Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen!

[Lillemor]

Most of us ladies in here love being pale, and would like to keep our skin this way as well as battle sundamage.
I have been going through A LOT of testers at my pharmacy and thought I would recommend the absolute gem I found! I like to go fairly high in both SPF and PDD (UVA-protection) - but often, the higher you go, the greasier and white the sunscreen is!

I found a sunscreen by La Roche Posay with SPF50+ and a PDD of 31 wich is pretty high. I have somewhat sensitive, dry and shine-prone skin and this doesn't turn my face into an oil slick! It feels great on my skin and the white cast dissapears after 30 seconds or less.
It's called La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Lait/Lotion (it was called Lait Veloute before, and sometimes you find that name at the side of the box too)
The Creme Fondante is also good, but more emolient.


What is your favorite sunscreen??

I've just realized that the dermatologist gave me an spf30 AC sample of this last year. That should be high enough for me. If my skin likes it, I'll change to that. We have a pharmacy in town but not Matas so this would be easier for me as well.

Oops! Appears I missed a post by Tinseltown on page 2 or 3. So that's what I'll try next.lol

 

[*martini*time*]

I agree with that neutrogena stuff. I used it in Mexico about a month back and i burnt so bad! I think that it just blew away in the breeze...i like the cream stuff better then spray stuff anyday! I like to think of rubbing in sunscreen as exercise...
But no matter what anyone says about sunscreen, ALWAYS WEAR SOME!!!
I have to get a scary mole removed in a couple weeks...and i'm only 23!

 

[Celia Crowson]

This is a great thread - I live in Australia and the sun is very harsh, even in winter. That's why I wear sunscreen religiously throughout the year no matter what the season.
For sunscreen - on my face I use Olay complete defence 30+ sunscreen/moisturising lotion for sensitive skin (great product - not greasy + I apply my mineral powder over it). On the rest of my body I use Natural Instincts Mineral Sunscreen 30+
30+ is the highest protection here in Australia (ratings are different all over the world). But sunscreen has to be reapplied every 4 hours (depending on your lotion) - plus 20 minutes for it to take effect.

Also for other forms of sun protection - I use an umbrella or a broad brimmed Noosa hat for those real sunny days.

 

[miss_killin]

Do you reccomend wearing sunscreen daily? I'm pretty pale and tend to stay out of the Arizona sun as much as possible, but never thought to put on sunscreen expect when I am doing an outdoor activity. I see that some of you include it in your daily makeup routine.

 

[Audrey Horne]

Do you reccomend wearing sunscreen daily? I'm pretty pale and tend to stay out of the Arizona sun as much as possible, but never thought to put on sunscreen expect when I am doing an outdoor activity. I see that some of you include it in your daily makeup routine.

Yes, definitely! There are studies that show that most of the damage done to our skin occurs from incidental sun exposure from daily activities. It's so important to wear sunscreen whenever you leave the house and to apply it thirty minutes before leaving. I wear SPF 15 daily under makeup when I'm planning on being indoors all day. If I might be outside a bit more I wear SPF 30 or higher. There are a lot of great facial moisturizers with SPF 15 in them. I've been using Aveeno Positively Radiant with SPF 15 for awhile now but there are others out there.

 

[anabolina]

Do you reccomend wearing sunscreen daily? I'm pretty pale and tend to stay out of the Arizona sun as much as possible, but never thought to put on sunscreen expect when I am doing an outdoor activity. I see that some of you include it in your daily makeup routine.

I agree with Audrey, we are exposed to the sun all day, even things like walking to your car or sitting beside a window can add up. I try to use at least SPF 15, but I just found Coppertone Nutrasheild SPF 70 on sale at Walmart and I've been really impressed. I picked it up on a whim since I was driving for 4 hours and wanted to leave the top down on my car despite the heat and sun. It takes awhile to blend in, but makeup glides over it, it can look a bit shiny, but powder takes care of that and it doesn't break out my acne-prone skin and I haven't gotten any sunburns since using it. Oh, and it was 7.98 at walmart and claims to have anti-oxidents.

