I am a red/brown, much freckled used to burn my whole life kind of person. dd#1's father was Carribbbean so she doesn't really burn, dd#2, and ds's father is Eastern European...blond blue eyes, deep tan-rarely burns.
All this said, I am really anti-sunscreen, (although I generally keep this to myself) the other day I was at the park with my kids early morning, 9-11 and there was so much sunscreen that you could smell it in the air, every mother (or nanny) who came to the park lathered their child in suncreen.
this is really a disjointed post, but bear with me:
I don't use sunscreen because: 1) I dont' really beleive it prevents skin cancer....2) It is full of unpronounceable chemicals... 3) There is something untrustworthy about the amount of money the sunscreen companies are making.......that stuff costs a fortune!....4) I beleive our bodies have their own little 'get out of the sun clocks' which sunscreen turns off, and you spend more time in the sun than is good for you.
-I will just add to this that I live in Toronto-where yes we do get a summer-
Okay bring it on am I selfish, crazy, -right-, paranoid??
interested in all opinions
thanks for letting me ramble -whew-
anni

What an interesting post! Really. I rarely use sunscreen, but can't say it's as well thought out as you. I'm just completely and utterly forgetful. But it really got me thinking.

All your points seemed to make sense, though I would like to see if any research has been done. I have never burned. I am fairly dark skinned, my mom comes from an indigenous people from Nicaragua. They have NEVER used sunscreen and spent their entire lives in the sun.

My grandma is 77, is a sun goddess, can kick major but and has beautiful skin, and has never worn sunblock. My mom and sister have in latter years fallen into the advertising pit and slathered everyone they know in sunscreen. LIke I said I'm just lazy.

And that idea about having and internal enough sun indicator, wow. Makes total sense. I totally move out of the sun when I start feeling it. Things like, ouw, it stings, or too hot, or just, man this is too much for me kind of thing. I never "sun bathe" and can't figure out how people take that kind of heat.

I've been more careful with my angel because he turned out lightskinned like his daddy. I'm just not sure how to handle that, never having worried about myself

I would love to hear what others have to say.

Ooops, sorry about the long post. Keyboard got away from me:D

we're, um, pigment challanged, so we do have sunburn issues... that said, i am not a fan of suncreen, either. i spent my childhood slathered in the stuff, and it feels and smells gross, and made my face burn (sensation wise).
its really, really hot here now, so we don't go out in the middle of the day much, but i made an outfit for my dd out of solarveil fabric that she wears when we are out during the day (like at the splash parks or something). she always wears a hat. we have a pool, but we don't swim until 5pm or so, when the sun is starting to set and is much less intense. she only gets sunscreen on her face in addition to the hat when we're going to be out alot (again, at the splash park or something). we use the most natural, simple stuff we can find when we do use it.
I remember reading a thread long ago about taking vitamin A and it helping fight off sun damage. i don't have the original posts, nor have I ever found much info on it, but its an interesting thought...

there is a whole anti sunscreen movement out there.
wish i had a link for you. they follow pretty much your ideas.

My dh had malignant melanoma a couple of years ago and you can die from that pretty easily so we are hard core sunscreen users. lol! Particularly since I've read a few things saying there may be a genetic tendency toward skin cancers. We just try to use the most natural ones we can find. Alba Botanica is what we have now. Mostly we just do things like wear t-shirts in the pool and all that.
Dh isn't all that fair skinned but he has a TON of freckles and dd is starting to develop freckles too. Kind of makes me nervous since freckles are supposed to be a sign that you already have sun damage. :(
I think the sun is a healthy thing but as with anything too much can be harmful. With all the pollution out there I think we aren't as protected from the sun as we used to be so that's why we are extra careful out in the sun. JMHO and all.

We don't do sunscreen here either. When we go to the beach, we do use sunscreen. teh florida sun can be very dangerous. I apply liberally before we go out. We come in after 2-3 hours, wash it off, eat, stay in until late afternoon, then go out again without sunscreen. Then a bath to wash it off.

