Tanned during vacation even with prodigious sunscreen use

[Anonymous]

I’m on vacation at Bald Head Island and I took great care regarding sun exposure. I wore a layer of Coppertome SPF 30 and Neutrogena SPF 100 all over my body. For my case I used Elta Md uv clear 45 and another brand of spf 50 and reapplied every few hours and wore a large wide brimmed hat with large sunglasses.

Regardless my face is tan and so is my whole body!

What’s the point of all this $$ spend on sun protection?

[Anonymous]

If you’re out for hours it’ll just happen.

[Anonymous]

Better than being burned. Sun screen is one tool and needs to be applied appropriately:
https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/causes-and-prevention/sun-safety/about-sunscreen

Your skin needs breaks from the sun through use of clothing and seeking shade.

[Anonymous]

This is why white Victorian ladies just stayed out of the direct sun as much as possible.

[Anonymous]

Who told you sunscreen prevents tanning?!

[Anonymous]

Some sun is good for you. Just relax. There is a seriously vitamin d deficiency in our country. It’s ok to get some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who told you sunscreen prevents tanning?!

This! Are people really this ignorant.

[Anonymous]

Well, it sounds like you would've gotten a crazy burn without all your sun protection, so there's that.

Another thing is that it's not really healthy for your skin to avoid the sun all the time except for your one beach vacation a year where you sit in the sun all day long.

[Anonymous]

You are using chemical sunscreens. They don't actually work that well. I always purchase mineral sunscreens form the dermatologist. Works much, much better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m on vacation at Bald Head Island and I took great care regarding sun exposure. I wore a layer of Coppertome SPF 30 and Neutrogena SPF 100 all over my body. For my case I used Elta Md uv clear 45 and another brand of spf 50 and reapplied every few hours and wore a large wide brimmed hat with large sunglasses.

Regardless my face is tan and so is my whole body!

What’s the point of all this $$ spend on sun protection?

You wore two layers of sunscreen on your body? And two layers of different sunscreen on your face? Why?

I'm a pale skinned redhead from a skin cancer part of the world -- I'm very careful about sun exposure. I wear SPF 30, re-apply every 2 hours, and don't sit in full sun for more than 15 minutes without a hat and a long sleeved shirt. If I'm swimming outdoors I wear a rash guard. I'll wear short sleeves for hiking through partial shade. I still have more color in summer than in winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m on vacation at Bald Head Island and I took great care regarding sun exposure. I wore a layer of Coppertome SPF 30 and Neutrogena SPF 100 all over my body. For my case I used Elta Md uv clear 45 and another brand of spf 50 and reapplied every few hours and wore a large wide brimmed hat with large sunglasses.

Regardless my face is tan and so is my whole body!

What’s the point of all this $$ spend on sun protection?

This is very frustrating OP. I got a tan recently under a patio roof, also with sunscreen. I am surprised to learn that UV rays get past a hat, large sunglasses and multiple layers of sunscreen. Especially your face under a large hat! I suspect that it is reflecting off the surfaces around you.

[Anonymous]

Was it a hat rated for upf? Not all hats are created equal. You could try one rated for upf and that has a dark underside of brim to prevent reflecting light onto face if you don't already. I recommend wearing a sun shirt, too, if you want to prevent more exposure. This combo on my beach vacation (along with sunscreen at least every 80 minutes) really worked. But it did feel like I spent half of the beach time applying sunscreen to self and my two little kids!

To the PP who recommended mineral, this doesn't work for me. I get burned with mineral (and skin also dries out like crazy). It's too bad because I'd rather use it.

[Anonymous]

Your sunscreen doesn't protect against UVA very well. UVA rays cause tanning, among other things.

Avobenzone is one of the only chemical UVA filters available in the US and it is not very photostable which means it degrades quickly when exposed to sunlight.

Personnally, I use sunscreens that contain better UVA filters such as Tinosorb S and M, Mexoryl XL, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your sunscreen doesn't protect against UVA very well. UVA rays cause tanning, among other things.

Avobenzone is one of the only chemical UVA filters available in the US and it is not very photostable which means it degrades quickly when exposed to sunlight.

Personnally, I use sunscreens that contain better UVA filters such as Tinosorb S and M, Mexoryl XL, etc.

Which sunscreens do you use? Not OP, but have been relying on mineral sunscreen. I have been reading that they don’t perform as well we think. I recently started using P20 as a first layer, and layering mineral sunscreen over it (cyberderm or elta MD).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who told you sunscreen prevents tanning?!

This! Are people really this ignorant.

+2

I wear sunblock year round and am still multiple shades darker in the summer.

I also wear a UPF 50 rated wide brim hat and am always in the shade whenever possible. It blocks harmful UV rays, not the actual sun. If you tan easily, you will still tan.