Do you use sunscreen?

[HermitGirl]

I suddenly get why they call it Badger... probably because of the streaking appearance in the face?

[TrekTheKaty]

Last summer, I used Neutrogena Sport 70 on my face (I wear a buff low over my forehead. I concur--suncreen in eyes--YOUCH! The only thing worse, is trying to reapply on the trail and getting a salt scrub facial. Not attractive, but amusing for riding buddies.) I just switched to Proactiv. However, I think I'm going to try the La Roche. My summer freckles are turning into brown spots--not attractive. A neutrogena spray over the arms and legs.

And yes sunscreen expires. Check for an expiration date. Most of my stuff looks like it lasts two years. If you aren't sure, pitch it.

A friend who is a nurse, also recommends physical sunblocks. They eventually blend in, but go on white. She gave me some Solar Sense Clear Zinc for Face while skiing and it's made in Canada! (oxtinoxate)

[Catrin]

Timely discussion indeed. I went for an 18 mile ride at mid-day today, temps were in high 60s, low 70's. Not a cloud in the sky and the sky was a beautiful dark blue. Put Coppertone Sport on my arms and legs, had an a sleeveless jersey.

Problem was I forgot two places - my face and the back of my shoulders. The back of my shoulders are burnt to a crisp, and can't even find a comfy place to lay on....hence my being on TE when I should be sleeping.

I THOUGHT I had put the Coppertone everywhere

Lesson learned....more sunscreen more places...

[abejita]

I got burnt a couple weeks ago too. Very unusual for me too, I don't think that I've had a sunburn since high school! I never ever forget to put on sunscreen...

So I was two laps into my four lap ride (45 miles) and I realized that I hadn't put on sunscreen, I continued on with my last two laps, thinking about my lack of sunscreen the whole way. I knew I was going to be really burnt.

The thing that pissed me off the most was about two blocks from my house, I remembered that I had my 'emergency' sunscreen in my saddlebag! Ugh! I am still peeling a little.

[buffybike]

Neutrogena Age Shield Facial Sunblock is a good one. I have also used Aveeno Ageless facial moisturizer (it has a sunblock in it) and Clinique makes some good stuff.

+1 on the Aveeno--never had a breakout with that one...and it doesn't run into my eyes. Shiseido also makes excellent sunblock albeit a little more expensive.

[abejita]

Shiseido does make excellent sunscreen. One other thing to remember is it isn't always necessarily what makes you break out. I found that with waterproof sunscreens in particular, that if they are not washed off completely I will break out. The ones that are waterproof are particularly hard to get off. I use a cleansing oil whenever I have on waterproof sunscreen and it takes it off completely the first time.

[TrekTheKaty]

Got my Badger
Balm--it was on sale at Whole Foods

[snowroo]

The sunscreen that I have used for years has Mexoryl in it. It is made by La Roche Posey.

That's available in Canada at Shoppers drug mart. Getting your sunscreen in Europe sounds much more exotic tho

[abejita]

It does, doesn't it, LOL! Now I can buy it on Amazon...go figure.

[buffybike]

+1 on the Aveeno--never had a breakout with that one...and it doesn't run into my eyes. Shiseido also makes excellent sunblock albeit a little more expensive.

Update: Okay I take this back==the Aveeno was running all INTO my eyes today and it really burned. I had to wipe most of it off before my ride even started.

[ny biker]

So, I've been using Neutrogena Sensitive Skin sunblock on and off for a few years now. It's a physical sunblock (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide). I use it on my arms, legs, etc. for everyday use when I don't need anything sweatproof. I bought it because I tend to have problems with contact dermatitis and it's specfically for sensitive skin.

And this weekend I found that I've developed an allergy to it. I only had a bit of a rash on my arms, but they were itching really badly.

However the Eucerin face lotion/sunblock that I use has the same active ingredients, which means one or more of the inactive ingredients in the Neutrogena is causing the problem.