It is mostly a fairly recent thing in history that the sun is horribly damaging- think about it, before a few hundred years ago, there was not much moving of people from hugely different areas. For example, if your heritage is indiginous to a place that is closer to the equator, your skin will be far more pigmented than my red hair alabaster skined daughter, who is mainly Irish/English. Anyway, once you start moving people around, they are not adequately prepared to deal with the sun of a different area, yk?

Also, the sun and earth are constantly changing, especially in light of heavy industry. The thinner the ozone gets, the stronger the effects of the sun.

So, yes, if you have deeper skin coloring, by all means, you are more able to endure much longer periods in the sun without burning. I am of partial southern Italian descent, and I am able to stay out in the sun for quite some time without burning, and do get quite a bit of color. However, I went to Jamaica a few years back, and even with strong sunscreen had a pretty bad burn. I couldn't even imagine bringing my little ones there- they would probably insta-fry, lol.

Anyway, the point I am trying to make is that yes, some people who are indiginous to places with strong sun naturally have more pigment in their skin, thus making them darker, and are more able to process more sun.

I am fairly dark and tan easily, but when I was 20 I had a precancerous growth removed from my arm. I never wore sunscreen as a child and spent my teen years as a lifeguard. So now I am more careful about my sun exposure. I don't usually take my boys out to the pool during the peak time of day (10-2), if they are out during that time then we do use sunscreen. We have been going after 4 pm and usually only stay for 1/2 hour so I don't worry about it as much.

I am going to look at some of the natural ones and see what I like as I really don't like the smell of the others.

I was just thinking about this the other day though because I was looking at J and even at 7 months he already has a tan on his legs from his limited sun exposure of going to the park and playing.

So I don't know how I feel about it now. When we lived in Florida I was more strict with it since the sun was stronger and you got more direct and indirect exposure.

No sunscreen here! It scares me! We only wear it if we are going to the beach.Otherwise we don't go out for long periods during the really hot months(here in Florida). I take the kids outside to play everyday at 5pm!Even the natural stuff gives us rashes too. I am scared for dh though.He goes out in the sun all the time with no suncreen and he used to be a fair skinned red-head. Now his skin is redder than his hair and it has been for years! It doesn't hurt.It is his version of a tan.It looks really painfull though.He always gets comments.:(

I don't use sunscreen unless I know I'm gonna be outside all day doing some sort of water activity (like lake, ocean, what-have-you) - and then I always get a burn anyways. :rolleyes: Never anything serious though, just usually on my nose and shoulders and even then it only peels a little. So who knows if the sunscreen is really helping anyways. I am a little darker since I'm Portuguese though, so that probably helps. Dh is Portuguese too though, but he burns more easily than I do. Dd has never had a burn, but ds was outside for a few minutes and had pink cheeks for the rest of the day. But instead of using sunscreen, I just make sure he's covered more and only stay in the sun for a few minutes at a time with him.

I don't usually use sunscreen because the smell hurts my throat. :confused: especially the stinkin' perfume kind.

You know the whole perfume sunscreen to go with your perfume laundry detergent, perfume dryer sheets, perfume body wash, w/ perfume lotion on top, and your perfume body spray, and your perfume, and your perfumey hair products, and perfumey makeup, and perfumey deoderant.
AGGGGH! I wish people could smell themselves because I sure can..several aisles away in the grocery store.

Anyway, I have a light olive skin tone and tan well and don't usually burn. I also have tons of moles/beauty marks...not the sticking up kind..just flat spots.

wanted to add, dh is very pinkish white and definitely needs sunscreen. He is bald and a few minutes in the sun turns his head lobster red!

nope no sunscreen here. DD has never burned. I agree that there must be a natural "get out of the sun" thing because she is very selective about when she's out in the sun vs shade. I'm surpised that DD has never burned because she has the exact same coloring as I do & I burn very easily. But maybe that's becuase my mom was a sunscreen user. I remember that my younger brother got a very bad burn when he was about 8months old (my dad's fault) but from that day forward he never burned. He actually gets this amazingly dark tan. Make him look very strange with his light blond hair and all.

