Educate me on this whole SPF thing

[Deleted]

Skincancer.org

This should give you some guidelines.  It's recommended that people wear SPF 15 or higher daily.  I understand working all day indoors especially in winter really limits the exposure.  I personally am in the same situation in winter, so if there happens to be sunscreen in the makeup I'm using, that's it.  
It spring/summer months I do wear SPF 30-50 on my face most days and on my exposed skin if I'm going to be outside more than a few minutes.  I have recently moved to the south and advanced stage skin cancer is SO prevalent here among young people.  
If you are fair skinned I'd recommend at LEAST SPF 30 daily in spring and summer.  And protective clothing such as a hat if spending lots of time in the sun.

[mfluder]

The fact your in Canada and don't see sun is kind of changing my usual response of "absolutely you need sunscreen."

The official answer is probably good to look at, I admit mine answer is a vanity answer - I wear sunscreen to keep my skin looking younger longer hopefully (I'm just being honest here, cancer certainly pops into my head but daily wear really ends up happening because of vanity....)

So at first, I would say if you leave and go in the dark, than probably not. but do you sit at work by a window/have windows in your office? Though you won't tan from those rays, you do get the rays that age you. So then I would consider it.

When I lived in the midwest, during the winter nuts my derm told me I was crazy to bother waring sunscreen lol. He said it was pretty useless with the limited amount of sun seen. He was a quirky derm though...

[bluestreet]

I agree with mfluder, but that still leaves weekends and May-October. And you really do need it for those times, and it needs to be 25 or higher.

As for physical vs. chemical, there is still debate about whether chemical sunscreen poses any health risks (specifically cancer). So I'd google that to your satisfaction. But I'd bet that there's a greater chance that brands that make physical sunscreen are more likely to not do animal testing.

Good luck!

[mfluder]

Jan 23, 2017 21:15:22 GMT -5 Adora Belle Dearheart said:

Nope, no windows, mfluder . And it is at least partially a vanity thing.

Yeah, I'd understand skipping it then. 15 minutes a day, frankly not in a particularly sunny region, well, for complete honestly? I'd just be too lazy to add that to my steps. 

[bluestreet]

Jan 23, 2017 22:19:42 GMT -5 Adora Belle Dearheart said:

Thanks, mfluder and bluestreet. I'll stick with no SPF on winter work days and spend the money on something decent for the summer and weekends. I like the Derma e one I have from this past summer that I'll happily use if we ever see the sun again (I've lost hope after a very foggy weekend).

Thankfully, I'm more relaxed (cheap) about what I use on the rest of me than what goes on my face, so scary chemicals from Costco it is.

Though Costco sometimes carries the German lotion Sebamed, my all-time favorite lotion. Be on the lookout for it, if you're not familiar with it.

www.amazon.com/Sebamed-Moisturizing-Body-Lotion-Sensitive/dp/B007ADJZC4

[mrsukyankee]

In London, I rarely get much sun but I still wear high SPF only because it's a good routine. And what if I want to go out during the day? Or go near windows?  I figure better safe than sorry.

I also put it on my hands & neck because I didn't when I was younger and wish I had (ageing showing up there). I wear the Shiseido Senka Mineral Water UV Essence SPF50+ because it is good with my foundation and feels nice on my face while also being a great all year round protector.

[carrotsmakemefat]

Honestly, my MU (Jane Iredale) has SPF so I don't give it much thought in the winter. I work in a building with no windows (so depressing) and yea. I'm bad?

Spring and summer I just switch my daytime moisturizer to a Paulas Choice moisturizer that already has SPF, then my MU on top.

As I get older I do want to make sure I wear SPF, especially on my neck and chest during those warmer months. The last two years I wore supergoop. It doesn't have that sunscreen smell as badly as other products. Before that i used Clinique, but they aren't CF (I also switched to all CF products). I may investigate some other option this year that is less $

[bluestreet]

I just want to add that one of my great cosmetic regrets is not wearing sunscreen on my chest in my 20s and early 30s. I'm 40, and it is always red now from sun damage.

[mrsukyankee]

I would also like to add that most people don't use enough sunscreen - especially if it's in moisturiser versus on its own. For an average-size person, a liberal application of SPF might look like ½ teaspoon (about a nickel-sized portion) for the face. For the neck, hands and chest, you want at least the same amount. It can get expensive which is why I really like the South Asian choices out there.

[oliverboliverbutt]

This seems a good place to ask where in the order separate sunscreen would go on- before or after moisturizer?

[sporky]

oliverboliverbutt, it should go on after moisturizer. It should be your last step of skin care before any makeup application.

[oliverboliverbutt]

Jan 25, 2017 11:00:49 GMT -5 sporky said:

oliverboliverbutt , it should go on after moisturizer. It should be your last step of skin care before any makeup application.

Thanks!  I honestly would have assumed the other way thinking it would need to absorb; but I guess if it's physical that wouldn't be a concern anyway.