[Closed] Sun block - wtf?

Depends. How big is the bottle?

errm, £4.49 with a second half price ok?

[url= http://www.superdrug.com/Solait/Solait-Sun-Cream-SPF50-200ml/p/721422 ]http://www.superdrug.com/Solait/Solait-Sun-Cream-SPF50-200ml/p/721422[/url]

Not looked - I doubt it's huge, they never are. Just seems to get much more expensive every year.

Brexits fault no doubt 😉

You could have come to the Highlands , clouds are free.

Shouldve gone to B and M pal, chastise suitably. 😆

wwaswas - maybe I just need to give her a good thrashing?

She normally does wrighty

It's available at very reasonable prices, including in Superdrug so it's entirely Mrs STR's choice to pay that sort of money. It's all functionally the same, the extra is for brand name cachet, maybe a nicer smell or easier application. Sometimes the "one application/all day/waterproof" stuff is quite pricy

[s]Sun block[/s]Wives - wtf?

I'm guessing it was something like P20 which is currently £20 a bottle (on offer from £25).

http://www.boots.com/riemann-p20-once-a-day-sun-protection-spray-spf-30-high-200ml-10154042

We use that. It's expensive but one application lasts all day (10 hours) and it is very water resistant too (up to 80 minutes in the water). Ideal for spraying on the kids before school on sunny days or for long days in the sun on holiday.

Could pay less and apply more regularly, but the extra bucks are worth it to avoid the whinging.

Surely this stuff should be a reasonable price to encourage people to actually use the stuff?

Are you suggesting companies that produce the stuff should be doing it for health reasons rather than profit 🙂 Maybe you should be able to get sun block on prescription, just so that people spending money on holidays don't need to pay much for the essentials. Or they could just shop around?

Calypso at Lidl, does exactly the same thing as P20 for 18 quid less

seriously - this is my industry so I know a bit (not enough to repeatedly fail to put it on me when just in the garden / on the bike / building a shed though 😳 )

Get one with high SPF, not worth buying the lower versions in my opinion.

Get one with the UVA roundel, showing that it has a high enough UVA rating. UVA doesn't cause burning so you don't notice it as much but is still damaging to the skin, but you don't get the warning of 'I'm going red, better cover up'

And don't scrimp on it - which is where the expensive one becomes an issue, if you think 'this is 25 quid a bottle, don't waste it!' chances are you aren't putting enough on. Better to have 'cheap' stuff (still with the high SPF/UVA) and lather yourself than expensive stuff applied by the pipette full. Depends on your surface area (and how small your speedo's / mankini is) but an average person needs 50-75ml of suncream reapplied frequently so a 'big' bottle of 200ml should maybe only last a day or two.

Still cheap compared to cancer.

I hate applying sunblock so also go for the expensive stuff that doesn't sweat off or leave me looking like someone's gone over me with a coat of Dulux Brilliant White.

I'm guessing it was something like P20 which is currently £20 a bottle (on offer from £25).

If it was P20 it's worth it IMO, for all the same reasons as GrahamS.

Calypso at Lidl, does exactly the same thing as P20 for 18 quid less

Cheers, I'll keep an eye out for that!

I hate applying sunblock

So did my Dad, but he did admit that chemotherapy was worse.

Boots do their own Branded stuff, try that.

Or buy a Hat.

leave me looking like someone's gone over me with a coat of Dulux Brilliant White.

The other good aspect of the P20 is that it is spray-on and oil-based so even the SPF50 doesn't turn you white, just a bit greasy looking.

Checking wife's receipts - wtf!? 😀

I have no idea what my wife spends on this sort of gubbins!

an average person needs 50-75ml of suncream reapplied frequently so a 'big' bottle of 200ml should maybe only last a day or two.

£25 per person per day on suncream! That's going to make family holidays expensive at a minimum of £50 a day on suncream for a family of 4 So for a 2 week holiday in the sun it could cost £700 in suncream - WTF.

Surely this stuff should be a reasonable price to encourage people to actually use the stuff?