We also don't have restrictions on time of day outside etc. I should say we live in the midwest so we have a very limited time of sun anyway. DH is german/english & I'm german/russian, both very fair but this is about the right latatude for us. DH does wear sunscreen because he works outside, frequently on roofs where you need what ever protection you can get. He also always wears long pants, t-shirt & hats. How he handles the heat suprizes me.

Chole

we use sunscreen,but arbonne it is not WATERPROOF. waterprroof gives ua all rashes from hell.

anyway i am hispanic my dh is full on italian so i have little kids who turn black in the sun,but we all would burn to a crisp out here in the high desert of california.

my son grew up naked in fla and neer got a burn or a tan,but just this week he went in the pool once with out sunscreen and got so badly burned onm his shoulders it peeled and bled.i won't make that mistake again.

i can't get over that people think skin canser is some conspiracy.

thank you everyone for your replies, it is a releif to know I'm not the only non-sunscreen user on Earth. I do agree with mommy2maya, about people haveing some sort of genetic marker for sun protections, and with chole who says her brother got a bad burn and now tans.
There is one thing I want to add to my earlier post. I am very fair and generally a bad burner, I had sunburns every summer as a child, in almost every part of my body. In my early 20's I began working outside in the full sun from 5:30 am 'til about 10am. I did this from Feb (very cold) til October. Those years I worked outside I tanned gradually, and rarely burned and infact I seem much more resistent to burning now. It seems that those years working outside as given me a sunburn immunity.
The only other thing I wonder about is this, and I am very interested in peoples opinions about this as River is heading into his third summer: If we keep our kids completely out of the sun so they get no tan at all, aren't we interfereing with this natural immunity. Like Robin said her baby has a tan on his legs from very limited exposure to the sun.
I'm not saying all sunscreen is bad, And yes at the beech I would probably put some on or just go early morning and late evening.
just because I don't use sunscreen doesn't mean I don't use sun-sense
anni

bug spray and sunscreen.

Yes I limit sunscreen use though we are very fair. Trying to balance the exposure to chemicals with the exposure to uv rays.

I just recently read an article in a science mag about this. I'll try to track it down.

Kathleen

We use sunscreen when we are likely to burn. At the park I do not use sunscreen on the boys, and they have built up light tans on their faces, arms, and legs. I choose to wear sunscreen on my face whenever I will be in the sun, because I do burn, but will leave my arms bare for vitamin D production if it will just be 15 minutes or so of exposure. Mostly I try to stay in the shade.

For the pool and beach it depends on the time of day. For the most part we wear sunscreen, but we don't for evening swim lessons (5:45 p.m.).

I think it's a case of trying to choose the lesser of two evils. Knowing people who have had sun cancer I know that it is real. But I am also concerned about the chemicals in sunscreen.

Peace,

Kimberly

I am by far and away the palest person I know and I don't wear sunscreen... my kids sometimes do if others are putting it on their kids... peer pressure, peer presure... but I never put the stuff on except on my back tatoo (and even that is about 5 times a year and only if others are putting it on). I burn once a year... that first time is usually the last unless I am dumb about being out in it and don't listen to my bodies temp gage. My mom was a die hard user and I burnt more when putting it on those few years than I have the ENTIRE time I have been living on my own.

I agree with all of the reasons you listed and I think that for our bodies to react they need to be allowed the stimuli that would make them adapt. So therefore... nope... I don't use it.

Love Val ~ A fellow non-sunscreener

We do sunscreen when we're out in full sun for more than 20 minutes or so, generally. I use the big guns, too. Bullfrog spf 40 spray.

Mostly I stay out of the sun.

I am fair skinned and red haired.....my father (a brunette) has had various skin cancers.

I wear hats, head for the shade and if knowingly will be out in direct sun with no escape for any amount of time put SPF 15 on

Sunscreen used often gives me acne and an allergic reaction.
So I suspect it can't be all that good for my skin.

(hear I am.....hanging out in the shade).........

