Another Sunscreen Post

 When I was taking birthday calls from my family recently, I was reminding the young ladies to always use sunscreen. It's not a "being cute" thing but a "being safe" thing. Skin cancer is real. It's not only that a lot of them live in Arizona but they spend so much time outside. I'm a hermit and I still wear sunscreen daily. Head to toe, baby.

I did the original sunscreen rant here, then did an update here. I'm following up with more information because one of my neighbors discovered that she has skin cancer. I don't have a lot of the details but, believe it or not, it started with a mole. A mole. Damn.

So, please make a habit to wear sunscreen on your face and body. And find the right sunscreen. I thought all sunscreens were equal as long as they weren't expired and had the right ingredients. Well, that's the thing. Not all ingredients are equal. Also, some people have to worry more about SPF while others need to be more concerned with UVA. It's all about skin tone and type. Not only that but location matters - as in where you reside. 

Good Lord. It's getting complicated, right? 

Dr. Dray (a U.S.-licensed dermatologist) on YouTube did a video that is very helpful. I am using her shortcut wordplay to remember UVA for UV-aging and UVB for  UV=burning. Note: I don't burn so I'm looking into UVA protection! LOL

This video will help me make sure I'm using sunscreen better suited for my face.

And this one is for folks who might not take sunscreen use seriously.

Please take heed. This is not about how cute you are on Instagram; this is about your health.

Since I have become a fan of La Roche-Posay's Double Repair Facial Moisturizer moisturizer, I have asked them about their UVMune 400 sunscreen. I am also going to be trying out the Toleriane Double Repair Facial Moisturizer With SPF. I will report back what I learn about the UVMune - which is impossible to find. (By the way, LRP has a good post on UVA vs UVB.)

The part of the first video above that I found most interesting was about how our skin tone matters when it comes to sun protection. It seems that the whole "black don't crack" line is not so much about moisturizing as it is about natural defenses against some sun damage.

Anyway, please check out those videos. Talk to your doctors. And for my lighter-skinned friends out there, pay attention to how much more vulnerable you may be to sun damage. Don't be cute, be safe.

Peace

--Free

Update on "Sunscreen Is Necessary"

After I wrote the post about sunscreen, I wanted to do an update. The update is long enough for this separate post. So, here goes...

My Equate sunscreen is SPF 50. The Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense is SPF 60+. I love both of those because they don't leave a white cast and are both broad-spectrum products. The Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch (which I returned because of the white cast) is SPF 70 and also broad-spectrum. I did have questions.

Which is better? Does a higher SPF number make a difference?

Apparently, there isn't much difference in protection once you get past SPF 50. I say "apparently" because that's the info I get when I check around online. I found some decent sources that have me thinking. 

This is from a WebMD article: "SPF is not a consumer-friendly number," says Florida dermatologist James M. Spencer, MD. "It is logical for someone to think that an SPF of 30 is twice as good as an SPF of 15 and so on. But that is not how it works."

(source imprint on the photo)

Basically, according to the article, a higher SPF only blocks slightly more UVB rays but none will give 100% protection. On the other hand (according to a second source in the article), a higher SPF may (my emphasis again) protect against long-term skin damage.

That was a little confusing to me. Personally, I am concerned about both the immediate and long-term damage. From what I read, SPF 30 seems to be the sweet spot - if you reapply every 2 hours.

So, after reading a few more articles, I was no less confused. One thing that all the various sources seem to agree on is: reapplication is key. Sunscreen doesn't last for hours and hours. And that's good to know.

I wear sunscreen daily but I rarely reapply it! That's going to be my new habit. I figure I can reapply my sunscreen at least 3 times a day (more if I am going to be outside): morning, noon, and late afternoon. I can aim for every 2 hours but... let's be real, I sometimes forget to take my meds on time - and that's only twice a day!

Another source I read warned against being complacent in using a high-SPF sunscreen. It also explained the 2 different types of rays we need protection against - UVB and UVA. (I am pleased to say that I've always used a broad-spectrum product.) I didn't really know what I was doing but just lucked out. 

According to The Skin Cancer Foundation:

• Ultraviolet A (UVA) has a longer wavelength. It is associated with skin aging.
• Ultraviolet B (UVB) has a shorter wavelength. It is associated with skin burning.

When I read that, I flashed back to the days when some of my friends would literally coat themselves with oil and lay out in the sun for hours. Yikes! I wish I knew then what I know now. I would have warned them.

Actually, there are three types of UV light. You can see here why we worry more about 2 of them though:

The sun emits 3 kinds of UV light: Long wavelength (UVA), medium wavelength (UVB), and short-wavelength (UVC). The shorter the wavelength, the stronger the light. Fortunately, UVC radiation (powerful enough to kill humans instantly) is absorbed by our atmosphere and never reaches earth. However, as the ozone layer slowly depletes from environmental pollution, there is an increase in the penetrations of UVA and UVB, resulting in earlier and more aggressive skin damage.

~sigh~ 

At any rate, please wear your sunscreen. I mentioned having a family member who learned the hard way how dangerous it is not to. I suggest checking out the Skin Cancer Foundation page. Also, here is an interesting read I found from a dermatology center "FAQs Our Dermatologists Receive About Skin Cancer and Prevention".