That's what this stuff is:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Altruist-Dermatologist-Sunscreen-SPF-protection/dp/B013NUI4LA

langylad - Member
Calypso at Lidl, does exactly the same thing as P20 for 18 quid less

this stuff?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Calypso-Once-Day-Protection-SPF50/dp/B00IZHMPV2/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1499763712&sr=1-1&keywords=calypso+once+a+day+50

I'm a ginge so burn really easily. Tried them all. That Calypso stuff is shite. Only ever use P20 now - the best by far - normal supermarket price is £20 but often on sale at £16 which is when I stock up!

Yep that be the one. Pretty sure 200ml is 4.99 in Lidl (or Aldi, cant remember now). Been using it for a couple of years and it is excellent, better than P20 as it doesn't do the clothes staining thing, and protects my strawberry blonde complexion and bald pate excellently with one application:D
Just checked the bottle and it has UVA and SPF

Quick edit re ziloq's post; i'm gingish and works a treat for me

£25 per person per day on suncream! That's going to make family holidays expensive at a minimum of £50 a day on suncream for a family of 4 So for a 2 week holiday in the sun it could cost £700 in suncream - WTF.

1/ read the other posts (more carefully). You don't have to buy the £25 stuff. Quick google (not a recommendation, just an example.....)

http://www.boots.com/soltan-protect-and-repel-lotion-spf50-400ml-10213254

SPF50+, UVA, 400ml for £9.50.

2/ Cover up in the main part of the day / get out of the sun. 11-3, get under an umbrella / put the kids in a sunvest, etc.

3/ Don't know about you but my kids have way less surface area than me....

4/ Cancer sucks. Really ****ing big style.

lol maybe "shite" was a bit harsh but it did not work for me in terms of once-a-day application! Shame as it's very cheap compared to P20 (which incidentally changed a few years back and now does not stain IME although I wouldn't use it with a white top!)

Checking wife's receipts - wtf!?

Nope, she pointed it out

Fortunately, she's not (normally) a spendy wife, so I don't have to worry about that sort of stuff

read the other posts (more carefully).

I don't need to, I can make my own buying decisions without referring to a forum

3/ Don't know about you but my kids have way less surface area than me....

My son's 6'2" and built like a brick shithouse - he is 19. Again makes his own decisions.

I'm aware of point 4

OK, apologies if I caused offence but as stated I have a stake in this game from a personal and professional PoV and thought I could provide some helpful and well meaning advice. Which remains - expensive stuff left in the bottle because you're scrimping to make last is a desperately false economy. Buy a cheaper but reputable brand and use it properly.

As for your son making his own decisions...... so did my dad. I wish I'd stood up to him a bit more.

I borrowed some of my brothers P20 whilst on holiday and it was nice stuff. Went to get some and balked at the price.

Slightly tempted today as it's on offer today on groupon goods - apologies link thingy not working for me [url= http://goods.groupon.co.uk/?nlp=&CID=UK&tx=0&utm_source=channel_goods&utm_medium=email&sid=f22f43a9-5fd0-4ec7-922e-655bde689a42_0_20170711&t_division=essex&eh=de2f3e7966c9e8f87aa32e15ef90b96219ea03d915da77233aa064056d6d0bc5&date=20171107&sender=rm&s=header&c=image&d=Groupon ]Here[/url]

You could have come to the Highlands , clouds are free.

Clouds of midges?

Get one with high SPF, not worth buying the lower versions in my opinion.

Serious question - if I would burn in 30 mins normally, and I am on say a 3 hour bike ride, should I not be using say SPF 10 or 20 at most?

I am working under the assumption that it is better to get a bit of a tan yourself (slowly, without burning) rather than relying on constant application of sun cream? Am I right? Presumably this is why my lower arms rarely get burned because they are exposed to sun half the year..?

£25 per person per day on suncream!

He said get the cheaper stuff. But the best option is to cover up. I always wear a tshirt or a long sleeved loose shirt open down the front and a sunhat if I am not swimming. Makes far more sense.

IMO.

P20 and other once a day suncreams are ok for putting on the kids to go to school as they are not in the sun constantly all day and not swimming in the sea. But theres no way i'd only use one application a day if on holiday in Spain or somewhere similar.
My kids get topped up every hour or so when we're away and still get tanned!

Think there was a test on once a day suncreams on TV (whatchdog maybe) last week or so and I think P20 cam out the best but all once a day ones failed compared to normal suncreams applied several times.