There are many more natural sunscreens nowadays. Including with mainly physical blockers, over chemical. With the many changes in the ozone, you can't compare how things "used to be" for our ancestors. It's just not the same world or sun/air/etc.

Knowing that one burn greatly increases your risk for skin cancer scares me. I have had quite a few burns as a teen, in my baby oil slathering days. I make sure my kids are either out of the sun during peak hours, or with sunscreen on. I agree that some sun, sans screen, is good.....and that we are becoming VitD deficient due to so much scare about the skin cancer risks....but there are real risks, and not ones I want to take. Skin cancer is scary. )o: I read recently that some are recommending 15-20 min. of un-protected skin exposure daily to get all the sun benefits, and then to cover up, go in, or use sunscreen after that time. This is the thinking we are currently subscribing to. (o:

My ex-boyfriend's brother died a long and painful death to skin cancer, and I know many people who have had skin cancer scares. It's very real, and with how we are currently treating the earth, it's only going to get worse.

Not only is the ozone layer thinner, but people use to live only 30 years or so, now your skin needs to last until you are 80.

Just to argue the "your skin needs to get use to it" point - my grandmother, my uncle, and my great uncle all have skin cancer. Not the genetic kind, but the "I spent too much time in the sun" kind. NONE of them have ever used sunscreen. They've all three lived in the exact same place their entire lives. They've all three had to have pieces of their face removed. No thanks.

I spent 3 years in hawaii and we never used sunscreen. I have major sun damage on my shoulders from it. I still burn when I am outside in 60 degree weather for more than 30 minutes. Really, I burned in Arizona in February.

That said, I wear a hat. I wear sunscreen if we are going to the lake or creek all day long. My kids wear sunsuits to swim in and sunscreen only if in the water all day. Luckily, my kids are both dark skinned and never burn.

We use kiss my face spray on so you don't have to slather it on thick, it isn't full of nasty stuff, and it doesn't have a scent (I'm allergic to artificial fragrances).

We use it. And I use the chemmy Coppertone babies kind because all the others I've tried wash off too easily. We swim in the pool every single day in the summer here in Florida and go to the beach several times a month at least.

The ozone ain't what it used to be.

We love to swim, and to me the benefit outweighs the risks of wearing sunscreen (and being in chlorinated water). We try to avoid the direct noontime sun but sometimes it's hard to do that.

I do allow my kids to get some color, but just light tan. They wear surf shirts and shorts with SPF protection so we are only sunscreening face, arms, legs. They also wear hats when I can keep them on their heads.

Sunglasses are important too, to prevent macular degeneration. I am bad about this.

There's an article at mercola online about not using sunscreen. I am debating whether to use it when doing water activities, but yeah, I have recently learned it isn't as good as we are taught (ditched sunglasses too, actually ditching glassess as well).. :thumbsup:

Honestly it takes a lot to put it on me... my kids use it in the water.... but pretty much that is it. I like sun hats... but because the sun really hurts my eyes... It was years before I thought about the fact that it would really help with skin cancer on my face.

I guess it depends on if and when you are out too... because we don't go anywhere when it is really hot. We are in the house with the shades drawn. We actually will rent videos and have a popcorn party if it gets above 85* here... I don't like it. I live in the pacific north west and I am so rarely in the sun for long periods of time (esp this year... it has been dark and dreary until yesterday... lol...) I have had one bad burn in my entire life. I don't burn bad enough to peel ever... I just get pink occasionally (which is what I was calling a burn in earlier post... but what you guys are talking about is the real burns...). I know that the sun can go through the clouds and I know that it is better to be safe than sorry... but I just don't see the need for it unless we are in the water... I am a shade body and so are my kids. That is as much the reason as anything else for me not to use it, and I do like the idea of my body adapting to the world around me instead of me fighting it... but not to excess. I just don't like sun... I am not a summer person. I like the weather here in Washington... Call me crazy, but I like rain.