By the way, I'm going to have to stop using my beloved Equate sunscreen. There is no expiration date on any of the bottles. Sunscreen does expire (who knew?). In general terms, you should expect the product to last up to 2 or maybe 3 years. I don't want to guess though. The Neutrogena products have expiration dates stamped onto the end tips of the tubes. 

 I actually called the Walmart helpline to ask about this. The rep (Payton) couldn't tell me if there was a way to know the expiry date by anything on the bottle. So, yeah. Bye-bye to the Equate. Now I'm going to be looking for something comparable in such a nice large tube that I can coat my body with. EVERY 2 FREAKING HOURS!!! I have reached out to Walmart with a direct message on Twitter & might have to do a public tweet asking. I'll let you know something when I know something.

Peace

--Free

Sunscreen Is Necessary (Regardless of Skin Color)

(See my update to this post here. It discusses SPF numbers and the various types of UV light.)

"Black people don't need sunscreen because we don't tan."

"Black people's melanin protects them from sun damage."

"Black don't crack."

"Black people ~ insert more myths here~..."

False, false, false, and... false!"

We all need sunscreen not just when we can see the sun but as long as the sun exists. As far as I know, the sun is still up there.

If you aren't worried about the health effects of sun damage, let me appeal to your vanity. This is a popular photo I saw. Apparently, it's the picture of a man who drove a truck for 28 years. The more damaged side of his face is the was exposed to the window (and the sun). 

By the way, I am not making light of this man's skin situation. I do think that it's a good reminder of why we need to protect our skin from the sun. Regardless of the look of the damage, just imagine the health issues this could cause. (I hope he doesn't have health issues. I never heard the full story behind the photo.)

Black people, white people, brown, red, yellow, tan, olive... All people have skin. The sun can damage unprotected skin. Not just in the summer and not just in the heat. I lived most of my life in a place where the sun goes AWOL for most of the year and I was taught to wear sunscreen. Year-round. If you have skin, you need sunscreen.

The problem is finding a good and effective sunscreen and, for people of certain skin shades, finding one that doesn't turn you into one of my favorite songs, aka "A Whiter Shade of Pale".

There are sunscreens made by and for people of color, yes. Most of them are out of my price range. I would like to be able to go into Walmart or Target or some other budget-friendly retailer and find sunscreen. That's usually a fail.

I've always worn sunscreen but recently realized that not every sunscreen is as protective as I might need. My go-to sunscreen has been this kind:

I've stuck with this one ever since I moved here to the Midwest (where winters are dry) because it ticks a lot of boxes, as they say. It is:

• Affordable
• Broad spectrum
• High SPF (50)
• Affordable - actually it's downright cheap (it bears repeating!)
• Non-drying (it's a lotion & is quite moisturizing)
• Water-resistant
• Fragrance-free
• Doesn't irritate my skin (I actually like the way it feels on my face)
• Does NOT leave a white cast - not even a faint one

This is on my upper leg. ZERO white cast. 

Almost more important than not leaving a white cast, this stuff is very affordable. I think the last time I bought it, I paid less than 4 bucks for the 8-ounce bottle. I use it on my body daily and on my face, if I am going out. I am going to start using it on my face more often.

I love the Equate sunscreen but because I use it as a body protection lotion, I was looking at the different sunscreens made especially for the face. Well, that became a nightmare.

I bought some Neutrogena "sheer" sunscreen and ended up getting a refund from Amazon because it made me look like the Zuckerberg meme.

Okay, it wasn't that bad but... there was a definite white cast - just enough to make me look ashy. If I wore foundation, I could use that sunscreen but I'm not going to start wearing makeup every day just for that.

When I searched online for sunscreens made "for dark skin", I found quite a few. Most of them were out of my price range. 

So, I am going to stick with this Equate brand. By the way, I found one site that puts Equate brand sunscreen right up there with pricey ones like La Roche-Posay's 25-dollar Anthelios 60 Melt-In Sunscreen Milk.  Even Consumer Reports (for what it's worth) puts Equate and LRP on the same list. A New York Times Wirecutter review put the 2 brands on the same list. La Roche Posay is a favorite brand among French Pharmacy addicts. And y'all know I'm on the French Pharmacy kick.

Now, for anyone looking for sunscreen specifically for deep "shaded" skin colors, there are a couple of lists I found.

• This one is from Conde Nast Traveler, and 
• This from Healthline

If you wear foundation makeup, I think you can probably use many of the sunscreens that leave a bit of a cast. I'm not sure if the sunscreen would affect the makeup shade though.

For now, I am happy with my Equate sunscreen. Amazon is sending me some Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Fragrance-Free Sunscreen Lotion to replace the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer. That's nice of them because there was a no-return on the original item. I have some hope for the replacement since it is, like my Equate, a "lotion". We'll see.

Whatever you choose for sunscreen, do wear it. Wear it every day - rain, sun, snow, or shine. I rarely recommend things because I'm no expert but... if you want to try a sunscreen that rubs in clear on even really dark skin, take a look at the Equate Babe Broad Spectrum. I checked as I was typing this and see that it is (online) still under $5.00. My 8-ounce jar lasts me as long as any other lotion and I apply this once in the morning and once at night. If I go outside, I always apply it to my face and I will do an extra application if I'm going to be out on walks. 

Peace

-Free

P.S.: On a personal note, one of my SILs had a scare several years ago. She grew up in the age of oil tanning. She grew up in sunny California. When she was in her 40's (I think it was), her lesion (carcinoma?) was detected early enough. She became a stanch sunscreen user.