# Does The Sun Play Havoc



## sparky the cat (Jan 28, 2009)

Guys

May seem soft but as Iâ€™m not the suntan and moisturising type I need some advice. Going off to the sun (hopefully) and being a ginger fair skinned bloke (god's cruel joke)the sun makes my face look like a beetroot :furious: after a short time. So need a recommendation for a darn good sun block. Tried a few but they tend to make me â€˜break outâ€™ (a 55-year old with zits is not a turn on)- but loads still to go and the possibility of wasting a load of cash , so a recommendation would be highly appreciated - a thin lotion preferably.

So you donâ€™t have to post it: a bag, a black plastic bucket or a burka would not be the holiday look Iâ€™m looking for :bag: .

In the words of Cheryl Cole - â€˜Cause Iâ€™m worth it. Heâ€™s a gratuitous picture of the Geordie lass for your trouble:










PM are of course accepted


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Remember Robocop 2? 






(I give up... they all have embedding disabled, you'll have to click it and watch it on youtube... :furious: )


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

Though of little worth, here is my opinion: Sunscreen is sh!t. You have to put it on 30 minutes before you need it, then it wears off in 5 minutes. It stains collars and irritates the eyes. I've tried many different types and it always ends up the same. I wear long sleeves and a hat all of the time. I don't have the red hair, but I certainly have the pale skin. Considering how reflective I am, it's surprising how quickly I cook. 

Later,

William


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

William_Wilson said:


> Though of little worth, here is my opinion: Sunscreen is sh!t. You have to put it on 30 minutes before you need it, then it wears off in 5 minutes. It stains collars and irritates the eyes. I've tried many different types and it always ends up the same. I wear long sleeves and a hat all of the time. I don't have the red hair, but I certainly have the pale skin. Considering how reflective I am, it's surprising how quickly I cook.
> 
> Later,
> 
> William


I used to think this and never bothered with sunscreens. However, the sun is so powerful in Fuerteventura that, having burnt repeatedly and badly, I was forced to reconsider my opinion!

Over the past few years I have reached the conclusion that, IMHO, any block of Factor 50 or above, that is both 'waterproof' and labelled as intended for kids is worth trying. I think that the kids block contains a LOT more active chemistry.

The Superdrug kids block has raised my time in sun during August from less than half an hour, unprotected, to several hours. Which means that I can go fishing. Which is good!

Wear a hat, too....

Good luck.


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## AbingtonLad (Sep 8, 2008)

The 'apply once and leave all day' lotions tend to be pretty good, though they don't usually go above factor 30. We're off to Spain with some 'family formula ultrasun' for very sensitive skin. Water resistant, non-clogging and all that.

Worth a go. Of course there's always :bag:


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## Billtr96sn (Jun 15, 2011)

Long sleeved shirt,linen trousers and a wide brimmed hat. That way you will have less exposed skin.


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## squareleg (Mar 6, 2008)

Good question - and as I am also ginger and fair-skinned, one close to my heart. First question is, "Why are you going off to the sun in the first place... and especially in feckin' August?"  However. (Remember the English tourist in Ireland? "Excuse me, my man, how do I get to Dublin?" "Doblin, you say? Well, I wouldn't start from here!")

Like me, I'm sure you have been burned many times. Do we ever learn? Last time was at Le Mans, about 10 years ago; we stayed in the camp site, it was 85 degrees, no shade and I fried like a chip. If they'd run a Geiger Counter over me, the damn thing would have been off the scale.

These days I just avoid being in full sun, which is, after all, the best option. However, I play a lot of golf, so that's not always possible. I've tried all sorts of products but now use exclusively "Nivea Sun - Baby Sun Lotion 50+". Once you get over the fact that it says "Baby Lotion"  you'll find that it's extremely good. Theses guys don't take any chances with baby stuff. It makes you look a bit like a ghost but does the job. I *never* burn.










I have tried the "clear" all-day, once-only stuff (EP something-or-other) but it stains your clothes to the point where you just have to throw them out. Useless - and very expensive. The Nivea is not cheap, at around Â£12 but it's a damn good product. Having said that, I guess most stuff with "Baby" written on it should do the job. Also, as William said, always wear a hat!

Hope that helps... and have a great holiday. :cool2:


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

No gain without pain :lol: :lol:

On a recent trip to Tenerife Big M's daughter pitched up at the pool with a tub of Brylcreem and was slapping it all over, allegedly supposed to give you and excellent tan without getting toasted 

As you can see I don't use any factor at all but Big M is ginger as a ginger thing and after having tried various products likes this stuff but with a high SPF










And what's the story with the Biffa Cole piccy


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## sparky the cat (Jan 28, 2009)

All sensible advice - whilst away I always wear a wide brim hat and sleeves, even walk in the shadows - people must think I'm a vampire! :lol:

The holiday, hopefully if it comes off, is at the end of September. I stated hopefully because its not fixed and depends upon a few things coming together - most probably won't but live in hope.