Love Val

After seeing my dad spend three hours getting a chunk out of the side of his head cut out because of skin cancer? Yeah we use sun block. He had it, his sister had it and my grandfather (his FIL) had it (who btw way is DARK and 100% Spanish NEVER HAD A SUN BURN EVER).
Do I use it daily? No. I believe in moderation I also believe in avoiding the sun but seeing how my scalp burns after only 20 minutes of sun I don't see how anyone could avoid the sun enough (esp if they leave the house in the summer and do any day long activities or have things like swim lessons or do sports).
As a child we never used sun screen because my mom was honestly lazy about it... I have had plenty of blistering sunburns as a kid/teen and to be honest I see a scare coming in my future regarding skin cancer.. I pray it isn't as bad as some cases I have seen and I am as "lucky" to walk away with it with only a HUGE UGLY scar opposed to dead. I don't want that thought in the back of my kids head because I didn't protect them as children. Sure some are freaked out about sun screen chemicals but I have weighed the risks and wish my mom would have made us protect ourselves (esp being three red headed kids... My brother would burn wearing a t-shirt :eek: )

That said I do agree with avoiding the peak hours but when we can't we always wear sun screen. I have taught my kids when and where to use it and honestly I feel I am making the right choice for our family.

Oh and swim lessons this year will be in a shady area at 7:30pm this year all summer! LOL! No sun block then.. How cool is that? (Don't worry it's still 90 degrees at night here in the summer! LOL! they certainly won't get cold! LOL!)

Yes, we do use sunscreen and hats. I make sure we put the sunscreen on as we are getting dressed/brushing teeth, so we don't forget.

It's only SPF 15, but it seems to work well, and is all natural and cruelty free (Beauty Without Cruelty brand). Yes, it's pricey, but it does last a long long time.

I guess our sig pictures expired, but I am darkish skinned and burning is not usually a concern for me. DS is very fair with blue eyes and reddish hair, so I have to watch him. This is his 5th summer, and he's never EVER gotten a burn, so there's something to say for being careful.

We also avoid peak sun hours and instead sit under a tree or are inside at that time.

My ds is very fair and the only time he ever got a burn was when his father took him to the beach for the day and missed a whole section with the sunscreen.

GRRR:mad:

I use sunscreen only a few times during a summer season. Most of the time we avoid peak sun times and wear hats.

Amazing!! How much diversity our human race has. It's awesome.

I guess the best thing we can do is listen to our bodies (and those of our kiddos) and respond appropriately. I guess that's why I worry about my kiddo, because we are so different from each other, that I have to pay special attention to the cues he gives me.

Good luck mamas, we all have a hefty task in keeping out loved ones safe from all the possble harms out there.

I also like the Kiss My Face sunscreen.
I *DO* use it on my kids if they are going to be in full sun for an extended time. (Like swimming, the beach)

There are recipes for natural sunscreens.
I think sesame ??? oil is a natural sunscreen.

My kids are super pale.
They spend a huge part of their time outdoors, but never tan.
For day to day playing in our yard, I do not use sunscreen.
I do not use sunscreen on myself.

I get sooo mad when friends/people we know/even family whine about our ability to tan or stay out at the beach for 12 hours a day.
OR making fun of our skin color, 'get out in the sun'
NOT EVERYONE TANS PEOPLE!
If at the beach, we go out early morning, then find something to do indoors or in the shade peak sun hours then go back out late, late afternoon.
If I had a dime for everytime someone had something to say about that!

Briefly mentions dangers of sunscreen:
http://213.86.179.35/staysafe/sunscreen_dangers.html

In the book Sugar Blues the author mentions his ability to stay out in the sun without burning when he 100% kicked sugar.

Hope

We have a lot of Melanoma in our family. My Mom had a bout with it and had to have a 6 inch by 8 inch patch of her back dug out. Other relatives have had to have surgery to remove bits of their sholders, faces, and so on. My Mom used to lay out in the sun with baby oil with her friends, and *every* one of them had a bout with Melanoma by the time they were 45. One of the ladies lost her life to it. :(

So, we do use sunscreen. The girls also wear sunhats or visors most of the time when they are outside. They spend a majority of their time playing outdoors, and I won't deny them that. I am thankful that they usually take their rests between 1-4, so we usually miss the peak hours. I also only take them to the few local beaches that have shade trees right near the water.

whata debate. I'm one of those people who gets severe depression without vitamin D but I've already had 3 tumors removed. I guess you have to have moderation in everything.