 

[Audrey Horne]

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55

After many trials I have found my favorite sunblock so far. It's a bit pricey ($38 for 3.3oz) but a little goes a long way and it lasts forever! I recently brought it on a 3 week vacation that necessitated being out in the summer sun far more than I'd usually like. Some days I wasn't able to reapply and it never failed me. It's also not shiny, greasy, or overly scented once you rub it in. On my skin it just disappears! It's interesting because it's a lotion not a cream so it's really liquidy. I highly highly recommend it. You can try it out at Sephora
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P173670&categoryId=B70

 

[Miss Neecerie]

This is yet another two thumbs up for the
La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Face Melt-In Sunscreen Lotion


Ok...I drive about an hour a day in the full sun and I stick my arm up on the window sill....so I had forgotten sunscreen for about a week......and my arm started turning into one giant freckle-tan.....

I snapped out of it and started using neutrogena's baby sunscreen (which is just the mineral blockers, no chemicals) spf 50 i think it is....cant remember now...and I have no idea why....but over the next few weeks....I slowly got darker...

So having heard such nice things about the La Roche stuff...I decided to give in and buy it and try it out. Its lovely, doesn't feel excessively greasy and absorbs right in.

And no joke, after about a week of using it daily on the way home, not only is arm -not darker-...its actually lighter and shows every sign of continuing to fade back out to my normal pale.

I have no real logical explanation for -why- there is such a difference...but I won't argue the price anymore.

 

[GlamourDoll]

Ladies, this post has prob come a bit late. But I just found this thread. so sorry!

Anyways, I work for a high end dermatologist and we have people coming in all the time on the sunblock issue. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE SPF AMOUNT IS! The SPF amount is only on the bottle to tell u how many times you'll need to apply it. So, as long as the amount is 30 or more, you'r fine.

Also, I don't recomend using any of that stuff u can buy in a drug store. But I do recomend using the Aveeno mosturizer with the SPF in it. That is good to use for your face along with a make-up that also has SPF in it like Couvrance's Correcteur De Tint SPF 30.

The sunblock I recomend, I also use, is DCL(Dermatologic Cosmetic Laboratories) UVA/UVB chemfree superblock SPF 30.

It doesn't have a smell to it. Nor does it give you that greasy feeling and is waterproof. I started using it because my skin likes to tan in a matter of a sec when I just walk out into the sun and also leaves those sunspots/freckles.

But you'll prob have to go to a dermatologist near you since you can't get it in a drug store.

 

[C-dot]

Wow, I had no idea about the SPF - I've always used at least 30, because my skin is the kind of white that shocks your eyes. I have to use it every day, including cloudy and winter days, or face 2nd degree burns.

For the body, I absolutely love Neutrogena spray sunscreen. It applies in seconds, protects like a dream, and has a lovely powdery feel to it. Yum!

For the face, I've always stuck to Bananaboat for Baby. Its greasy, yes... But it can be applied very thinly and set with powder so you won't know the difference. But hey - It's cheap, it lasts forever, and it works, so I'm not complaining! lol

 

[*martini*time*]

I've heard that one bottle of sunscreen shouldn't last more then one summer. Is that true? How do you know if you apply too much...or too little? When i was in mexico in april, i went through 3 bottles in a week. (i shared but i was a sunscreen FREAK, you wouldn't have even known i was in Mexico because i didn't want to burn or tan.

 

[C-dot]

I've heard that one bottle of sunscreen shouldn't last more then one summer. Is that true? How do you know if you apply too much...or too little?

If you can't feel it on your skin, or if it hasn't done its job at the end of the day, that is too little. And as for too much, there is never too much where sunscreen is concerned!

Good for you for staying sun smart in Mexico, *martini*time*! :eusa_clap

 

[Laura Chase]

I've heard that one bottle of sunscreen shouldn't last more then one summer. Is that true? How do you know if you apply too much...or too little? When i was in mexico in april, i went through 3 bottles in a week. (i shared but i was a sunscreen FREAK, you wouldn't have even known i was in Mexico because i didn't want to burn or tan.

How long a bottle lasts depends on how you store it. A bottle can go bad in a few days if you keep it in direct sunlight (on the beach). Most companies say that it lasts one year max, but it can last longer or shorter depending on how you keep it. Mine is always in the fridge. If it's bad, you'll see it on the texture of the cream. If you want to be sure, just keep it in the fridge and buy a new bottle every year.

With sunscreen, you have to apply it so it's still white on the skin - not rub it until it melts in. It has to be applied in a slightly thick layer, and you just let it melt in by itself instead of rubbing in it. This is why it's always a good idea to put it on at least 30 minutes before you leave the house. I prefer longer, less chance of leaving white residue on clothing, even though this always happens anyway - the most annoying thing about sunscreen, especially for someone like me who loves to wear black!

