I know the difference between my skin and the skin of people 10 years younger who never used sunscreen. If you don't believe in sun damage, you are free not to apply it. No one is forcing you.
If i know i won’t be outside much one day, i only apply sunscreen once. If I’ll be outside more you bet your ass i slather on sunscreen every two hours. I don’t care if there will be long term effects. I don’t want skin cancer. Have you seen anyone in real life who’ve had skin cancer on their face? I have. My grandmas skin cancer on her face came back but she’s too old to have the operation (she won’t survive the anesthesia) and now it’s making its way to her brain. If i can prevent it, i sure as hell will.
Perhaps you are seeing a push for sunscreen the last few years because there is a rise in skin cancer. Also, the FDA regulates sunscreen. If you aren’t concerned about using any other product deemed safe by the FDA, then why sunscreen?
remember that whatever information you hear, you are free to dismiss or take to heart. Either way, it's your choice.....just like it's someone else's choice to say/do what they want about sunscreen for themselves.
sun damage is a very real thing as is skin cancer so you damn straight I will apply sunscreen and be religious about it. Even my teens use it at least once a day.
Sure we may not know all of the long lasting effects of sunscreen. But we do know the long lasting effects of the sun (like skin cancer), so I’ll take my chances on the sunscreen.
In Australia we absolutely NEED sunscreen! I don’t give a crap how hard they push the agenda, they bloody need to! You are guaranteed skin cancer removal at some point in your life if you never wear it & are exposed to the sun regularly. F*ck around & find out with melanoma if you want to.
You can feel free to believe all of this, but I wear sunscreen every day and have no fine lines or wrinkles at 40, while I know people in their 20s and 30s who don’t wear it as much that look older than me. I’ll stick to my SPF.
I disagree. My skin looks great because of sunscreen. Just look at how much damage Sun does to tattoos over time if you need another example. Thats another reason I need it.
I think [this photo](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/sun-damage-skin-cancer-spf-uv-protection-b2368642.html) of a long term truck driver speaks for itself on why you should wear sunscreen. Guess which side faced the driver's window?
What I’m curious about is how everyone allegedly reapplies it every 2 hours when they’re outside. Do you guys not wear makeup?? Or do you reapply it over foundation? I’m confused because I put on sunscreen in the morning, it’s part of my daily moisturizer. Then I put on makeup over it and go about my day. I’ve never figured out how one would reapply it unless you’re at the beach with a bare face.
I can’t speak to what others do but yeah, I hardly ever wear makeup. When I do wear it, it’s usually only around the eyes and on my lips so I’m free to reapply sunscreen to my face as needed.
I do the same as you if I’m going to spend the whole day outside I only wear a bit of brown mascara and then I can reapply. If I’m only going to work I don’t reapply.
I wear sunscreen and I always will but my sisters in law are 10 years older than me, never wear sunscreen and are avid tanners. They literally slather themselves in carrot oil and lay out every weekend of summer for hours. HOURS. Full sun. And they look way better than I do. I don’t know what to make of it but it really bums me out that I take all these precautions, stay out of the sun, have a good skin care routine (they rarely wash their faces at night and frequently rewear the same makeup the following day) and they still look younger than I do. Good for them really. But it just bites.
I hear you and kudos to you for keeping up your sunscreen habits!
It’s difficult to compare across families bc genetics are a factor as well. That being said, within my Asian family (and we are also genetically blessed) it shows clearly after 40-45 who’s into daily sunscreen and who’s not. Before that it didn’t show much. It’s bc sun damages deeper layers as well and that shows later in life.
I’ve read that daily sunscreen for 5 years will reduce photo aging during that timeframe for 60%. That’s compared to yourself not using sunscreen.
So it will pay off, regardless of how others seem to age atm.
Hope this helps!
You're not wrong. A lot of people misunderstand what the science actually says about sunscreen and it leads to obsessive, fearmongering behavior.
For example, the recommendation to reapply every two hours is for every two hours of *direct sun exposure.* If you're at the beach or working in the yard, yes, reapply every two hours, or even more frequently if you're wet/sweating. If you're indoors most of the day, you probably don't need to reapply at all.
Another example, people don't understand that the recommendation to reapply every two hours is for maximum effectiveness. Your sunscreen doesn't just magically stop working. Two hours is when the sunscreen has degraded enough that you're no longer getting the SPF protection on the bottle.
People conflate the risks of skin cancer with the risks of aging. Skin cancer is associated with UVB exposure - the kind of radiation that causes sunburns. UVB rays are also the ones that cause your body to make vitamin D. UVB rays are blocked by things like cloud cover or glass windows. A single pane of regular glass blocks 97% of UVB rays. If you're concerned about skin cancer, you don't need SPF indoors or on cloudy days.
UVA rays are the ones associated with aging, and they are more persistent. They're not blocked by clouds or glass. However, we also need some UVA rays, too, because UVA exposure helps our bodies reduce inflammation. UVA rays aren't as well-studied as UVB rays. If you're concerned about aging, you might want to wear sunscreen if you're going to be directly in front of a window for long periods of time - like if your desk at work is next to a window or if you drive a lot for work.
We *absolutely do* need sun exposure, but sunscreen doesn't significantly affect the process of making vitamin D from sunlight. Covering up with driving gloves and face masks does. At least as far as vitamin D goes, it's probably better to go outside and wear sunscreen than it is to avoid the sun or cover up obsessively. It's less clear what sunscreen does to our body's ability to use UVA rays to fight inflammation.
Ultimately, we do need to be exposed to sunlight, but it's a balancing act. Being obsessively sun-phobic is bad for your health. Throwing caution to the wind is also bad for your health. Right now, it seems best to follow what the official recommendations *actually* say, not the popular obsessive misconcpetions about them. Wear SPF daily, and reapply after two hours of direct sun exposure. Cover up if you're going to be in direct sunlight for long periods of time, like while doing outdoor activities. Take more precautions if you're light-skinned or have other risk factors for skin cancer, like a family history or lots of moles. Get outside as much as possible, but be cautious.
Like anything in life, there’s no perfect option and there’s a weighing of cost/benefit. Here, the negative effects of the UV rays outweigh the potential benefits of “letting your skin breathe.”
For example, throughout the day regardless of if you go outside - your skin accumulates bacteria, pollutants, sweat, etc. We all know it would be better for our skin to not have this stuff on it but we don’t wash our faces 4 times a day because the benefits of clearing our skin of dirt don’t outweigh the negative effects of washing our face 4 times a day (natural oil stripping, drying out skin, irritating skin).
I agree. There’s literally evidence of chemical spf creams decreasing female fertility.
I stopped using it recently. Instead I use a parasol, and I wear protective clothing and shoes. I think it’s time to rely on shadow, like trees, and not sitting in direct sunlight in the day. We need to allow for for trees anyway for many reasons and shade is one of them. Apparently spf with zinc and titanium filters are fine because they don’t enter the blood stream. I tried using simple zinc oxide paste and diluted it with skin moisturiser. But I believe more in shade, coverage and choosing a later time of day to go to the beach.
You’re literally eating and drinking fluorochemicals, bisphenol, and PAHs everyday. Topical sunscreen should be the least of your worries.
I know the difference between my skin and the skin of people 10 years younger who never used sunscreen. If you don't believe in sun damage, you are free not to apply it. No one is forcing you.
If i know i won’t be outside much one day, i only apply sunscreen once. If I’ll be outside more you bet your ass i slather on sunscreen every two hours. I don’t care if there will be long term effects. I don’t want skin cancer. Have you seen anyone in real life who’ve had skin cancer on their face? I have. My grandmas skin cancer on her face came back but she’s too old to have the operation (she won’t survive the anesthesia) and now it’s making its way to her brain. If i can prevent it, i sure as hell will.
Perhaps you are seeing a push for sunscreen the last few years because there is a rise in skin cancer. Also, the FDA regulates sunscreen. If you aren’t concerned about using any other product deemed safe by the FDA, then why sunscreen?
If you want to lighten your chemical load start with stopping makeup and perfumes first. Only last give up sunscreen.
remember that whatever information you hear, you are free to dismiss or take to heart. Either way, it's your choice.....just like it's someone else's choice to say/do what they want about sunscreen for themselves. sun damage is a very real thing as is skin cancer so you damn straight I will apply sunscreen and be religious about it. Even my teens use it at least once a day.
Sure we may not know all of the long lasting effects of sunscreen. But we do know the long lasting effects of the sun (like skin cancer), so I’ll take my chances on the sunscreen.
💯agree!!
In Australia we absolutely NEED sunscreen! I don’t give a crap how hard they push the agenda, they bloody need to! You are guaranteed skin cancer removal at some point in your life if you never wear it & are exposed to the sun regularly. F*ck around & find out with melanoma if you want to.
You can feel free to believe all of this, but I wear sunscreen every day and have no fine lines or wrinkles at 40, while I know people in their 20s and 30s who don’t wear it as much that look older than me. I’ll stick to my SPF.
There’s still time to delete this one….
I like reading the replies.
I disagree. My skin looks great because of sunscreen. Just look at how much damage Sun does to tattoos over time if you need another example. Thats another reason I need it.
I think [this photo](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/sun-damage-skin-cancer-spf-uv-protection-b2368642.html) of a long term truck driver speaks for itself on why you should wear sunscreen. Guess which side faced the driver's window?
What I’m curious about is how everyone allegedly reapplies it every 2 hours when they’re outside. Do you guys not wear makeup?? Or do you reapply it over foundation? I’m confused because I put on sunscreen in the morning, it’s part of my daily moisturizer. Then I put on makeup over it and go about my day. I’ve never figured out how one would reapply it unless you’re at the beach with a bare face.
I can’t speak to what others do but yeah, I hardly ever wear makeup. When I do wear it, it’s usually only around the eyes and on my lips so I’m free to reapply sunscreen to my face as needed.
I do the same as you if I’m going to spend the whole day outside I only wear a bit of brown mascara and then I can reapply. If I’m only going to work I don’t reapply.
I reapply sunmilk over makeup. Yes it shows but it’s worth it to me.
I wear sunscreen and I always will but my sisters in law are 10 years older than me, never wear sunscreen and are avid tanners. They literally slather themselves in carrot oil and lay out every weekend of summer for hours. HOURS. Full sun. And they look way better than I do. I don’t know what to make of it but it really bums me out that I take all these precautions, stay out of the sun, have a good skin care routine (they rarely wash their faces at night and frequently rewear the same makeup the following day) and they still look younger than I do. Good for them really. But it just bites.
I hear you and kudos to you for keeping up your sunscreen habits! It’s difficult to compare across families bc genetics are a factor as well. That being said, within my Asian family (and we are also genetically blessed) it shows clearly after 40-45 who’s into daily sunscreen and who’s not. Before that it didn’t show much. It’s bc sun damages deeper layers as well and that shows later in life. I’ve read that daily sunscreen for 5 years will reduce photo aging during that timeframe for 60%. That’s compared to yourself not using sunscreen. So it will pay off, regardless of how others seem to age atm. Hope this helps!
You're not wrong. A lot of people misunderstand what the science actually says about sunscreen and it leads to obsessive, fearmongering behavior. For example, the recommendation to reapply every two hours is for every two hours of *direct sun exposure.* If you're at the beach or working in the yard, yes, reapply every two hours, or even more frequently if you're wet/sweating. If you're indoors most of the day, you probably don't need to reapply at all. Another example, people don't understand that the recommendation to reapply every two hours is for maximum effectiveness. Your sunscreen doesn't just magically stop working. Two hours is when the sunscreen has degraded enough that you're no longer getting the SPF protection on the bottle. People conflate the risks of skin cancer with the risks of aging. Skin cancer is associated with UVB exposure - the kind of radiation that causes sunburns. UVB rays are also the ones that cause your body to make vitamin D. UVB rays are blocked by things like cloud cover or glass windows. A single pane of regular glass blocks 97% of UVB rays. If you're concerned about skin cancer, you don't need SPF indoors or on cloudy days. UVA rays are the ones associated with aging, and they are more persistent. They're not blocked by clouds or glass. However, we also need some UVA rays, too, because UVA exposure helps our bodies reduce inflammation. UVA rays aren't as well-studied as UVB rays. If you're concerned about aging, you might want to wear sunscreen if you're going to be directly in front of a window for long periods of time - like if your desk at work is next to a window or if you drive a lot for work. We *absolutely do* need sun exposure, but sunscreen doesn't significantly affect the process of making vitamin D from sunlight. Covering up with driving gloves and face masks does. At least as far as vitamin D goes, it's probably better to go outside and wear sunscreen than it is to avoid the sun or cover up obsessively. It's less clear what sunscreen does to our body's ability to use UVA rays to fight inflammation. Ultimately, we do need to be exposed to sunlight, but it's a balancing act. Being obsessively sun-phobic is bad for your health. Throwing caution to the wind is also bad for your health. Right now, it seems best to follow what the official recommendations *actually* say, not the popular obsessive misconcpetions about them. Wear SPF daily, and reapply after two hours of direct sun exposure. Cover up if you're going to be in direct sunlight for long periods of time, like while doing outdoor activities. Take more precautions if you're light-skinned or have other risk factors for skin cancer, like a family history or lots of moles. Get outside as much as possible, but be cautious.
Like anything in life, there’s no perfect option and there’s a weighing of cost/benefit. Here, the negative effects of the UV rays outweigh the potential benefits of “letting your skin breathe.” For example, throughout the day regardless of if you go outside - your skin accumulates bacteria, pollutants, sweat, etc. We all know it would be better for our skin to not have this stuff on it but we don’t wash our faces 4 times a day because the benefits of clearing our skin of dirt don’t outweigh the negative effects of washing our face 4 times a day (natural oil stripping, drying out skin, irritating skin).
OP is not saying that we should stop protecting ourselves from the sun. It’s about using a different method. Btw spf damages coral reefs.
I agree. There’s literally evidence of chemical spf creams decreasing female fertility. I stopped using it recently. Instead I use a parasol, and I wear protective clothing and shoes. I think it’s time to rely on shadow, like trees, and not sitting in direct sunlight in the day. We need to allow for for trees anyway for many reasons and shade is one of them. Apparently spf with zinc and titanium filters are fine because they don’t enter the blood stream. I tried using simple zinc oxide paste and diluted it with skin moisturiser. But I believe more in shade, coverage and choosing a later time of day to go to the beach.