Nope do not use it here either, I get SOOOO mugh grief from my family! I will occassionally use it when we are in the Carribean or the like, as we live in the Midwest, so our skinn can not handle 8+ hours of that type of sun. My family lives on a lake, where the kids play all day, occassionally get pink, but have never "burned" to a point where I worried. We are outside a lot, and as the days get longer, the sun stronger we are already warmed up and get browner and browner as the summer goes!
Karen

Use it here too and won't use the natural kind... I got a bad burn one summer using one from Whole Foods.

I use the spectra 3 on us. None of the four of us is allergic to it which is a small miracle!

We have skin eating melanoma in my family too and are all pale as they come.

I will burn in the shade given time here, I will burn if in one position in the sun in about 15 minutes if I have no sunscreen on if it is before 3 in the afternoon or so.

We all wear hats and/or sunglasses and we wear sunsuits/rash guards/sarongs etc to the beach and have a UV protective beach tent. So.CA sun is not to be messed with, but then my grandfather who had several melanomas was way darker than me and lived in Ohio, so go figure.

Originally posted by mammakat
My ds is very fair and the only time he ever got a burn was when his father took him to the beach for the day and missed a whole section with the sunscreen.

GRRR:mad:

What a butthead! Sorry to hear that. :( LA sun is very strong, eh? (Or was this in another state?).

Originally posted by BlueRoseMama
I just don't like sun... I am not a summer person. I like the weather here in Washington... Call me crazy, but I like rain.

ok, you asked.....you're crazy! :joker:

I hate hate hate this weather now. I can take it during the 'winter' but I am about ready to lose it with all this rain we have been having lately. I am considering building and ark....


But back to the sunscreen topic....

I will use it if we are going to be out in the sun for more than 15-20 minutes during peak times of the day. I am by far totally strict with this rule, but I do make an effort to use it as a guage. I only use the natural brands though because it seems really at odds with all the effort I put into making sure that there is no weird ingredients in our other bath and body products and then slather a long list of chemicals on our bodies in the name of protection.

And now for a bit of spam.....

I am now selling a natural sunscreen formula with the following ingredients:

Aloe Vera
Cocoa Butter
Vitamin E
Chamomile
Cinnamon
Buckthorn
Zinc Oxide
Octyl Methoxycinnamate (derived from cinnamon - provides extra protection by absorbing UV rays)

4oz $10

It isn't up on the site yet, but you can order directly from me by PM if you are interested!

My sister passed away in March from Melanoma. She was 23. In her freshman year of college, she thought she had a blister on her foot from running, but it was melanoma.

Melanoma is a very serious disease and very deadly. Among 25 to 29 year olds it is the most prevalent cancer and it is the leading cancer killer among women of ages 30 to 35. The incidence of melanoma is increasing at a rate faster than that of any other cancer.

please check out www.skincheck.com &
http://www.nsc.org/ehc/sunsafe.htm

California baby makes sunscreen that is unscented, I haven't tried it, but their products tend to be very mild.

If you are not going to wear sunscreen, please cover yourself and your children with protective clothing and avoid direct sunlight as much as possible.

I wouldn't want any of you to have to go through what my mother did watching her bright beautiful child become a shell and watch the light go out of her eyes....

I use a moisturizer with sunscreen on my face everyday b/c I have very light skin. I don't wear it anywhere else on my body unless I am at the beach or pool, or if it is the beginning of warmer weather when my skin is still so pale that I know it will burn if I am out for a long time. Then I put it on my arms and legs until I start to get some color. I do the same for ds, although his skin is darker than mine and he tans very easily. My dh wears no sunscreen. He has a Greek/ Italian background and always has a nice tan.;)

Originally posted by luckyshots
My sister passed away in March from Melanoma. She was 23. In her freshman year of college, she thought she had a blister on her foot from running, but it was melanoma.