Worth noting that Which? tests on once-a-day suncreams found that after six to eight hours the average sun protection factor (SPF) decreased by 74%.

And that once-a-day claims are banned in Australia (who know a thing or two about sun).

So don't rely on them completely.

https://press.which.co.uk/whichpressreleases/stay-away-from-once-a-day/

More shockingly, some 'normal' suncreams also failed basic tests, as they have done in [url= http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/the-cream-of-the-crop-which-survey-finds-some-sun-creams-falling-short-in-the-protection-stakes-9380267.html ]previous Which? tests[/url].

I don't need to, I can make my own buying decisions without referring to a forum

Woudl you really be out for 8 hours in the sun in Australia without covering up?

We've used P20 for nearly 20 years now - its definitely better than the original formulation that required to be applied an hour before going outside and stained everything bright yellow.
We used it in Lombardy recently and it worked just as well as ever in stopping me from going even the slightest bit pink and then my skin falling off.

Serious question - if I would burn in 30 mins normally, and I am on say a 3 hour bike ride, should I not be using say SPF 10 or 20 at most?

Without getting massively detailed, but the 'factor 50 means I can stay 50x longer in the sun' is a misconception. Parts of the industry is lobbying to do away with it and only offer 'low, medium and high' protection. And without the UVA addition, SPF number is (almost) worthless because the SPF number is based on UVB absorption (ratio with / w.o sunscreen) - so it is theoretically possible to have a sunscreen without enough UVA protection. And while UVB is the one that causes sunburn and some skin cancers, UVA is increasingly being understood to cause deeper skin damage and maybe the initiator of skin cancers (UVA is the 'tanning' ray where the skin darkens to try to prevent further damage, but it doesn't really work. Sunbeds emit mainly UVA, yet users of sunbeds are 3x more likely to get skin cancer than non-users)

I am working under the assumption that it is better to get a bit of a tan yourself (slowly, without burning) rather than relying on constant application of sun cream? Am I right? Presumably this is why my lower arms rarely get burned because they are exposed to sun half the year..?

Yes and no. Because while a bit of darkening from repeated exposure to UVA is the skin trying to protect itself any exposure increases your risk. Again as above past wisdom was that UVB which causes burning was the risk. But recent understanding shows that you do not need to burn to increase your risk because UVA is now thought to be contributing as well. Hence the new prevalence in daily wear moisturizers, etc., that contain some UV protection - you don't have to be sat on a beach to be accumulating damage.

Realistically - you should wear sunscreen every day and almost all year round (UVA penetrates even on cloudy days!) but we all know you won't. But limiting obvious exposure where possible is something we should all do.

http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/uva-and-uvb

[disclaimer - article is US based and they don't have the same UVA roundel regulations as we do]

http://www.bad.org.uk/for-the-public/skin-cancer/sunscreen-fact-sheet

Realistically - you should wear sunscreen every day and almost all year round

And then you get Vitamin D deficiency and (possibly) develop MS?

P20 and other once a day suncreams are ok for putting on the kids to go to school as they are not in the sun constantly all day and not swimming in the sea. But theres no way i'd only use one application a day if on holiday in Spain or somewhere similar.

I've been to the Maldives 6 times now and have used Ultrasun every time - 50 in the first week and 30 in the second. Only put it on once in the morning - and probably don't even wait the full recommended time before going into the water.

Tons of snorkling during the day plus a 1.5 hour swim round the island ever other day (rash vest on for that), but haven't burnt yet or over tanned. So that's a lot of hours of submersion in salty water every day.

Worked for the (ex) wife as well.

(looks out of window, decides on a rust preventer for today 😉 )

And then you get Vitamin D deficiency and (possibly) develop MS?

big section on it in the BAD link. Get it from your diet / supplements if necessary.

Realistically - you should wear sunscreen every day and almost all year round (UVA penetrates even on cloudy days!) but we all know you won't.

UV struggles to get through what I wear 75% of the year.

Tons of snorkling during the day plus a 1.5 hour swim round the island ever other day (rash vest on for that), but haven't burnt yet or over tanned.

Avoiding burning or tanning is good but repeated exposure at lower levels also increases your risk.......

