I have used sunscreen regularly for 39 years, since eldest was born. But here and there, I’ve been more careless than I should have, especially on my shoulders and upper back. And I’m in the generation who roasted themselves like turkeys. I have ordered a sun protective loose poncho looking thing to take to the beach this year. I have a dermatology follow up appt. on Sept. 3rd and I can’t disappoint her! LOL.
Do any of you use the protective clothing? This one is SPF 50 protection.
I had some SPF protection type shirts for backpacking and hiking but I found they became stinky faster than regular shirts.
Yes. SPF clothing is key for those of us who are active in water sports because sometimes it’s just impossible to re-apply sunscreen frequently enough or in adequate quantities. Probably because the key word is “active”, I wouldn’t want a poncho or anything flapping around.
Columbia makes several different options in SPF clothes that wear well and are comfy. If you prefer more of a loose fitting button down shirt, their PFG line is decent. If you’re going to wear it swimming/sailing/surfing, then the rashguard style is perfect.
I have also found the ExOfficio rashguard style pullover tops to be very lightweight, comfy and durable.
There are some brands that provide good SPF but are in fabrics that I feel are too thick to be comfortable in the hot, sweaty Florida summer. I can only wear my Coolibar and Lands End rash guards in the winter, they’re too hot for summer.
Mixed results with Athleta - a few tops were hot and uncomfy, but a few are light and dreamy. My most and least favorite tops are both from Athleta - go figure.
Has anyone (with a history of skin cancer) heard about taking niacinamide?
I have a swim jacket that zips up and is long sleeve. It does make me feel a bit hotter, but it saves my shoulders and forearms from the sun at those times when it feels like you can’t do it with sunscreen alone.
I have a long sleeve Columbia sunscreen shirt that I wear when walking my dog. I also throw on a long sleeve linen shirt. They are short walks and mostly in the shade so I don’t need too much for that.
Recently I had a very mild burn from on my forearm. It didn’t hurt much but it took forever to heal! I saw a dermatologist about a different issue and asked about it and she said that skin that gets a lot of sun exposure loses collagen, gets thinner, more prone to damage, and needs longer healing times.
Should add- you didn’t mention it but the piece of clothing that’s made the most difference for me in not burning is a hat. Took me forever to get used to wearing it and it makes me feel 100 years old, but a broad brimmed hat has been a big part of decreasing the amount of skin irritation, number of times I’ve been burned, etc. My dermatologist has even noticed the difference. Heck, it’s even been obvious how destructive the sun is by how much my hair color has changed. I don’t dye it and for years it’s been bleached blond and after faithfully wearing a hat for the past several years it turns out I’m not a light blonde, my hair is actually strawberry reddish blonde. who knew?
If you’re active and spending the day outside, a baseball cap or something without a broad brim isn’t enough coverage, really needs to be a fairly wide brim that goes all the way around. Benefit - you also don’t get burned through your hair, on your part or on the tops of your ears, either. I can’t tell you how many of my older Florida friends who are having skin cancer on the tops of their ears or scalp. If you’re doing something active or you’re in the wind, you can even get hats designed for surfers that have a good buckling chin strap. They look IMO dorky as heck, but they won’t come off and you can even swim in one. I wear mine in the water and it’s never come off.
I suggest checking out REI. The last time I was there they had a decent selection of SPF clothing. I like to try on clothes for size and comfort. I agree with milee30 about some items being uncomfortable on very hot days…like the Coolibar rash guard. It’s great if you’re sailing or outside on sunny but not too hot days. I have a Coolibar sunblock hoodie that is lighter and works well, but I purchased it years ago.
I don’t own this hoodie, but it will give you an idea of what it looks like. https://www.rei.com/product/129732/nrs-h2core-silkweight-hoodie-womens
As for hats, I love my Tilley sun hat. https://www.tilley.com/us_en/th8-charlotte-hemp-sun-hat.html
I purchased a sun shirt from Cabana Life that kept me from burning on a recent beach vacation. Also, tried one from Lands End that worked well. Both stores are having sales this weekend.
Traditional clothing from some sunny places may provide sun protection, though you may have to find something else if you go swimming or do water sports.
https://www.esquireme.com/culture/kandora-explained
https://www.iloveqatar.net/news/artsCulture/the-history-of-the-abaya
I just use lotion there are some products that indicate SPF100.
I just picked this hat up at my local Costco
https://www.costco.com/Solar-Escape-Ladies-UV-Sun-Hat.product.100480129.html
I like the slide tie for windy conditions and I really liked the price.