{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}
I am so very sorry for your loss. :(

People seem to be avoiding/fearing burns but I have a question for anyone wiling to answer.. I thought I read and heard that if you burn your chances are higher but tanning (not sitting out baking with oils, but just a tan from being in the sun) is also bad and increases your risk of cancer????

Did I read/hear wrong?
:confused:

edited to add: my grandfather never burned (100% dark spainish) but then again I am sure he was in the sun a lot being a mail carrier for 30 years..) Just has me thinking.

It's frustrating, because its hard to find real facts and studies. Lots of sites say "studies have shown", but they don't point you to the studies. There's so much conflicting information out there. Also the risk factors for melanoma are different from the risks of other types of skin cancers.

Here's a good article from the AAFP
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000715/357.html

For non-melanoma:
cumulative exposure (regular tanning, not intense) is the single greatest risk factor; 80 percent of lifetime sun exposure is obtained before 18 years of age.

For melanoma: cumulative (regular tanning) has little influence on risk, but intense, intermittent exposure and blistering sunburns in childhood and adolescence are associated with increased risk.

Genetics is a big risk factor, my sister was very fair skinned and blonde... But it's not the only risk factor.

IMO - tanning is not good for you, it may not give you cancer, but especially in children (80% of UV exposure is before the age of 18), you should try to limit exposure as much as you can. Why risk it, you know? Other than I guess just about everything increases your risk for getting some time of cancer.

IMO - A few minutes in "off-peak" sun plus a balanced diet should get you enough vitamin D for a normal person.

added:
http://www.ciesin.org/TG/HH/ozhlthhm.html Here's some studies if you'd like to read more about the ozone depletion and UVB exposure.

From my understanding, anything, including a tan, is damage to your skin that can lead to cancer. Even a light tan is your skins response to the sun, and many believe that means your risk is now upped. My dermatologist agreed with the above info, and claims the only skin cancers she diagnoses are from people who tan and tan/burn. She claims you see more cancers in those with deeper tans. True, I don't know. But scary.

Originally posted by mamathyme
I also like the Kiss My Face sunscreen.
I get sooo mad when friends/people we know/even family whine about our ability to tan or stay out at the beach for 12 hours a day.
OR making fun of our skin color, 'get out in the sun'
NOT EVERYONE TANS PEOPLE!
Hope

are you referring to me anywhere in that rant? ;) lol

ok I grew up in north carolina, I am a large part cherokee, I get DARK if i spend time outdoors, people always ask me "What are you?" refering to ethnicity which pisses me off but that's another thread....anyhoo... when I first moved to florida I had never burned in my life. I was here one summer before I burned to a crisp. I wear sunblock now. I use a daily moisturizer with a 15 block in it on my face. If we are going to do outdoor work or play I use sunblock on exposed areas. I am not as much concerned with future cancer as I am HORRIBLE EVIL PAIN, because if you get burned it hurts people. peeling skin is not happy, it goes through dry and then sticky phases, clothes touching hurts, showers are hell, it is not good.

I am in florida it is closer to the equatar here and you will burn if you are out to long without some sort of protection. Take it from me I never thought I would burn and I have. and for all my care now I have burned more than once since I have lived here. once doing yard work, I was on the riding lawn mower for a few hours and although I had on sunblock my shoulders I still burned. sunblock is not magic it only helps you not to burn so fast, it gives you more safe time that is all. I did not pay attention to how long I was out there because I was working and forgot. I paid for it. It would be nice to say "Oh I will just stay indoors if it's hot" but try to remember that we all live in different parts of the world and we don't all have the same climates. I can get burned on one arm driving my car to the mall. I can get burned sitting in my living room if the sun is shining in the right way, and that is in february. Yes, you can get sunburned in feb in florida. :)

In a couple of years we will be moving to new england and I may not need to use sunblock there like I do here, and that is cool. But for now I slather it on baby! :)

Storm

Thank you both for making it clear to me.. Honestly it's one of those things I hate thinking about but need to know.
I feel badly because Haylee (my red head) tends to tan WITH sun blcok (without she burns). And I keep thinking that just because it doesn't hurt doesn't nec. mean it won't harm her later :(

KD, my older daughter too. She tans no matter what. Me too. Or I burn. Ugh. I slathered on sunscreen last week in Cal. (Disneyland), and still got burnt within an hour! Just my shoulders and nose...lol....but still! SPF 45 didn't help those areas only. Arghhhh.