Biggest misconception that the industry still can't kill is the 'I didn't get burnt so I'm OK'

UV struggles to get through what I wear 75% of the year.

Most skin cancers are found on the face, head, neck and arms. It's that repeated exposure thing again........ unless your daily PPE includes a balaclava and Elvis collar?

big section on it in the BAD link. Get it from your diet / supplements if necessary.

My understanding is that it is very hard to get sufficient Vitamin D from diet alone, unless you are eating oily fish several times a week. But I'll read the BAD link with interest, thanks.

UVA is the 'tanning' ray where the skin darkens to try to prevent further damage, but it doesn't really work

Are you saying that UVA is not blocked by melanin, and therefore being tanned does not help? It seems to do something since black people seem to get less of the sun-damage kinds of skin cancer than other races, from what I can see with a 5 minute google..?

NOTE not saying you're wrong, I'm just interested and appreciate your insight jonv.

Realistically - you should wear sunscreen every day and almost all year round

I certainly do not want to do this. It's like being on pills for the rest of your life. No ta.

It seems to be a case of covering up where practical.

Most skin cancers are found on the face, head, neck and arms. It's that repeated exposure thing again........ unless your daily PPE includes a balaclava and Elvis collar?

I'm an SAS Elvis impersonator.

Except when it comes to blackout blinds, mobile phone insurance, cargo trailers, bourbon, £1k cross bikes, etc (seemingly ad infinitum)

Oh get you. I was referring to sun cream smart arse.

Very impressed buy the Aldi stuff we got recently. SPF50 in a yellow can that spread nicely, not like some horrible gelatinous tar like substance.

Another P20 user, never burnt, or even tanned whilst using it.

Worth noting that Which? tests on once-a-day suncreams found that after six to eight hours the average sun protection factor (SPF) decreased by 74%.

I saw that, but it's unlikely (even on holiday) that I'd still be in the sun 6-8 hours later, could go for a bike ride and get bored of reading a book by the pool in that time. And -74% of 50 is still ~13, so even a fortnight of once a day use probably still wouldn't burn.

I'm more bothered that it lasts at least the length of any likely ride, even on a hot day, after that I can retire to a shaded bar to rehydrate 🙂

I got burned on Saturday, first time in years. It hurts and I'm annoyed with myself.

What possible evolutionary advantage is it to have a skin type that means you can't go outside. 🙄

I'll nip to lidl later to try their stuff.

Another P20 user, never burnt, or even tanned whilst using it.

Although I do wonder what's in it for it to be so effective. A bit like 1990s DEET 😕

Yeah that's pretty much my reasoning too tinas, just thought I'd mention it though in the interests of fairness.

What possible evolutionary advantage is it to have a skin type that means you can't go outside.

You are assuming that you are on the winning side of that evolutionary change.

Most mutations are disadvantages!

Clearly only One answer to this thread:

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Are you saying that UVA is not blocked by melanin, and therefore being tanned does not help? It seems to do something since black people seem to get less of the sun-damage kinds of skin cancer than other races, from what I can see with a 5 minute google..?

Yes it is, but not completely and there are some papers suggesting that the effect of UV actually creates damage to melanocytes which are part of the skin damage / skin cancer pathway.

Dark / black skin has more melanin and hence better self protection, but that's double edged - with a perception that Afro-Caribbean skin types don't need sunscreen and then secondly because it doesn't 'burn' anywhere near as fast then you still have the harmful effect of UVA with no visible effect. Thirdly - black people do get skin cancer, but are less likely to notice it until later in its development making it more likely to have spread, etc.

My BiL is Antiguan. He doesn't wear sunscreen (although i tell him to) and when he and my sister go back on holiday / to visit his family they a/ take the piss because he has got paler and b/ he does visibly tan over the course of the 2 weeks there.

If OPs wife is anything like mine so bought the expensive stuff based solely on how it smelt "I know it's a million quid, but it smells like holiday!".

Anyway, I noticed the £20 a bottle stuff my Wife bought scored a lower UVA star rating than the £3 a bottle stuff I bought from Morrisons. It's not as thick, not sure that has a bearing, but a quick top up every once in a while and no kids have been burnt on my watch.

Some brands are photo-stable, others rapidly degrade in the sun.

Yes you read that correctly so always read the small print.