Choosing SPF for suncream

30 + for the first few days id suggest, you can drop it slowly afterwards. Depends how fair skinned you are, but alot of chemist places now recommend going no lower than factor 15

Reply 2

rockthecasbah

To be honest going up to a higher SPF won't do you any harm.... so the higher the better I reckon.
Again, depends on how fair skinned you are.

Reply 3

Clarence

14

I always need 30. It's pants.

Reply 4

OP

Glory

30 + for the first few days id suggest, you can drop it slowly afterwards. Depends how fair skinned you are, but alot of chemist places now recommend going no lower than factor 15

At the minute I only have 1 bottle which is factor 8. Oh dear. :eek:

Emm, I'm not sure how to define exactly how fair my skin is. I have dark eyes etc and tan easily enough although it usually takes a while, and I don't really ever get burnt...if any of that's relevant! :p:

Reply 5

when i say no lower than 15, i mean in this country as well as abroad. Make sure your sun tan cream has alot of stars for uva, it will slow down the ageing caused by sun damage

Reply 6

Lil' Miss Smiley

I would go for the highest factor you can get, protect your skin in the short and long term.

Reply 7

darryl

13

Never anything below 15 but usually 25 is sensible unless you have particularly sensitive skin then you can get 50+ (which my sister has to use) but this is expensive!

Reply 8

Fluffy

15

Absolute minimum = SPF 15. Don't forget you need a broadrange that also has UV-A protection (usually denoted by a string of AAAA's or stars)...

Reply 9

i got a bottle of factor 30 with 4 stars for 1.99 from wilko's its good stuff.

Reply 10

Anonymous #1

Glory

i got a bottle of factor 30 with 4 stars for 1.99 from wilko's its good stuff.

It's probably moisturiser :wink:

Does it have a kite mark or EC mark on it?

Reply 11

Anonymous

It's probably moisturiser :wink:

Does it have a kite mark or EC mark on it?

yeh, ive used it. Not burnt using it, infact hardly tanned.

Reply 12

OP

Fluffy

Absolute minimum = SPF 15. Don't forget you need a broadrange that also has UV-A protection (usually denoted by a string of AAAA's or stars)...

I got the garnier one, it says on the bottle it also has UVA protection. So I shouldn't wear 8?! When I bought it the lady in the shop convinced me that it'd be ok because I'm not fair as such. :confused:

Reply 13

Cortez

17

If you have a higher SPF do you tan less easily?

Reply 14

generalebriety

16

oxygenbubbles

I got the garnier one, it says on the bottle it also has UVA protection. So I shouldn't wear 8?! When I bought it the lady in the shop convinced me that it'd be ok because I'm not fair as such. :confused:

She may well have convinced you that because she doesn't give a **** about your skin and that was the only one they had in stock, and telling you you need 15+ would've forced you to go to another shop. :smile:

I always use 30+. Safer. Get a 15+ one with UVA protection. :confused:

Or just sit in a glass box all holiday.

Reply 15

generalebriety

16

Cortez

If you have a higher SPF do you tan less easily?

I guess so, yes.

Reply 16

OP

Cindy

I would go for the highest factor you can get, protect your skin in the short and long term.

Sunblock?

I still want to come home slightly darker than before I go. I got Holiday Skin today for the normal to darker skin so I'm going to apply that while I'm away rather than using after sun, so that should help, and I'll pretend that the tan is purely natural heh.

Reply 17

Cortez

If you have a higher SPF do you tan less easily?

yes, because tanning is a sign of skin damage. You will still get a tan, it just will be a slighty more safer tan.. Its up to the person really, they can have a rich tan for a few months and the risk of skin cancer or a less noticably tan and no risk.

Reply 18

generalebriety

16

oxygenbubbles

Sunblock?

I still want to come home slightly darker than before I go. I got Holiday Skin today for the normal to darker skin so I'm going to apply that while I'm away rather than using after sun, so that should help, and I'll pretend that the tan is purely natural heh.

Blah. The chances of developing skin problems are slim anyway. But I would rather get a factor 50 suncream than a factor 8 hoping I'll half-protect my skin and half-tan at the same time.

Besides, I don't tan. :p:

But that's irrelevant.

Reply 19

OP