Hats. hats. hats.
hats with four inch brims.
50% full physical sunblock.
hats. hats. hats.

:oops:

ok i admit
not everyone should use 'natural' sunscreen because some people (cough cough, er cough storm cough) live in hotter climates like say florida where natural sunscreen does not cut the mustard

apologies ma'am
now you stop calling me and my kids PALE!

hope

Originally posted by Ariadne Umbrell
Hats. hats. hats.
hats with four inch brims.
50% full physical sunblock.
hats. hats. hats.

Good point but how do you handle the heat? The thought of wearing a hat (I know I know I should anyway) makes me want to pass out in the 100 degree weather.. Is there a secret I am missing? Tips? thoughts, ideas?
I am thinking of buying an umbrella this year just for summer time (not black! LOL!) and seeing i that helps some.

Originally posted by mamathyme
[Bapologies ma'am
now you stop calling me and my kids PALE!

hope [/B]

no, pale girl:smooch:

Storm

Originally posted by mamathyme
I also like the Kiss My Face sunscreen.
I *DO* use it on my kids if they are going to be in full sun for an extended time. (Like swimming, the beach)

There are recipes for natural sunscreens.
I think sesame ??? oil is a natural sunscreen.

My kids are super pale.
They spend a huge part of their time outdoors, but never tan.
For day to day playing in our yard, I do not use sunscreen.
I do not use sunscreen on myself.

I get sooo mad when friends/people we know/even family whine about our ability to tan or stay out at the beach for 12 hours a day.
OR making fun of our skin color, 'get out in the sun'
NOT EVERYONE TANS PEOPLE!
If at the beach, we go out early morning, then find something to do indoors or in the shade peak sun hours then go back out late, late afternoon.
If I had a dime for everytime someone had something to say about that!

Briefly mentions dangers of sunscreen:
http://213.86.179.35/staysafe/sunscreen_dangers.html

In the book Sugar Blues the author mentions his ability to stay out in the sun without burning when he 100% kicked sugar.

Hope

This is me and my two ds's. I'm actually fairly tan on my arms and face right now, but the two boys are pretty pale, especially considering they are outside for most of the day. That's just the way they are. We don't use sunscreen. I'd probably put some natural stuff on them if they were going to be in the pool or an ocean all day, though.

Kristi

We use Jason kids block when we swim or I know the girls will be outside for a prolonged period of time. Alison, my oldest *MUST* either wear a hat or have block on her nose when she is outside. She had an accident last year w/300+ stitches on her nose/face and in order to keep the line from darkening more then her other skin we have to be super vigilant about keeping the sun off.

I didn't use to be vigilant about sunscreen on myself, but I have noticed more moles pop up all over my shoulders recently and now put sunscreen on my chest, shoulders and back when I work outside for a long time or swim.

When the girls swim I put it on the same areas as me plus their arms. I didn't always do the arms, but after a few weeks of swimming 3x's/week they started getting odd brown patches on their skin that wouldn't go away (and still haven't).

You can make a sunscreen out of equal parts cold pressed flax seed oil, coconut oil, and, and almond oil. It should be kept refrigerated in a container that does not allow light in. We live on Maui and I am pretty light skinned - I burn within 20 minutes without anything on during the heat of the day. With this oil blend, I can last an hour and get a bit of color while I'm at it. :) It doeesn't work well while swimming as it seems to rinse off quickly, but it is great for your skin, you can fragrance it if you like, and it absorbs the harmful UVA/UVB rays while allowing the beneficial sunlight through.
Laters!