Summer time, when the living ain't easy
Other than not being able to drink, what really annoys me about my AIH (autoimmune hepatitis) is not being able to sunbathe.
Not that I have ever been a big sun worshipper, but I do love to feel the sun's warmth on my skin, gain a healthy glow and also benefit from the feel-good serotonin and bone-strengthening vitamin D.
Sadly, one of the downsides of medications used to control this disease is that they make tanning prohibitive. First, the corticosteroids thin the skin increasing our sensitivity to the sun's harmful rays and make sunburn and blistering more likely after far less exposure. Next, the immune-suppressant drugs, such as the chemotherapy drug mercaptopurine which I take, increase our likelihood of skin cancer ten-fold. So what can people like me do in summer? We can slip, slap, slop.
Slip. slap, slop was an Australian campaign for staying sun-safe; slip on a shirt, slap on a hat and slop on the sun screen. Last summer I followed the regime rigorously, but struggled to find a sunscreen that didn't stain my clothes, sting my eyes or leave a white, goth-like residue. So this year, I have done my research, and this is what I have found.
A good sunscreen contains protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
Both types of rays will give you a tan, but are damaging to skin and may cause cancer.
UVB is the shorter light wave and is responsible for sunburn and reddening.
UVA is a longer wave and penetrates deeper into the skin. It is responsible for wrinkles and pigmentation associated with premature aging. Think A for aging.
UVB protection is measured by the SPF rating, such as SPF 30 or SPF 50.
UVA protection is indicated by a stars rating - with a maximum of 5 stars.
The good news is in studies (there are loads on the Internet), the cheap own brand sunscreens are as good at protecting your skin as the expensive ones. As one expert explained; they are all tested the same way, so an SPF 30, is an SPF 30, whether it costs £3 or £30. M&S, Aldi and Boots get particular praise in consumer magazine tests. However, make sure what you buy has at least 4 stars as well as a reasonably high SPF.
Interestingly, you're almost as good with a Factor 30 as you are with Factor 50. The former blocks 97% of UVB rays and the latter 98%. I'd rather do without the sneering and smearing, so F30 for me then.
What is important is when and how often you apply it. The advice I found was to apply it 30 minutes before going out and then reapply every two hours. Do this all year round because UVA is as damaging in winter as it is in summer.
You also need more than you think! It is easy to regard the quantities recommended by manufacturers as a ploy to make you buy more; but actually this is for real. The amount recommended by the manufacturer is how much they used in the testing. So if 2 tablespoons per application is used in the sun protection factor testing, then that is what you need to apply each time to get the benefit of that particular factor. If like most people, you use less than half this amount, you will not be getting the full protection potential.
Once you start using the recommended amount, you are less likely to have half finished bottles in the cupboard at the end of the summer. Chuck these now if they are more than a year old; sunscreen's ability to protect diminishes with time, so those old bottles are useless.
Sunscreen shopping
I've trawled the reviews and found that Aldi, Boots and M & S products are excellent, as are some of the more expensive ones like Ultrasun and Rieman; but do you really want to pay that much when you now know how much you need to use?
The organic ones, such as Badger Sunscreen, will not sting your eyes and the baby sunscreen are also gentle on eyes, but do leave a white residue.
My triumph: Altruist Sunscreen. This, I believe, is the sunscreen we have all been looking for. Find out about it here: https://www.altruistsun.com/
It is not expensive, doesn't stain or sting and it doesn't leave you looking like a goth.
Not that I have ever been a big sun worshipper, but I do love to feel the sun's warmth on my skin, gain a healthy glow and also benefit from the feel-good serotonin and bone-strengthening vitamin D.
Sadly, one of the downsides of medications used to control this disease is that they make tanning prohibitive. First, the corticosteroids thin the skin increasing our sensitivity to the sun's harmful rays and make sunburn and blistering more likely after far less exposure. Next, the immune-suppressant drugs, such as the chemotherapy drug mercaptopurine which I take, increase our likelihood of skin cancer ten-fold. So what can people like me do in summer? We can slip, slap, slop.
Slip. slap, slop was an Australian campaign for staying sun-safe; slip on a shirt, slap on a hat and slop on the sun screen. Last summer I followed the regime rigorously, but struggled to find a sunscreen that didn't stain my clothes, sting my eyes or leave a white, goth-like residue. So this year, I have done my research, and this is what I have found.
A good sunscreen contains protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
Both types of rays will give you a tan, but are damaging to skin and may cause cancer.
UVB is the shorter light wave and is responsible for sunburn and reddening.
UVA is a longer wave and penetrates deeper into the skin. It is responsible for wrinkles and pigmentation associated with premature aging. Think A for aging.
UVB protection is measured by the SPF rating, such as SPF 30 or SPF 50.
UVA protection is indicated by a stars rating - with a maximum of 5 stars.
The good news is in studies (there are loads on the Internet), the cheap own brand sunscreens are as good at protecting your skin as the expensive ones. As one expert explained; they are all tested the same way, so an SPF 30, is an SPF 30, whether it costs £3 or £30. M&S, Aldi and Boots get particular praise in consumer magazine tests. However, make sure what you buy has at least 4 stars as well as a reasonably high SPF.
Interestingly, you're almost as good with a Factor 30 as you are with Factor 50. The former blocks 97% of UVB rays and the latter 98%. I'd rather do without the sneering and smearing, so F30 for me then.
What is important is when and how often you apply it. The advice I found was to apply it 30 minutes before going out and then reapply every two hours. Do this all year round because UVA is as damaging in winter as it is in summer.
You also need more than you think! It is easy to regard the quantities recommended by manufacturers as a ploy to make you buy more; but actually this is for real. The amount recommended by the manufacturer is how much they used in the testing. So if 2 tablespoons per application is used in the sun protection factor testing, then that is what you need to apply each time to get the benefit of that particular factor. If like most people, you use less than half this amount, you will not be getting the full protection potential.
Once you start using the recommended amount, you are less likely to have half finished bottles in the cupboard at the end of the summer. Chuck these now if they are more than a year old; sunscreen's ability to protect diminishes with time, so those old bottles are useless.
Sunscreen shopping
I've trawled the reviews and found that Aldi, Boots and M & S products are excellent, as are some of the more expensive ones like Ultrasun and Rieman; but do you really want to pay that much when you now know how much you need to use?
Nivea is a no-no if you want to wear white - it leaves terrible yellow stains. Avobenzone is the ingredient that does this, so check the ingredients and use one without it. But beware also of Calypso which I believe is responsible for the bleaching of some necklines on my clothes.
My triumph: Altruist Sunscreen. This, I believe, is the sunscreen we have all been looking for. Find out about it here: https://www.altruistsun.com/
It is not expensive, doesn't stain or sting and it doesn't leave you looking like a goth.
Comments
Post a Comment