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I am fair-skinned and so I'm aware of the sun and catch only about 20 min of it on some days rear-round to be sure to get natural Vitamin D. The other reason for the short stint is so I don't get weathered skin. I sit in the sun outside of the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. I don't wear sunscreens or lotions.
Today I got yelled at ("friends giving unsolicited advice") that I'm going to get cancer. There's argument for and against using sunscreen and I wonder what you all think and do. Here's an argument against:
I spent years bicycling and motorcycling in Southern California, so you can bet your sweet bippy I wore sunscreen on any exposed skin (which was more when bicycling and less when motorcycling). If I had not done that, serious sunburn would have been the result.
Now days I rarely use it, because sun exposure of more than 30 minutes or so is rare. I am about to embark on a road trip in my car during which I will be driving all day on some days. On those days I will apply sunscreen on the backs of my hands and wrists and forearms.
I am aware of the Vitamin D issues; I started taking a daily Vitamin D supplement a couple of years ago. But actual sunburn is something I am going to avoid one way or another, and staying out of the sun 24/7 is not my way, as I enjoy the outdoors. Therefore, I will continue some sunscreen use.
I also am fair skinned and don't leave the house without it. I started getting serious about 10 years ago and now most things I put on my face (generally creams + sunscreen 50+) have some level of sunscreen in them.
I am fair skinned and I don't have a lot of hair on my head, so I wear hats that have a wide enough brim to give my face & neck some shade when I walk around outdoors. If I am going to be outdoors for short periods of time, I don't wear sunscreen to cover arms or legs. I never sit in the sun intentionally, just to soak up sun. In my area, sun exposure is not something you have to make an effort to obtain.
I use SPF 50 Ocean Potion sunscreen when I go on bicycle rides that last 2 to 3 hours, several times a week. I also wear a long sleeve shirt most of the time when I bike ride, and finish my rides well before 11 am to avoid the strongest sun exposure. I think wearing sunscreen all the time is overkill for most people unless they are always outdoors. I prefer wearing a hat or a long sleeve shirt to sunscreen if I want to keep sun off of my face and arms.
I wonder about the difference between moving around in the sun, as in working in the fields, and lying about on a beach. If there's a difference.
Anyway, I now feel I ought to use sunscreen at all times but that somehow feels unnatural. Not having any sun exposure means I have to get vitamin D from a bottle.
I live in southern New Mexico and am outdoors much of the time. When working in the yard I am totally covered up and use #60 sunscreen on my face. I ended up with a vitamin D deficiency. You figure. So now, I try to get a bit tanned up and it being summer, lay out about 4 hours a week or so with no sunscreen at all. So I guess we are supposed to get some sun and not use all that sunscreen.
My dermatologist says all you need is 30 minutes in the sun, daily, to activate skin cancer cells. She also mentioned anything under SPF-50 is practically useless. She and other docs I've talked to say people over 50 are the most susceptible to having serious skin cancer problems as they age. I've had 28 skin cancer procedures and have witnessed in the doctors office how severe and serious this skin cancer problem can be. Some people have lost parts of their ears, noses and lips. It's not a pretty sight to see.
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