Could I just have a moment to vent about how much I fucking hate sunscreen

God, I hate sunscreen. All of them. It's strange to me how, with so much progress nowadays in science and technology, we still haven't come up with a better way to protect our skin from the sun.

Every single sunscreen I've ever tried (that includes the really high-end stuff like La-Roche Posay) has been awful and greasy; even the ones that claim to be "light" and "non-greasy" (which is most of them) are anything but.

Then there's that godawful chemical smell they all have, and the way a lot of them leave a filmy white cast on the skin.

And it's ridiculous how they tell you that sunscreen needs to be reapplied every TWO hours—although the real number is more like every 1¾ hours, since they also tell you that you're supposed to wait 15 minutes after applying it before going out in the sun.

I recently tried this Australian Gold mineral sunblock at the advice of a friend who assured me that it TRULY was not greasy.

...and it's overly drying. It literally feels like I have a thin, dried layer of spackle on my skin, and then there's the aforementioned opaque white film it leaves on the skin that turned my black eyebrows a grayish color. When I was sweating during a jog, the sunscreen ran off in milky white droplets which then dried, leaving chalky white streaks.

Did I mention the Australian Gold stuff was pricey AF?

I really fucking to hate sunscreen.

Sunscreen makes my eyes burn and water even if I apply it just on my forehead and cheeks and nowhere close to my eyes.

Try being a beach fanatic and hating sun screen. I have to dodge the sun, because I won't use sunscreen. Very difficult.

Try sunglasses, a hat and cover up your skin as much as possible.

A little sun (like what you routinely get on your face or arms, is NOT going to hurt you. In fact you NEED some sun for vitamin D.

Carry a parasol OP. It goes well with caftan and earrings.

I actually love the smell, but I agree it's ludicrous that they're almost all greasy (despite lying on the package as being 'light' and 'non greasy') and leave that nasty white film on your face. I'm middle eastern and people always ask me if i'm sick when I wear it. I probably look super pale and sweaty.

I've thought about trying one of those moisturisers that has SPF in it, but i'm not sure they'll be much better.

There are some that don't leave any white film; they are completely clear.

But all of them sting the eyes, if even one moecule of it manages to get to your eyes. That's what irritates me.

Try NO-AD sunscreen, it's great, I've used it for years.

If I have to be out in the sun, I’ll use it on my nose, cheeks, ears and neck. Never my forehead, and the rest is covered by my hat and clothing.

The ones from Japan and Korea are supposed to be a lot nicer to wear, though pricey.

My dermatologist told me that chemical sunscreens will probably be subject to a class action lawsuit within a decade. He said to use the barrier kind only.

Silly OP, there are obvious alternatives.

A lady does NOT expose herself to the sun.

R6: That's only good if you are not at the sun, if you are, is a very very stupid decision

I'm not in the sun more than twenty minutes per day (hate the sun), so I never use sunscreen. Taking astaxanthin and β-Carotene orally provides more than enough protection for me.

Yes, we don't like sunscreen either. The ones with two chemicals found in sunscreens that cause direct harm to corals: oxybenzone and octinoxate AKA most.

Japanese sunscreens are a godsend. And you can buy them on Amazon for not a lot of money. I use Skin Aqua and Biore UV. Trust me, they're 1000x better than any nasty American sunscreen. Light as a feather, sink in right away, not greasy at all.

Zinc-containing sun screens are the barrier kind. The others actually bind chemically to your skin. Recent studies show sun screen actually enters our blood stream, which can’t be good at all.

Don’t go crazy with sun screen because not getting enough vitamin D also causes lots of health problems

R14 I believe that you believe that.

We have been using CLINIQUE sunscreens for years.

Are they bad?

Plenty of upf 30 sunscreens are fine, even the basic ones. I use 50 or higher when I ski high altitudes. Yep, makes the skin look ghastly but one doesn't get burnt.

In the summer I wear tightly woven straw hats with brims and sometimes I add an xl upf 50 bandana hanging down. I would just where a keffiyeh but I'm neither arab nor muslim so.... Still it seems like a practical adaptation to the current climate.

Neutragena Dry Touch is the best non greasy one I've found.

Agree, R1, about the eyes.

OP: Do you love skin cancer more?

La-Roche Posay is not high end LOL.

yes, I've heard bad things about chemical sunscreens and I never use them, I only use mineral sunscreens.

