the troubadour

Being known for ages with some suspected of containing cancer causing agents. The more modern are supposedly okay, but who knows? I chose not to apply and somewhat wasted anyway with long spells in the sea and would prove more than useless in my case in tropical locations where tend to sweat profusely. Soon of to Borneo to do some jungle walks and can assure I will not be applying such goo under those conditions.


All to their own though. Be informed and do what is right in individual circumstances.

spouse of scouse

Good tip SG

Moses2013

The reality is that people in less sunnier locations can get far more UV than people living in very sunny places. If you live in the UK with a garden and cut the grass for 2 hours when it's 16c and cloudy, you'll actually find that you got more UV radiation than a person for example in India, who works in an office for 10 hours and then sits in the shade.


Of course sun is important, but people in the western world do not get ill because of sun depravation. Sunbathing or let's say tanning has only really become popular in the modern world and we are fooled by what global companies tell us. People get depressed about everything these days and funny enough there's always companies that have the solution. Yes sun is good, but when it gets too hot and sunny it shows that our bodies can't cope either.

the troubadour

Actually thought the ozone layer was greatest over parts of Australia but otherwise take your point.


I know the history of tanning and the status it once invoked. Global companies though if that is brought into the equation, probably have more interest promoting the dangers considering the products around skin care/protection/abuse/ not forgetting most work indoors these days often in rather crowded office environments. Doesn't hurt to entice them with feelings of safety or faux well being out of the sun.
I can recall the early days at work when a exceptional sunny day could well evoke a sick day down the beach, regardless of healthy glow the following day.


Too much of anything and everything is not good. Still the sun is better than many things with health properties an added allure.


Depression is a lot around these days. Besides being an industry the system as stands does indeed 'stress' people far more than times past for what I consider rather obvious reasons for those that reflect on the what those are.

uk_grenada

Like most things in life, sunshine has benefits and drawbacks. I have no doubt a little does you good.

However, i really am not sure we understand skin cancer or any other come to that. The marsden cancer hospital in the uk is doing dna scans on all its patients in a 5 year study to try to better understand it, humungous amounts of data to be examined, but for example where i live skin cancer is unheard of. What is the rate for indigenous australians?

I do like to think of cancer as a programming error. Like computer memory our dna has the ability to survive errors, it is replicated and to an extent resilient to small damage caused by things like radiation, oxidation etc. We dont normally suddenly grow an extra ear or turn green. However if the error in a cell exceeds ‘something’ the cell can change and either just die - and we didnt even notice - or start replicating madly - cancerous. Anti oxidants, good diet, avoiding cell radiation [is this what skin cancer is, too simplistic i think] can i think help, but stop it - we cant yet.

uk_grenada

Also - if the most dangerous part is UV, here in the tropics, few can stand being in the sun for too long, we hide from it, but a cooler overcast day can have you in the garden, where you swiftly learn that UV goes straight through thick cloud, you can squint on a dull cloudy day, its a form of snow blindness, and your uv reacting glasses are all black, insideous stuff.

Beoz

It's a bit like beer. It's a lot of fun in moderation.

Bo-Jangles

NZ also has many claims to fame in the skin cancer stakes, I don't know how true but it is often said that NZ has highest rates of skin cancer due to lack of ozone. I don't think people here are quite as savvy as the UK and other places with regards to the effects of sun. I suspect people in Europe are a step ahead in the habitual and daily use of sunscreen, mostly driven by the beauty industry as more and more people are concerned about the aging effects than they are about skin cancer.

I guess also men are more at risk now as women have it drummed into them on a daily basis via magazines and such like with horrific images of photo-aging and long term effects of sun damaged skin. A lot of make-up and skin care products contain some level of SPF as a matter of course.

I certainly notice that people here look older than they actually are and can see the effects on my own skin probably from years of baking in the sun at every opportunity basted in coconut oil and Ambre Solaire Tanning Oil Factor 2.

I'm not overly concerned about skin cancer and don't actively avoid the sun but would never dream of sitting out in direct sun these days without some lotion on my face at least. If I am going for a walk or gardening and know that my face will be exposed for more than 20 minutes then the Factor 30 and sometimes Factor 50 cream is going on.

Still Game

Thanks SoS, if people google the phrase I've entered they can find legitimate studies done on current (toxic wide-spread usage) modern sunscreens and the safer ones to use. It's a real eye opener. I have swapped and feel much better slathering it on myself and my child every day.

spouse of scouse

My sisters and I couldn't afford Ambre Solaire when we were teenagers, so we used baby oil! That was a product, not oil made from babies

spouse of scouse

Good on you for doing the research SG It's like anything we put on or in our bodies, we gather as much info as we can and then make an informed choice. I'm trying to remember the one I used last in Oz but I think the memory's going I didn't like the feel of creams so used either a gel or a 'milk'.

the troubadour

One thing I have noted on the beaches of Perth, most tanners are women, probably majority foreign with men in minority.


I note plenty of fairer skins adapting sun screens, but a number still going for the ivory look as well.


It wasn't that long ago when most people thought Factor 15 was it, was suitable enough for full on protection . These days it is twice that strength.