Kutusov - greeny -blue sun block with red hair - where's you sense of colour co-ordination man :lol:

Think I'll give the kiddie stuff a whirl - Somebody said I had a baby skin face (what was actually said I had a expression on me like a smacked baby's ar*se, it had been a bad day!).

Bond - I know Coley (as her friends call her) does hair dye for L'oreal and says "'cos your worth it" but just a tenuous link to post a picture of Wor Cheyl wi 'er bits on show.


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

sparky the cat said:


> Kutusov - greeny -blue sun block with red hair - where's you sense of colour co-ordination man :lol:


I'm sure Mr. James Cameron would disagree with you 

I really don't know what say about this, except that the skin does adapt (to a point). As a southern European I get easily tanned and used to need sun screen just the first day on the beach. Then I spent about 4 our 5 years without putting my feet there and being most of the time out of the sun (getting locked up at the office or going out at night). Last year I went ahead and enjoyed the sun, using sunscreen everyday. By the end of the 4th day, the skin on my shoulders started to show these little white zits that would break open when I putted the shirt back on. The skin peeled away from there and my shoulders and back looked like something out of the Chernobyl zone! It took a 3 or 4 moths for those marks to go away!


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## sparky the cat (Jan 28, 2009)

Kutusov said:


> sparky the cat said:
> 
> 
> > Kutusov - greeny -blue sun block with red hair - where's you sense of colour co-ordination man :lol:
> ...


Yeah - Neytiri was such a babe (No I'm not an film buff - I had to google)


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

sparky the cat said:


> Yeah - Neytiri was such a babe (No I'm not an film buff - I had to google)


...and so did I! (although I was guessing it was some female character from Avatar)










Heeeere kitty kitty kitty


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

Just as a comment on these so called all day sunscreen formulae, they don't last all day. After 2-4 hours they lose 50% or more of their SPF rating and start to become ineffective.

Later,

William


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## sparky the cat (Jan 28, 2009)

William_Wilson said:


> Just as a comment on these so called all day sunscreen formulae, they don't last all day. After 2-4 hours they lose 50% or more of their SPF rating and start to become ineffective.
> 
> Later,
> 
> William


The platic bucket is looking more favourable by the moment - this ginger seems to get away with it, still keeping his dignity intact


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

El Santo and the Blue Demon had the right idea. 

Later,

William


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## Alas (Jun 18, 2006)

I have vitiligo on my hands, legs feet etc so have 0% protection in my own skin. Even less than you gingers :dontgetit:

When i am out and about I use P20 which is alcohol based so absorbs quickly and is not sticky afterwards. Also you only have to apply it once a day dependent on activity.

So far my vitiligo patches have not burned so must be good stuff. If I dont wear it as I forgot once to apply it to my legs I actually ended up in hospital with severe burns on the white patches. Ouch.

Alasdair


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## sparky the cat (Jan 28, 2009)

Alas said:


> I have vitiligo on my hands, legs feet etc so have 0% protection in my own skin. Even less than you gingers :dontgetit:
> 
> When i am out and about I use P20 which is alcohol based so absorbs quickly and is not sticky afterwards. Also you only have to apply it once a day dependent on activity.
> 
> ...


Alasdair

Read about this product on amazon - got great reviews from a lot of people - but for some it was a disaster getting swollen faces that lasted a week before subsiding. Seems to be reacting on people with sensitive skin. Worried me. But really glad that it works for you, must have been a great relief to find something that works for your condition.

Cheers

George


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## Alas (Jun 18, 2006)

sparky the cat said:


> Alas said:
> 
> 
> > I have vitiligo on my hands, legs feet etc so have 0% protection in my own skin. Even less than you gingers :dontgetit:
> ...


Cheers for that. Is good to have something like this as more skin pigment dies each year. Already on all areas of my body and moving up my arms & legs at a great rate  For people who don't know what it looks like here you go. Didn't show my face as hand is bad enough.


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

It's no joke; starting at the age of eighteen and over the following thirty years, I have had skin cancers removed five times, through ignoring sun protection...the ones in Oz I could understand, but the one I got in England, working on a pier as a yuf, well that was a joke. I've been 'lucky' every time, but then you can be so playing Russan roulette. Until you're not.

So now I use the SPF50 baby lotions. And a ver' natty French Foreign Legion style kepi with a bit that covers the back of your neck, very good when fishing...

Aussie rules apply; slip, slap, slop


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## sparky the cat (Jan 28, 2009)

Just catching up with the thread - been away camping in Cumbria and not much need of sunscreen there last week. I know it rains in the Lakes, that's how they got there; they don't pipe the water in or deliver it in tankers  But last Wednesday I think they got the yearly delivery all at once.

Back to the subject in hand - thanks for the relies lads - most useful. And some experiences we need to take heed of.

Enjoy the summer - hoping the weather gets better. The next camping trip is the Emerald Isle, good old Dublin. But it's not known as the Emerald Isle because of its hot dry climate - oh well more time in the pub.

George


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