She may find it interesting that Saudi Arabia has a low rate of skin cancer, but also a high rate of vitamin D deficiency.
Yes, some of us take oral vitamin D to avoid deficiencies, especially as we age and our bodies don’t absorb as much from the sun.
So many sunscreens, even those supposedly for the face, end up melting into my eyes and causing massive irritation, red eyes, tearing, much pain and wailing and gnashing of teeth. I have yet to find ONE that works for me. The ones that are just SPF in your moisturizer do not provide enough protection, nor do most people reapply their moisturizer after a couple of hours. So that’s out … The best sunscreens are the blockers - the white zinc look - which is totally unappealing. I’ve tried Alba, Hawaiian Tropic face, Cerave face, then the usual BB, Coppertone, Aveeno (hate it - rubbed into white balls all over my skin), Neutrogena.
Just to add a whole new list of options, here’s a list of “good” sunscreens:
https://www.wellandgood.com/good-looks/9-essential-natural-sunscreens/slide/6/
I will try the specific ones mentioned in this thread; thanks, guys.
(ps - there is a list of the best sunscreens and also a list of the worst - for kids - here, along with really exhaustive details on the science of sunscreen:
https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/worst-kids-sunscreens/#.Wt1ArtMbO7M)
Should have mentioned it in my other post, but I do not order sunscreen on Amazon. With all the issues they’re having with counterfeit products and having received a few items that were just a little off, I don’t care to risk it with things like sunscreen, which I consider a medical product and where it’s really important to have the correct ingredients. Inconvenient, but I either order directly from the manufacturer or go old school and buy from a physical store that I think has reputable supplier relationships.
I have trouble with eye irritation, especially while biking in summer. The Clinique Cty block mentioned earlier does not cause the eye irritation at least for me. On occasion I will get frustrated with the price of Clinique, and apply something else. Then when my eyes start to hurt, I think back to what I applied that AM, and realize why I buy that sunscreen.
My DH has extremely sensitive eyes, also. He cannot fund one sunscreen that doesn’t turn his eyes and rims bright red. I feel so bad for him. Sometimes he just puts it below his eyes and then wears a hat.
You are allowed to take medically necessary liquids in excess of 3.4 ounces through TSA as long as you tell them before the screening process begins. Three ounces of sunscreen isn’t enough to cover my face, neck, arms, and hands when flying to a sunny destination and I need to reapply upon landing.
Thought I would report on how my “reef safe” sunscreen worked. I spent almost two weeks in French Polynesia most of that on a 40 foot sailboat. I was in the sun from morning till sunset though the boat had some covering. I brought Alba brand reef free sunscreen and MyChelle sunshield spf 28. The MyChelle brand says it’s reef free mineral based full spectrum sunscreen though it has a lot of ingredients.
The Alba was really thick and I found it difficult to apply and spread. It went on white and I had to rub it in to get rid of the white. I used the Alba for most of my body. As a sunscreen it worked well. I found it difficult to reapply. I used the MyChelle on my face, chest and shoulders. It went on white but it wasn’t as thick as the Alba and I found it much easier to use. It was easy to reapply.
I would buy the MyChelle again but would only buy the Alba if I was going in the ocean.
Both worked great as sun protection. I am of Irish descendants and I didn’t burn at all. What I also did this trip was I purchased a men’s Columbia SPF button down shirt. I bought it large in a pretty blue. I wore that over my swimsuit when I was just hanging out on the boat. For swimming and snorkeling I had several SPF rash guard type of long sleeved tops. Between the sunscreen, a hat and the protective clothing my skin came home the same shade as when I left. I didn’t get a single sunburn.
I upgraded this summer from the grocery store generic to Anthelios 60, the “melt-in-sunscreen milk”. It goes on like a white creamy lotion that’s clear on the skin unless you put gobs on. What I like is that it’s not greasy, has just a touch of sheen to it (not matte or super shiny) and is pleasant enough to use instead of a moisturizer. I use it on my face arms and chest. The big question is whether it’s worth the $17 bucks more than the generic. My thought is there may be equally pleasant to use sunscreens for less than the $25 a bottle Anthelios. I’ll probably keep looking.