 

[GlamourDoll]

Laura is right. Sunblock can last up to a year depending on the person and how you store it. But I wouldn't keep it any longer then that. Don't leave it in the sun, as it goes bad faster. You can put it in the fridge for those real hot days to cool down. But I wouldn't use it after 3 weeks of being in the fridge. If it's chunky, it's bad.

Any amount over the size of a quater is too much sunblock. I use about that for an entire arm and part of my shoulder. It should leave a white film on the skin after being slightly rubbed in cause you want to make sure it's spread evenly. Then it will kind of melt into the skin. If it doesn't do any of that you prob don't have enough on in that area. So, if you look super pale white then after a couple minutes you look normal again...it worked.

 

[Laura Chase]

After many trials I have found my favorite sunblock so far. It's a bit pricey ($38 for 3.3oz) but a little goes a long way and it lasts forever! I recently brought it on a 3 week vacation that necessitated being out in the summer sun far more than I'd usually like. Some days I wasn't able to reapply and it never failed me. It's also not shiny, greasy, or overly scented once you rub it in. On my skin it just disappears! It's interesting because it's a lotion not a cream so it's really liquidy. I highly highly recommend it. You can try it out at Sephora
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P173670&categoryId=B70

I recently bought this sunscreen at the Shiseido shop in Japantown SF and it's the best one I've tried, especially because it isn't drying at all, actually it seems almost moisturizing.

My La Roche Posay Antihelios Fluide Extreme, the cream I used to use on my face, is really good but also very drying, and it costs just about the same as the Shiseido one, so I would definitely recommend Shiseido over La Roche Posay any time!

Oh, the Shiseido cream is not completely perfect since it still can leave white stains on black clothing if it isn't completely dry, but I would say that with the technology available today, this is the best sunscreen there is out there right now.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

" I have had two skin cancers removed, one 10 years ago and the last 18 months ago, if you have any spot that does not heal, get it checked out, especially on the nose!, get it early and no-one will notice!!!, plastic surgeons are wonderful"

 

[Hana]

I love being pale (much to the dismay of my family) and I find that Garnier spf 50+ milk works really well. It does say that its for sun sensitive skin, but I always claim Im part albino. In my apart of the world we're naturally sheet white but there seems to be a style of going orange/brown.

 

[bellabella327]

Help with a Moisturizer

I hope this is the right thread, but I use my moisturizer as a sunscreen for daily use (SPF 30 UVA and UVB), but it REALLY irritated my skin, so I hate using it. It is suppose to be for sensitive skin! I get red really easily, and I don't know what to do.

I have tried a few moisturizers, but all seem to irritate my skin, does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Mrs Cleaver]

I've read good reviews about Nivea light feel daily face veil .It's spf 30 & protects against uva & uvb rays.It's not expensive either so it might be worth a shot.I'm just waiting to use up my current moisturiser so i can try it.
They also have an anti age one that is water resistant for 4 hours,i'm guessing this is a heavier cream though.
Hope that helps

 

[Lillemor]

I've read good reviews about Nivea light feel daily face veil .It's spf 30 & protects against uva & uvb rays.It's not expensive either so it might be worth a shot.I'm just waiting to use up my current moisturiser so i can try it.
They also have an anti age one that is water resistant for 4 hours,i'm guessing this is a heavier cream though.
Hope that helps

I had a Nivea for face cream with a pump last year. It was also spf 30 and it didn't cause any irritations of my face. I'm going to buy that one again this year.

Tomorrow I'm going to buy a big bottle Matas for kids spf 30 with a pump. My mom had it last year and my skin really liked that one. I'm having a slight hives and itching problem like last year on the inside of my forearms and on my calves. I don't know if it's the sunscreen, the insect stick or just insect stings.[huh]

For now, I'm using up an Oriflame day cream with spf 8 and my boys Garnier and Niveau spf 30 sun screens from last year. I'm sure the strength isn't the same as when the bottles were new but my skin doesn't really need spf 30. If the kids sunscreen from Matas came in an spf 15-20 that would've been just fine with my complexion but children's spf is usually at least spf 30 which is good if you're trying to stay fair and are already fair but I'm not and I'm just trying to protect my skin against damage. My skin will tan regardless of the spf.