This Consumerist article on using sunscreen reminds me of our own efforts down in sunny (when it wasn’t thunderstorming) Florida.
We diligently sunscreened before heading out of the hotel each day — currently using Neutrogena UltraSheer Body Mist Sunblock (there’s a mouthful), an SPF “dry” spray that, all hype aside, really didn’t feel like anything going on and staying on,
It must have been effective, because (with one caveat) we came home pretty unburned, despite spending several hours in the open each day.
Of course, I also wore a hat, which I always do outside, and which makes quite a difference.
As to the caveat: on our last day out, we went to Blizzard Beach, a water park at Walt Disney World (and a very fun one, I must say). We didn’t, though, do a swimsuit-worthy job of sunblocking beforehand, nor did we update the load a few times. And, of course, I forgot I wouldn’t be wearing a hat, so I didn’t make sure my scalp was sprayed.
The result, of course, was some mild sunburn for me on the head and shoulders, which I knew would be the case as I was standing in queues in the full sun for excessive periods of time (the one non-very-fun part of the visit).
I’ll remember that next time. Regardless, sunscreen yourself. You’ll feel better in the short term, and you’ll definitely avoid some unpleasantness long term.
As someone who spent a week in the French Polynesian islands, I had very good luck with sunscreen (Neutrogina Dry Touch) although I did use a single tube in a week.
Even better, though, was I invested in a rash guard that kept my upper body covered while wet. With your upper body exposed to the sun while snorkeling (and wet), sunscreen just can’t be very effective. And while the rash guard wasn’t like swimming in just a swim suit, it was much less bothersome than I thought it would be. It will be making a reappearance at KOA.
I was taking a class for an outdoors job, and was surprised when the instructor told us that the FPS number is not the strength but the duration of the sunscreen. FPS 20 lasts only 20 minutes before it must be reapplied, while FPS 60 lasts an hour.
Has anyone else heard this?
Not quite. SPF is a multiplier (very roughly) of your burn resistance. So if you ordinarily start to burn after 10 minutes in the sun, SPF 30 will mean you can, theoretically, stay out in the sun 10*30 = 300 = 5 hours before burning.
In reality, sweat and rubbing of skin against stuff (including clothes) and exposure to water all reduce sunblock protection, so reapplication is a good idea.
I’ve also heard that the numbers over 30 are fairly meaningless (and that SPF testing in labs usually applies the stuff more thickly than most consumers, exaggerating the protection).
SPF also applies only to uvB (the more burny and dangerous ones), not uvA (the more aging but potentially still dangerous ones). Check for both on your sunblock.
Thanks, Mr. Wizard!
Now, what happens when we put Fluffy in the microwave?