Also European sunscreens have different ingredients that are not approved in the USA. They are usually stricter in terms of what chemicals can be in make up and beauty products.

Oh you poor, pathetic whiny baby! Would you prefer to deal with skin cancer?

Trust me, it's not fun.

I know what you mean OP, and it leaves your hands sticky too. I HAVE to wear it as I burn real easy

I just stay out of the sun as much as possible during the high risk period (9AM to 4PM) and wear an Akubra hat or similar and long sleeve shirts if I have to be out in it. And seek shade as much as possible

The sunscreen I use on the back of my hands, lower face and whatever areas I cant cover is 55+. Sticky nasty stuff but at least I dont have to cover all of myself with it. I also have a long sleeve black rash shirt swim cap and black athletic tights for swimming, it looks like I'm wearing a burkini. I dont know what people are thinking but I have run right outta fucks to give

you have to wear sunscreen even on rainy cloudy days! Apply everyday!

R32 I think that's made up by the sunscreen manufacturers.

My eyes have always burned so badly after using sunscreen that I avoided it - and I have the damage to prove it! Last year I was buying CeraVe face wash and their sunscreen was on sale (end of summer sale). I bought it because it was so cheap, like a $1.50 and didn’t realize it was their baby line. It DOESN’T burn my eyes! Must be gentle for babies and it works for me too and now I use sunscreen.

I was seeing this guy who had a zinc based sunscreen that was completely clear. He was a junkie psycho but he had really good skin care products and he threw a mean fuck. Maybe Skinwoman, if she's still around, can advise us.

Thanks R35, I'm glad somebody can appreciate the bloke in a burkini look :-)

Partner thinks its a hell of a laugh, cant say I disagree with him. Jeans, boots, a long cotton shirt and Akubra are a better look on me but not too practical for swimming

Count me in as another R31 fan

I agree . My La-Roche Posay stinks.

Jaysus R37! I may be pale as fuck but at least I dont look like that. Faaaarrk

[quote]Jeans, boots, a long cotton shirt and Akubra

A cowboy who is also a gardening enthusiast?

R33, check the science. UV rays can penetrate through clouds on overcast skies.

You have to apply everyday. Some say even while you're indoors but that's too much for me. I apply every time I go out.

OP, the reason they are greasy is that they HAVE to, in order to stay on your skin when you go into water or start to sweat, which are both very common scenarios for people using it.

R38 Let me clarify that statement.........

You sound hot ....... 👎NOT !

Sorry ..... NOT Sorry !

I ALWAYS wear suncreen.

I never leave the hut without it.

You’ll hate metastatic melanoma a whole lot more, OP. But not for long.

I have read that your diet plays a role into how sensitive your skin is to UV rays. A lot of people eat stuff that is high in polyunsaturated fats which is said to lead to more photosensitivity due to more oxidation.

I use Daylong. I am in the surf all summer. I am not tanned or burnt, so it must work. I had my vit D levels checked and they were much too low even though I live in a Mediterranean county so I take a supplement. The physical barriers use micronised titanium and zinc which gets into the bloodstream so the chemical ones are actually safer. The Avene physical one was just rubbish but I was told that you actually have to apply a thick, visible coating on the skin, not rub it in. I just wish I could find one that doesn't stain white clothes.

There is a purely mineral powder sunscreen that I use on my face. It comes in a tube with a brush attached. You can google for the mineral powder sunscreens. Eminence skincare makes one but it is super pricey and I think you could find one that works just as well for much less. Never stings your eyes and simple to reapply. Not practical for your whole body though. I usually cover up in light clothes and try and stay in the shade because I am think using chemicals on your skin is bad for the environment (when you go in the ocean) and possible detrimental to you health.

R50 Which country do you live in? Spain has ISDIN and it's said to be one of the best out there in Europe.

Italy/France, summer in Biarritz, R52. Will look for that one.

I use this one. Not expensive at all. You can find American sellers on Ebay so that it only takes a few days to get it, versus two weeks to a month from a Japanese seller.

Some old straight guy I work with said he uses this powder from Color Science. I haven't tried it yet since it looks like makeup, but he said he applied it a few days earlier while golfing and didn't get any color from being out in the sun for a few hours with this stuff on.

I think sun protection is a myth created by the suntan lotion industry. I've never felt the need for it and look at me.

If you are not plants, just try not going out in the sun, OP, as nothing good comes out of being tan. Besides, tanning won't make 350 pounds a pound lighter either.

