Is higher factor sunscreen worth it?

[Kanga]

I recall reading somewhere that high factor (30+) sunscreen affords only a teeny bit more protection than factor 15, which is cheaper and tends to be less unpleasant to wear. My husband has got sunburned for the 4th (!!!!!) time this summer today and just is very resistant to sunscreen because it's so unpleasant. I use nivea in the light blue bottle and find it's fine but he thinks it's too expensive to bother with. My teen is getting increasingly more ambivalent about it (and wearing rash tops, wah!).

What are your thoughts/ knowledge/ experience with higher and lower factor sunscreen?

[JandM]

I recall reading somewhere

Where, and who said it, could make a lot of difference to the credibility.

What different people are prepared to take trouble over is always going to vary. We had some relatives visit from Australia some years back, and I always remember one lady walking her fingers up 12 or 15 scars on her arm, saying. 'That was my melanoma in 1975, and that one was six months later, then this one was 1977, and...' Others in the family had had them, too. It made my hair stand on end to hear her, but she just accepted this as ordinary.

[JandM]

Incidentally, 'a teeny bit more protection'...

If you without any screen start to go a bit pink after 15 minutes in the sun, then SPF 15 correctly applied means you wouldn't burn for fifteen times longer than that, i.e. you wouldn't be burning for 3 3/4 hours.

SPF 30 correctly applied means you wouldn't burn for 30 times longer, i.e. you wouldn't be burning for 7 1/2 hours.

Whether you value highly the extra 3 3/4 hours without needing to reapply sunscreen, or not might, depend on whether whatever you're doing that day would make it difficult to either carry the stuff with you, or to get back to somewhere you can leave it.

[benandclare]

I spend most of my time out of doors and use Neutrogena ultimate sport ( SPF 70 +) as it's a spray on and doesn't feel greasy to the touch and I've not burnt once this summer.
I have one by the back door , in the car and in my golf bag so never without.

[victoria24]

I've read the same thing somewhere also but can't remember where.
I'm super paranoid about sunburn as I got very badly burned as a kid to the degree that I had blisters all over my body and convulsions from an episode in Tenerife

[Sam B]

I hate sunscreen, and on the whole avoid wearing it unless we are going to be out for a long time. Mostly I just avoid more than 15 minutes of sun a day. I haven't tried lower factor sunscreen in years, no-one seems to use less than 30 now. It would be interesting to try it (on me, not the kids!) and see whether I burn or not.

[Kanga]

Where, and who said it, could make a lot of difference to the credibility.

Oh it's OK, I'm not asking anyone to review the credibility of what I read- I'm just interested in people's thoughts, knowledge or experience

Incidentally, a teeny bit more protection....

If you without any screen start to go a bit pink after 15 minutes in the sun, then SPF 15 correctly applied means you wouldn't burn for fifteen times longer than that, i.e. you wouldn't be burning for 3 3/4 hours.

SPF 30 correctly applied means you wouldn't burn for 30 times longer, i.e. you wouldn't be burning for 7 1/2 hours.

That's not quite accurate in practice though. The length of time a sunscreen remains effective for varies according to person, weather, time of year, location, activity, as well as application you mention, etc, which is why SPF talks about 'protection', not time. However, SPF15 protects against 93% of UVB, whereas an SPF factor >30 blocks only 4% more, hence the "teeny bit more". Although, another way to look at it is not what % it prevents from getting through, but what % it does not prevent getting through- looking at it that way, a higher SPF of 60 would offer >double the protection of a factor 30, but again only under laboratory conditions and the official advice is that you don't use sunscreen to calculate how many hours in the sun you have bought yourself.

Although higher sunscreens theoretically provide burn protection for longer, the advice is still to reapply ever few hours to ensure that areas where it wasn't applied so well first time round get better coverage (it seems almost every study into sunscreen use shows how feckless we all are at putting it on as per manufacturers recommendation) and that the slightly higher % is maintained regardless of conditions.

benandclare- a spray on sounds like a good idea as I guess it's quicker to apply? How greasy feeling is it? Will have a look in Countdown today and see if they sell it- cheers.

Vic- ouch!

[Kanga]

I hate sunscreen, and on the whole avoid wearing it unless we are going to be out for a long time. Mostly I just avoid more than 15 minutes of sun a day. I haven't tried lower factor sunscreen in years, no-one seems to use less than 30 now. It would be interesting to try it (on me, not the kids!) and see whether I burn or not.

Brilliant! I have a guinea pig

When are you back from your wee jolly- will be round with a range of sun factors.

[Jo Jo]

I hate applying and reapplying sunscreen, though I do wear it because I had a friend who died a horrible death from skin cancer. My favourite is Piz Buin's once a day factor 30. You only need to apply it once every 6 hours, and I have found it really does work. It's quite expensive, but worth it, I think, as it is the one sunscreen I know I really will apply properly, and I've never gone the slightest bit red while wearing it, even after hours in the sun in Queensland. The only thing is that I haven't seen it in the shops here this summer - I hope they still make it.

[Kanga]

I remember that stuff from the UK- don't think I've seen it here though? Sorry about your friend Jo Jo.
Let me know if you think it can be bought in Ozzie and I'll pick you up some