I'm toast

[chris.j.marshall]

After an excellent day on the lake with the wife and one of her coworkers, I sure came scorched by the Oklahoma sun. I put Banana Boat spf30 lotion on my face and neck, then as the day went on and my shirt came off, I sprayed some of the walmart brand spf50 on my back and chest. My collection of useless sunscreens that get tossed in the under seat storage of the boat really seems to be growing. Anybody out there have any suggestions or swear by a certain brand of sunscreen?

 

[beason]

Re: I'm toast

both of those should have worked fine. the problem seems to be that you are not applying correctly. you need to apply before you ever go out. like an hour before. let it dry on your skin before you start sweating.

I am very "white" (burn easily) and this is what i have to do. even the equate spf 30 worked for hours on the lake, and i live in texas. Its hot as h3!! here to..

 

[foodfisher]

Re: I'm toast

After an excellent day on the lake with the wife and one of her coworkers, I sure came scorched by the Oklahoma sun. I put Banana Boat spf30 lotion on my face and neck, then as the day went on and my shirt came off, I sprayed some of the walmart brand spf50 on my back and chest. My collection of useless sunscreens that get tossed in the under seat storage of the boat really seems to be growing. Anybody out there have any suggestions or swear by a certain brand of sunscreen?

Bimini

 

[woodsyfeller]

Re: I'm toast

Most people dont apply enough sunscreen to do the job effectively, dont be skimpy on the application think of sunscreen like gas if you dont use it up in a fairly short period of time itll go bad(I dont think it actually goes bad but just using it as an example).


Reapply after a few hours ,sweat ,swimming ect removes the application.



No matter what the spf rating they have their limits your probally going to burn regardless if you have direct sun exposure.Especially if your fair skinned or you skin hasnt become used to the exposure.

 

[lakelover]

Re: I'm toast

I've been using the cheap-o NO-AD Kids SPF 50 and have had good results. I agree with the above, make sure you apply it heavily enough. Only drawback is that this stuff is really sticky, and I spose it's a matter of preference, but I don't like the smell either. But they don't lie, it's "waterproof" and doesn't come off after dunking in the water!

I tried this after not liking the smell of the Coppertone 70. The smell of this isn't much better. What I wouldn't give for an effective one that didn't smell like a flower garden or cookie dough!!!

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: I'm toast

Sunscreen is sunscreen. SPF 30 means you re-apply after 30 minutes. SPF 50....50 minutes.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: I'm toast

Sunscreen is sunscreen. SPF 30 means you re-apply after 30 minutes. SPF 50....50 minutes.

Not true at all. Please provide a link to this folk tale.

 

[lakelover]

Re: I'm toast

Sunscreen is sunscreen. SPF 30 means you re-apply after 30 minutes. SPF 50....50 minutes.

That's not quite the way it is.

From skincancer.about.com:

Definition: The SPF ("sun protection factor") listed on a bottle of sunscreen is a measure of how well the product protects your skin from the sun's shorter-wave ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. Technically, it is the ratio of how long you could spend in the sun before burning when you're protected by sunscreen, compared to when you don't have that protection. As of 2009, SPFs can range from 2 to as much as 100 or higher. A common mistake is applying too little sunscreen, which can drastically reduce the effectiveness of the product. About 1 ounce (a palmful) of sunscreen is recommended to cover the entire body, and it should be applied half an hour before sun exposure. You should reapply every two hours if you're staying outdoors for a long period of time. Applying sunscreen properly is one of the essential recommendations to lower your risk of developing skin cancer.

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: I'm toast

What's sun sceen? I don't burn but do get sun poisoning? I never use to till worked around UV lights at work used in a printing operation. So till May I wear long sleves and white gloves looks funny but hey I hate the itch. My wife uses sunscreen I think it's Hawian Tropic crap because she use to work there.

 

[jkust]

Re: I'm toast

We learned the hard way one time on the boat that sunscreen expires. My wife bought sunscreen but the stuff that made it into the boat was identical from some years previous but was no longer effective. After liberally applying all day long, us and our then 2 year old had some really awful burns. We no longer have a collection of sunscreen. It all gets tossed and replaced yearly.

 

[j_martin]

Re: I'm toast

I hate sunscreen. I get out in the sun for a limited time each day as neked as I dare as soon as the snow is gone. By summertime when I can take my shirt off in the boat without getting chilled, I am tan enough to prevent burning.

Since I started doing that, I've had some long term skin issues resolve themselves.

 

[dccordell]

Re: I'm toast

You guys might like to take a read at this New York Times article posted a little while back. It's not very long. It explains the new rules recently issued by the FDA on sunscreen container labeling, which will be going into effect in 1-2 years.

It explains what sunscreen does and doesn't do. AND the sunscreen containers are going to be labelled differently within the next two years, and the ratings on them will mean different things than they do now.

Near the end, they also did tests on different brands, and the cheaper ones (one of the best being WalMart brand!) did just as well or better than the expensive brands.

Important stuff to folks that are on the water often... or just outside in general.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: I'm toast

One of the things about sunscreen that never gets mentioned. Its the ill effects it has on the upholstry on your boat. Even putting a towl over them helps, but since it has an oily base it will tend to soak through especially when a body is pressing against the towell to the seat.

As mentioned earlier, apply early and apply frequently. It works for me. Getting a good tan also helps eliminate the use of sunscreen as well.

 

[wellsc1]

Re: I'm toast

Sunscreen has to get watery, discolored, or stinky before I'll toss it, and it still works up to that point.

 

[chris.j.marshall]

Re: I'm toast

I tried earlier application of the same stuff this weekend. No burn!

 

[Av8nBill]

Re: I'm toast

For those of you advocating a tan to avoid a burn, I've got news for you - you're still doing long term damage whether you can see it or not. Wait until you hit 50 or so and have to go to the Dermatologist every year to get the AKs frozen off (if you're lucky).

 

[bassman284]

Re: I'm toast

I've been using the cheap-o NO-AD Kids SPF 50 and have had good results. I agree with the above, make sure you apply it heavily enough. Only drawback is that this stuff is really sticky, and I spose it's a matter of preference, but I don't like the smell either. But they don't lie, it's "waterproof" and doesn't come off after dunking in the water!

I tried this after not liking the smell of the Coppertone 70. The smell of this isn't much better. What I wouldn't give for an effective one that didn't smell like a flower garden or cookie dough!!!

You might try Neutrogena. Five minutes after you put it on you can't tell anything was ever there and as I remember it doesn't have much of any smell. A little pricy, though. I've been using Ocean Potion whch also dries off pretty good and has kind of a strawberry smell to it that isn't real strong.

I agree with you about the Coppertone smell. Awful. I'm kind of a sunscreen professional because I can get a pretty good burn in not much over an hour. I've tried most of them at one time or another and pretty much found all to be fairly effective. Most of the rejects were due to smell or greasiness. The gels and sprays tend to leave a shiny finish on you like a glazed donut.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: I'm toast

Dear Crispy Critter I to feel your pain on sunny days. The only way I know to not get burnt/skin cancer is to wear a light shirt and pants or stay in the shade. Most sun blockers really don't work.

 

[Nandy]

Re: I'm toast

Skin cancer affects everyone no matter the color of your skin. Us with darker skin have more protection but it is still no full protection. I can burn just as bad as my Caucasian girlfriend if I dont wear any sun skin while at the lake. I can get away with a 30 spf while she needs a 50 spf, we can be outdoors (not boating) or even just driving a car and she can get burn while I dont show it because of my color but I can feel it. Being tanned does not protect you 100 percent, I know, I been tanned all of my life and was a beach bum for 10 years!!!! lol!

 

[lakelover]

Re: I'm toast

Dear Crispy Critter I to feel your pain on sunny days. The only way I know to not get burnt/skin cancer is to wear a light shirt and pants or stay in the shade. Most sun blockers really don't work.

I disagree with you last statement, but yes, the surest way to avoid sunburn and protect your skin is to stay covered up and minimize you exposure to the sun. Sunblockers work in that they do what they are designed to do when used correctly, but most people don't use them correctly and they are not a guarantee against burning.