I’m fair skinned so I’m constantly being admonished to wear it, but I have a very oily T zone, so when I apply it I feel like I’ve just dunked my head in a tub of olive oil.

@ 55, yes that is a really good one and I believe you can get it in translucent so it does not really act as makeup.

The worst part about sunscreen is when you sweat and it drips into your eyes. Fuck, that shit burns like hell.

Neutrogena hydro boost isn’t bad. I use the SPF 50 and it does leave a faint white cast but nowhere as bad as other ones I’ve used. Plus it doesn’t take a lot of rubbing in to apply.

The Atlantic published an article on sunscreens and the benefits of sunlight that gave me pause - I’ve tried to use sunscreen less frequently since then especially as the days have become shorter.

I remember reading that Vitamin E (-? whichever topical Vitamin is the common one used in skincare products) turns into a carcinogen in high heat. Unless you're skiing, I'm not sure why anyone would be using sunblock in cold temperatures. Does anyone know about that?

Because the sun doesn't shine when it's cold? It definitely isn't reflected off of snow.

A lot of folks talk about American, Canadian, European, and Asian sunscreens, but what about those in Latin American like in Brazil? I assume Brazil is more advanced when it comes to sunscreen.

I think Americans have become a bit too over the top about sunscreen and sun avoidance. I'm not suggesting we go back to the days of slathering oneself in oil and baking for hours but I don't buy this silliness about applying spf40 for a 10 minute walk on a cloudy day. Sun plays a part in aging but so do things like genetics, diet, bone structure, and general stress level.

When I do use spf for things like a day at the beach, I use European or Asian sunscreen . American sunscreens have nasty ingredients and do little to protect skin anyways. They are also known endocrine and hormone disruptors. I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist but I have to wonder about the FDAs refusal to approve superior European ingredients while allowing for the mass production of sunscreen ingredients that they KNOW are bad. I think, as an earlier commenters doctor suggested, that American sunscreen companies will be hit with wave after wave of lawsuits a decade from now. I think the lawsuits will focus on the fact that the ingredients not only don't work, but cause other health problems due to hormone / endocrine disruption.

Interesting how the autism epidemic seems to have coincided with the widespread use of daily sunscreen and the encouragement of sun avoidance. Correlation doesn't equal causation but certain forms of autism have been linked to vitamin d deficiency.

I second the recommendation of Neutrogena Dry Touch

R65 = conspiracy nut. What sun avoidance? Most Americans don't use sunscreen, they'd look a hell of a lot better if they did

Why does America allow so much poison in stuff like food, medicine, and skincare? Is the FDA run by psychos?

r68, it's run by people who have huge investments in Big Pharma. Look into the studies the FDA board illegally buried about the dangers (i.e. permanently disabling side effects) caused by fluoroquinolones while those same board members raked in 10 million bucks from their Johnson & Johnson holdings.

R67 Oh please. I'm hardly a "conspiracy nut " for suggesting that there's a happy medium between baking for hours on a beach unprotected until you're sunburned and following the ridiculous advice of modern dermatologists. Who are now suggesting that spf should be worn from dawn to dusk, by every skin tone, in every geographic climate, 24 /7. This nonsense has been pushed heavily for the last several years. And try actually researching some of these ingredients, like oxybenzone and avobenzone, that you are putting such blind faith in.

R67 Oh please. I'm hardly a "conspiracy nut " for suggesting that there's a happy medium between baking for hours on a beach unprotected until you're sunburned and following the ridiculous advice of modern dermatologists. Who are now suggesting that spf should be worn from dawn to dusk, by every skin tone, in every geographic climate, 24 /7. This nonsense has been pushed heavily for the last several years. And try actually researching some of these ingredients, like oxybenzone and avobenzone, that you are putting such blind faith in.

r71, r67 is a paid Status Quo Troll who bullies anyone with an idea that threatens stock prices.

The cruel joke is that those that slavishly applying sunscreen for "cancer protection" are likely giving themselves cancer:

"Who are now suggesting that spf should be worn from dawn to dusk, by every skin tone, in every geographic climate, 24 /7. This nonsense has been pushed heavily for the last several years."

It's nonsense because you say so, right? *rolls eyes*

Why do you think you're more of an authority on this than actual doctors.

You also apparently haven't heard of mineral sunscreens.

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