and arms. Face gets covered all year round.
I look for protection against UVA and UVB rays. I also look for titanium dioxide as an ingredient. It works!
Don't underestimate the damage the sun can cause. Just because it doesn't feel hot it doesn't mean it's not burning you.

[gingernut]

Did you know.....pilots are at more risk of increased rates of melanoma.....attributed to excessive sun exposure during leisure activities !!

(According to The Health Physician journal

[ausdoc]

Right on gingernut. In fact melanoma is the only cancer that commercial pilots are over-represented in.

[spork]

I seem to remember a magazine article on the protection factor of creams quite a while ago. It had tested creams and found that users were not putting on anywhere near enough cream. Apparently the manufacturers were working on a much higher application per square inch of skin to get the protection rate in the laboratory.

Sorry - but can't remember where this was. Possibly the consumers association mag "Which?". :confused: