Best Sunscreen

[Whitelinen]

I don't think it is necessarily for you to apply sunscreen in the Winter if you live in England. I would use it a lot in Spring and Summer though. It's better to re-apply sunscreen through the day, but I don't think you should overdo it. That's my personal experience and how I use sunscreen.

I usually use sun screen by Louis Widmer. Not sure if I will be using it this year too, though.

 

[splatooey]

i just saw that CVS now carries Anthelios lotion 15+ from La Roche-Posay for $29, so meroxyl has been approved in the Us as well. I already have some from my spain trip, and i really like it. also, in my medical school classes, studies have shown that spf 15 is all you need for sun protection, anything higher has no added beneficial effect.

 

[ibimus]

I really like Neutrogena's sunblock, with an SPF 45. It's the highest I could find, and it's fantastic for people who are exceedingly pale (like me.)

 

[soozq]

can anyone recommend the best sunscreen moisturizer for use all year round?
something with maybe spf 20..? n preferably not a foundation. (unless there's something absoultely brilliant i must use.. heh)

ive had so much past exepiernec with bad sunscreens cos ive got quite dry skin n it just flakes or looks thick. i've tried clinique which everyone seems to love but it doesnt do good on my skin

thanks in advance!! xx

 

[wendla]

I didn't know this about sunscreen.

Possible Health Effects

Recently, there has been increased attention to the possibility of adverse health effects associated with the synthetic compounds in most sunscreens.[13] A study published in April 1992, entitled "Could sunscreens increase melanoma risk?" reported that the greatest increase in melanoma has occurred in those regions where sunscreen use is most prevalent.[14] Although one might believe that this effect is due to sunscreens being used more in regions where people are more exposed to UV light, this is not what is claimed by this study: Melanome incidence correlates strongly with the use of chemical sunscreens independently of the actual UV exposure.[15]

In a May 2006 report, "Nanomaterials, Sunscreens and Cosmetics: Small Ingredients, Big Risks", Friends of the Earth claimed that several types of nanoparticles (like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide) can be harmful to human tissue [16]. Currently, there is no policy requiring mandatory product labelling on products that use these compounds.

Some individuals can have mild to moderate allergic reactions to certain ingredients in sunscreen, particularly the chemical benzophenone, which is also known as phenyl ketone, diphenyl ketone, or benzoylbenzene. It is not clear how much of benzophenone is absorbed into the bloodstream, but trace amounts can be found in urinalysis after use.

Recent studies found that sunscreen generates harmful compounds that promote skin cancer. The three commonly used ultraviolet (UV) filters -- octylmethoxycinnamate, benzophenone 3 and octocrylene -- eventually soak into the deeper layers of the skin after their application, leaving the top skin layers vulnerable to sun damage. UV rays absorbed by the skin can generate harmful compounds called reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause skin cancer and premature aging. The researchers found that once the filters in sunscreen soak into the lower layers of skin, the filters react with UV light to create more damaging ROS.[17]

A researcher from the University of Manchester, England, has supported other research findings from Harvard University to say that blocking the sunblock creams can interfere with Vitamin D production and fighting some forms of cancer.[18]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunscreen


Makes me want to throw my hands up in the air sometimes. That nanoparticle thing freaks me out a little bit for some reason. How would you know which products have ultrafine particles (the supposedly bad one) and which have coarse?

But anyway, I'm still looking for a good sunscreen, even if it might be bad. This product looks good to me I guess, Soleo ORGANIC Sunscreen. And it's NHSC accredited, if that means anything.

These are the ingredients:

grapeseed oil, macadamia oil, green tea extract, roman chamomile extract, sunflower oil, capric/caprylic triglycerides (plant oil derived), beeswax, theobroma butter, candelilla wax, lecithin, vegetable oils, cucumber extract, tocopheryl acetate (Vit. E). Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide, 22.3%.

I found it on this site: http://www.skinorganicsonline.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=98&products_id=298

I'm guessing it would probably make me shiny, though. I hate being shiny. But not as much as I would hate to age prematurely...

 

[pavement]

I've been using Banana Boat. Little to no smell, non-greasy and absorbs quickly.

 

[haleyanne]

I wear baby sunscreen SPF 50 I need it...
I'm outside 2+ hours in the sun almost every day and since it is for track I need to reapply it and the regular stuff is so greasy.
So does anyone know of a high SPF face sunscreen?

 

[thuyanat]

i've been using oil of olay with spf 15 for daily wear and the one with spf 30 when i'm outside longer. i like it because it's lightweight, inexpensive, and not at all greasy.

 

[pavement]

So does anyone know of a high SPF face sunscreen?

You may want to look into Shiseido sunblocks. I've never used one myself, but have always been eyeing them.

 

[LetThemEatCake]

I think the best sunscreen is Natura Bisse's Sun Defense Cream SPF 30. It's the only cream on the market has the highest percentage of titanium dioxide, which, without that in your sunscreen you're not protecting your skin or blocking UVA/UVB rays. It's $115 but you need so very little. I've had mine since September '05. It's fabulous and has a tiny tint in it so it leaves my perfect skin illuminated.

 

[wendla]

Well, that's not true. What about zinc oxide? I thought that had more of a broad range than titanium dioxide. Even so, there's no scientific standard for measuring how much a product can block UVA rays, is there?

$115, that's quite a lot. Do you know if they use ultrafine particles in that? They must if there is such a high concentration of titanium dioxide, otherwise your face would be white?

I keep reading about nanoparticles and how much is unknown about them. Like this article that mentions in a recent study how two specific types of commonly used nanoparticles can actually enter breast cancer cells and caused DNA damage.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070417154357.htm

But I don't think they made the leap in saying putting on makeup or sunscreen containing nanoparticles could do the same. The problem is I don't think anyone knows for sure just yet.

And this - it's from an organic makeup company - go figure.

Kumazawa, et. al. in their study, "Effects of Titanium Ions and Particles on Neutrophil Function and Morphology" concluded that cytotoxicity (danger to the cell) was dependent on the particle size of titanium dioxide. The smaller the particle size, the more toxic it is (see Table 2). This conclusion is relevant to the consumer because of the cosmetics industry's increasing use of micronized pigments in sunscreens and colour cosmetics. Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide are used in sunscreens because they are colourless at that size and still absorb ultraviolet light. Many cosmetic companies are capitalizing on metal oxide nanoparticles. We have seen, however, that if titanium dioxide particles used to act as a sunscreen are small enough, they can penetrate the cells, leading to photocatalysis within the cell, causing DNA damage after exposure to sunlight (Powell, et. al. 1996) The fear is that this could lead to cancer in the skin. Studies with subjects who applied sunscreens with micronized titanium dioxide daily for 2-4 weeks showed that the skin can absorb microfine particles. These particles were seen in the percutaneous layers of the skin under UV light. Coarse or fine particles of titanium dioxide are safe and effective at deflecting and absorbing UV light, protecting the skin, but consumers should avoid using products with micronized mineral pigments, either in sunscreens or colour cosmetics.

http://www.theorganicmakeupcompany.com/CA/titaniumdioxide.asp

 

[haleyanne]

Thank you, pavement!

 

[Suburban Snob]

As for high sun rec's, I suggest Neutrogena's new Dry Touch 70 SPF. It's just like the 55 but they increased a filter to make it to 70 SPF. It's still stable and the PPD is rumored to be around 19 - great for an American sunscreen.
I've used the Neutrogena Dry Touch 55 for about a year with no problems and I went out and bought the SPF 70 kind as soon as I heard about it. They are both about $10.
I have very fair acne prone skin, and I have no problems.

 

[nikita]

I live in the UK and never considered sunscreen a priority until now because i am thinking about my skin in the future. Is it important to reapply sunscreen every time you go outside (even in the middle of Briitsh winter) or is just once in the morning enough? I was also wondering what other brands of moisturiser and/or sunscreen other memebers like to use?

i read here in the thread that some people reapply. i have pink, irish, lightly freckled skin. i use neutrogena dry touch 55 in the morning. i never bask in the sun, it is just for going outside, etc.

how many people really reapply like every 2 hours? i cant see myself doing this at work like 4 or 5 times a day. i would have to redo all my makeup as most sunscreens make my face greasy. i know it is best to reapply, but i just cant see it happening. i burn after approx 10 minutes in the sun, so i presume a 55 rating would give me a few hours before burning?

 

[Anastasia]

That stuff about nanoparticles damaging DNA is terrifying.

My facial moisterizer contains SPF 15, and I'm ashamed to say I don't wear anything more on a regular basis. If I'm going to the pool/going to be working outside, I slather on some Zia or Neutrogena with a 45 SPF, but I don't spend much time outside, hate the sun, and live in a somewhat northern climate, so I get lazy.

I am prone to horrible sunburn and am getting older, so I should be more concientious (last summer I went for an unexpected walk on the beach and burned a bit of my cleavage just on the right side - combination of the sun's angle, and my wrap top...it took literally months to fade, and even now, when I take a hot shower, it gets redder than any other place on my body, I'm really worried about future problems there

 

[maelstrom]

Mexoryl

L'Oreal's La Roche Posay line has Anthelios XL SPF 60 suncreen. SPF 60 is high enough (unneccessarily so) but the cool thing about this suncreen is that it protects you from both UVA and UVB (the entire spectrum of their wavelengths).

In the US recently there has a class-action lawsuit against the major companies that make sunscreen (i.e. Johnson & Johnson, and many other of which I cannot recall right now) for claiming that they protect against both UVA and UVB. They did sufficiently protect against UVB, but the ingredient (Parsol aka Avobenzene, also known by many other names) they said protects against UVA only protects against a small section of the UVA spectrum (the longer wavelengths).

The cool thing about the Anthelios sunscreen is that its got Mexoryl which protects against the shorter wavelength UVA rays. From what I've heard it's the only one that has Mexoryl - but I may be mistaken.

The difference between UVA and UVB is that UVB are what cause you to get sunburn. In other words, the outer layer of the skin is damaged. UVA, on the other hand, targets the inner layer of the skin, doing the most damage there. Since there are no outward signs, you may not be aware of the damage. this is what causes skin to get that old look as it ages. (Not the only reason, of course. The main reason being that you yourself are getting old, hormones change, etc.)

Okay, that was my essay. Hope it helps.

 

[pinkpolo]

^ I've heard rave reviews about La Rouche Posay too. Is it ideal to use on sensitive skin like the face?

Right now, I'm in search for a good sunscreen to use on the face that is preferably fragrance free, won't cause breakouts, clog pores, make your face look oily, and able to withstand blazing sun in temperatures over 100 degrees F. I'm going on vacation this summer to the tropics so need something strong.

Last summer, when I used Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 55 on my face, I had an allergic response and had rashes. But it was okay when I put it everywhere else on the body.

Recently, I was looking into getting Clinique City Block but after reading reviews, it seesm like it causes breakouts in a lot of people so I don't think I'll be getting that.

Right now, I'm thinking about getting either La Rouche or Shesido sunscreen. Would appreciate anyone's experience with either or new suggestions!

 

[honeyisle]

If you have dark skin Neutrogena sheer sunscreen is great. I've used La Roche Posay and love their products, but find that the sunscreen leaves a white ashy tone to the skin (this is usually true with most screens on dark skin). Neutrogena is the only one I know that just melts right in. I use SPF 30 and Luv It!

 

[Organic]

^ I've heard rave reviews about La Rouche Posay too. Is it ideal to use on sensitive skin like the face?

Right now, I'm in search for a good sunscreen to use on the face that is preferably fragrance free, won't cause breakouts, clog pores, make your face look oily, and able to withstand blazing sun in temperatures over 100 degrees F. I'm going on vacation this summer to the tropics so need something strong.

Last summer, when I used Neutrogena Ultra Sheer SPF 55 on my face, I had an allergic response and had rashes. But it was okay when I put it everywhere else on the body.

Recently, I was looking into getting Clinique City Block but after reading reviews, it seesm like it causes breakouts in a lot of people so I don't think I'll be getting that.

Right now, I'm thinking about getting either La Rouche or Shesido sunscreen. Would appreciate anyone's experience with either or new suggestions!

i used laroche posay anthelios xl spf 60 last summer(spent a fortune for it on ebay) and HATED it. made me break out like crazy, and i need a high spf. i'm a very, very pale lifeguard. just my 2 cents.

 

[issunn]

i like the neutrogena drytouch sunblock b/c it's light, but lately i have started using this dermadoctor body guard lotion and i think it's even lighter than the neutrogena. i like it so far, but i may try the powder sunblocks b/c my skin is combination, but oily looking all the time and i feel like sunblocks even thought they are light, still make my face look oily.

does anyone have any recommendations on the powder sunblocks? do they really work?