I like the private label, “Reel Legends”, sold at Bealls stores. Their clothing is either 30 or 50 UPF. They come in misses, petite, and plus sizes. They also carry columbia that is sometimes on sale. beallsflorida.com/online/reel-legends-womens-keep-it-cool-leafy-linework-debossed-top
I often wear UPF +30 blouses from Royal Robbins.
https://www.royalrobbins.com/collections/womens/products/expedition-dry-print-3-4-sleeve
I got a couple for travel - they’re great for travel - and now wear them on a regular basis. They’re cool, and can be dressed up with a scarf for going out to restaurants. My husband got a shirt from Costco, and I bought him one at REI. He resisted any kind of UV protective clothing and even liberal use of sunscreen - until he got skin cancer. Guess who’s a convert now.
I use the rash guards from Land’s End, primarily because I’m in the water a lot, and don’t reapply sun screen often enough. Their only problem is that they’re tough to get off once they’re wet.
Thank you so much everyone! My beach visit does not include any water sports or sailing or boating. Just lounging. Under an umbrella. 
But I still want to make extra sure to keep my upper back and my back neck protected. I’ll also make sure hubby really applies sunscreen liberally as well.
https://www.skincancer.org/publications/the-melanoma-letter/summer-2012-vol-30-no-2/clothing
Apply sunscreen twice before you go out, and the SPF factor beyond 50/60 is marketing, becuase what is most important is reapplication, not a bigger, more expensive number. The double up before you leave is just to catch missed areas. Reapply every 80 mins. Any shirt will work if you are not actually swimming, and a sunshade. UPF sports type clothing is fine for sports, but clinging lycra might not feel nice if you are just reading on the beach under an umbrella, something like a nice linen shirt would work just fine, or a stylish mu-mu LOL. Buy big pump bottles of sunscreen, these little 3 ounce tubes are part of the problem. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Sport-Broad-Spectrum-Sunscreen-Value-Size-Lotion-Pump-SPF-50-32-oz/454062220?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=2718&adid=22222222227148409641&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=260215104618&wl4=pla-429696269471&wl5=9061127&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=454062220&veh=sem
When we lived in AU, we only bought liter bottles. This means you slap it on with adequate coverage. To cover a normal body, you need about an ounce per time.
Use of sunscreen is a bit more complicated than the dermatology associations promote.
https://undark.org/article/science-sunscreen-public-trust-cancer/
Comments after the article above desrve better. Except this one:
"Joe DiNardo
06.13.2019 @10:48 AM
Excellent story and very interesting comments – however, as a toxicologist who has worked in this industry for over 40 years, I would like to bring a few other points to peoples attention. 1st – over exposure to the sun causes skin cancer – that we all agree on; 2nd – using an SPF 50 and above fools people into thinking they are protected from the sun, causing them to increase their time in the sun which increases their risks of skin cancer – this is call “Sunscreen Abuse” (International Agency for Research on Cancer – Br J Dermatol., 161:40-45); 3rd – there is no data supporting that sunscreens prevent, stop or even slowdown the incidence of skin cancer – in fact, skin cancer has significantly increased “GLOBALLY” since we started using sunscreens frequently about 40 years ago (American Cancer Society – CA Cancer J Clin., 68:7-30 and International Agency for Research on Cancer – Int. J. Cancer., 88:838–842.); Lastly and most important – there are literally hundreds of scientific papers that demonstrate that there are many adverse reactions to chemical sunscreens in numerous aquatic and terrestrial species, including humans (https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-1978-N-0018-1508)! This is why FDA is relooking at the safety of these chemicals and why they have removed 2 sunscreen actives from the “GRASE” list and are questioning 12 other chemicals.
At this time – avoiding sun exposure during peak hours (10 AM – 3 PM), minimizing sun exposure on beaches (beach umbrellas/cabanas), wearing protective clothing (including hats and sunglasses) and “LASTLY” using a non-nano size zinc oxide or titanium dioxide sunscreen on skin exposed to sun appears to be the best known practice to avoid skin cancer."
Good post.
Whatever we do and whatever we wear isn’t going to make that much difference in terms of skin cancer risk. Much of our risk is determined by our sun exposure as children and young adults. We can’t undo our childhoods.
So although it’s good to protect yourself from the sun and avoid sunburn, you’re still going to need to see the dermatologist, and many of us (me included) will repeatedly have to have cancerous and precancerous things removed.
Personally, I think the pain from all those sunburns when I was a child was much worse than the occasional dermatological procedure today. But I guess “prevent skin cancer” is a more effective way to get people to take precautions. It’s not until you’ve had a basal cell carcinoma removed that you realize that skin cancer is not necessarily a very big deal.
I have a Patagonia hoodie that is for sun protection in hot weather. I’ve used it hiking to protect my shoulders and neck, and I’ve used it on the water. Mostly, it sits in my daypack “just in case”.