This means I'm in the market for a new sunscreen for everyday use. I've already tried Aveeno moisturizer with sunscreen and the Eucerin lotion with sunscreen that's not specifically for faces, but both are a bit too sticky.

Knock wood, I have not had any problems with the Neutrogena Sport stuff.

[OakLeaf]

I had Badger #30 on all last weekend and no breakouts.

It's pretty heavy though. Fine for an outdoor concert, but if you put sunscreen other places than your face, you probably won't want it for anything strenuous.

[zoom-zoom]

Update: Okay I take this back==the Aveeno was running all INTO my eyes today and it really burned. I had to wipe most of it off before my ride even started.

I can't put any sunscreens above my eyes for this reason--they all sweat into my eyes, regardless of how "sweat-proof" they claim to be. I always wear some sort of wicking headcover like a Buff or Headsweats do-rag under my helmet or for runs.

[Alex]

I've been using scented Badger Balm for the last couple weeks. It is REALLY greasy. I feel like I am encased in plastic or something. I am used to using heavy sunblocks, but this one just feels uncomfortable. The other thing is that the bottle says it "retains SPF after 40 minutes of activity in the water or perspiring." That doesn't seem long enough.

DH just bought some Vanicream to try. I'll give that a test ride this weekend. It says to reapply every 2 hours.

[channlluv]

In my job, I get off at 11:30 am and have to wait around until 3:30 to pick up my daughter. This school year, though, I've joined the Y, so I go swimming there nearly every weekday afternoon. After school I'm busy handling her schedule (carpool, swim team, martial arts), so the middle of the day really is my only opportunity to exercise.

In the fall, when I began, it took me 50 minutes to swim half a mile. Actually, I couldn't even do that. I could swim about five laps is all. Let's say February, it took me 50 minutes to swim a half a mile. I had only been able to get there sporadically because of all the travel I had to do in the late fall and winter (due to deaths in the family). Wait, the car accident was in February...okay, um April. April it took me 50 minutes to swim half a mile.

This week, I swam a half mile in 28 minutes.

The sunscreen challenge, though, is that I go swimming every afternoon right in the early afternoon, from noon to about 1pm. Then I go inside, rinse off, visit the sauna for about 20 minutes and deep condition my hair, then shower and head back to the school to pick up my daughter. I tried sunscreen, but I couldn't reach my back, and it seemed like it all washed off in the pool anyway, in spite of it being "waterproof."

So I have to be honest and confess that I have not been wearing sunscreen on my body until this past week and I'm getting really tan. I'm not burning because I'm in the water 99% of the time I'm outside. Normally I'd be red as watermelon. Now, I love how I look with a tan and so does DH, but I'm getting really freckly on my shoulders and back. A year or so ago, my dermatologist told me "First you get tan, then you get freckly, then you get leathery, and there's really no going back from that." I'm one step away from leathery, so I just bought the Aveeno 70 spf waterproof spray-on stuff so I can apply it myself to my back and shoulders.

I DO wear Aveeno 100 spf on my face, though. It says on the tube it's waterproof. The challenge there is that it affects the seal around my goggles and they often leak, so my eyes start stinging from the sunscreen and water.

Way back then, my dermatologist recommended a laser treatment to get rid of the damaged skin (freckles and the beginning of age spots -- I'm 45) that I had then. I had the procedure on my face and chest - it HURT! But it worked. The freckles turned to what looked like coffee grounds and two weeks later they had all worked themselves free and sloughed off. I had one of those blacklight skin checks and my face looked amazing afterward. Almost no sun damage was apparent.

I think that treatment has made me complacent with using sunscreen now, though. I do use Aveeno 39 spf on my face, neck, and chest most days, but I don't apply it when I'm swimming, except on my face.

I know I'm flirting with disaster here - skin cancer, especially. I need to start using sunscreen all over my body every day, no matter what. I don't want to get all leathery.

I'm not sure what my question is here...I guess I don't have one. I know what I SHOULD be doing. I'm just not doing it.

Roxy