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Water Bottles 'n Sunscreen


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This is what I use on my face and ears. It's well worth the money. You don't need too much and it seems to last all day. I also put a little bit on my lips while I'm at it. Just the residue left on my finger after I apply to the rest of my face is enough to protect my lips.

A hat with a brim all the way around is a must as already stated, and good sunglasses as well. Mine are from Native Eyewear. They are not as expensive as Oakleys, and they are warranteed for life. Downside is that the darkest lens Native makes is not as dark, but 10% transmission is nothing to scoff at.

Drink lots of water ahead of time too. Proper hydration starts the day before

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Neutrogena sunscreen gets a second recommendation from me! If you have sensitive skin, like I do, there is nothing better out there. My dermatologist recommends Neutrogena over even most prescription sunscreens (for people with sensitive skin).

To add to Scott_of_melnsct's point, proper hydration is the key to LIFE. Drink water like a :fish: !!

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Having a kiter friend go through some pretty intense surgical procedures for skin cancer, and having some small pre-c spots removed myself, I thought I'd pass along the suggestions from my doc.

Sunscreen: Broad spectrum sunblock block both UVA and UVB rays. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the broadest available, now available in micronized (transparent) form so you won't look like the lifeguards' nose all over. Neutrogena Helioplex is a chemical broad spectrum sunscreen, a photo-stabilized version of avobenzone. All three block both UVA and UVB. SPF 30+ (I use 50 or 70 now). Reapply every two to four hours even on cloudy days

Lip balm: Again SPF 30+. Dermatone with zinc oxide recommended.

Hats: Wide brimmed all the way around. I use a Tilley LTM6 Airflo. No more ball caps for me.

Clothing: Not SPF but UPF rating of 30+ blocks 97% or more of UVA and UVB rays. Tee shirts are said to be around 5. Solumbra, Coolibar and Columbia are three brands with UPF ratings.

That's the summary. If you'd like her detailed writeup, send me a PM or email. Hope that helps.

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Having a kiter friend go through some pretty intense surgical procedures for skin cancer, and having some small pre-c spots removed myself, I thought I'd pass along the suggestions from my doc.

Sunscreen: Broad spectrum sunblock block both UVA and UVB rays. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the broadest available, now available in micronized (transparent) form so you won't look like the lifeguards' nose all over. Neutrogena Helioplex is a chemical broad spectrum sunscreen, a photo-stabilized version of avobenzone. All three block both UVA and UVB. SPF 30+ (I use 50 or 70 now). Reapply every two to four hours even on cloudy days

Lip balm: Again SPF 30+. Dermatone with zinc oxide recommended.

Hats: Wide brimmed all the way around. I use a Tilley LTM6 Airflo. No more ball caps for me.

Clothing: Not SPF but UPF rating of 30+ blocks 97% or more of UVA and UVB rays. Tee shirts are said to be around 5. Solumbra, Coolibar and Columbia are three brands with UPF ratings.

That's the summary. If you'd like her detailed writeup, send me a PM or email. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the detailed info. I didn't realize that T shirts were so low on the UV protective scale. I try to be good with SPF 50 and re-apply as the day goes on. I always seem to forget the lip balm though.

-Alden

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Having a kiter friend go through some pretty intense surgical procedures for skin cancer, and having some small pre-c spots removed myself, I thought I'd pass along the suggestions from my doc.

Sunscreen: Broad spectrum sunblock block both UVA and UVB rays. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the broadest available, now available in micronized (transparent) form so you won't look like the lifeguards' nose all over. Neutrogena Helioplex is a chemical broad spectrum sunscreen, a photo-stabilized version of avobenzone. All three block both UVA and UVB. SPF 30+ (I use 50 or 70 now). Reapply every two to four hours even on cloudy days

Lip balm: Again SPF 30+. Dermatone with zinc oxide recommended.

Hats: Wide brimmed all the way around. I use a Tilley LTM6 Airflo. No more ball caps for me.

Clothing: Not SPF but UPF rating of 30+ blocks 97% or more of UVA and UVB rays. Tee shirts are said to be around 5. Solumbra, Coolibar and Columbia are three brands with UPF ratings.

That's the summary. If you'd like her detailed writeup, send me a PM or email. Hope that helps.

I hope you and your friend are experiencing full and speedy recoveries! :blue_wink::)

I have a friend with skin cancer, she has had 6 surgeries, each one removed a progressively larger piece of skin :( She is my inspiration for taking care of my own skin, and for starting this topic.

Thanks for bringing up how clothing is now rated with UPF factor. On top of checking the SPF and UPF ratings, try and pick darker color clothing made with tighter fabric weaves. Back in the day experts told us white clothing was the best way to go, but now they say a dark color works best, as it doesn't reflect light, and a tighter weave blocks the sun better and is a better insulator.

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Well, I just spent Friday under a mostly overcast sky with no sunscreen for my first exposure this year and got well-FRIED. I got a bottle of the Neutrogena SPF 100+ and hosed myself down well with it for Saturday and did not seem to increase the damage.

To be fair, this is my normal method for introducing my skin to the sun each year. I get a moderate burn one day, peel a bit over the next week and thereafter have no trouble with sunburn for the rest of the season. (This is not to say that there is no additional damage from sun exposure, just that I don't get an uncomfortable burn after that.) I can't wear tightly woven clothing; I have a tough enough time keeping cool with normal summer wear once the temperature goes above 70 degrees. I do try to stay in the shade except when doing things that can't be done there. Also shade doesn't help much at the beach or on the water - you get burned from the reflections.

Now, be warned, this may not be the best method. I've had two melanomas removed (about 10 years apart; both caught early) and now get a careful look-over two or three times a year by an expert. I attribute those melanomas to several extreme burns as a child and as a teen (50%+ of exposed skin covered in water-blisters). This seems to be a strong factor for melanoma development as an adult, but no-one knew this back in the 1940s and 1950s. If you were severely burned before age 20 or so, you do need to keep an eye out for melanomas - looking in unlikely places like under fingernails and inside of eyelids, not just where the skin got burned. Having an expert dermatologist give you an exam is a good idea. They know where to look and what to look for.

Even beach umbrellas and canopies have UPF ratings, so look for rated products. A hand-held UV detector, with a meter, and maybe even a totalizer, would be nice, too. Does anyone know if such a thing exists?

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The weekend in Grand Haven reminded me of one other thing that can be done to prevent sunburn ... pick your parents wisely!!!!

Found a straw hat on the beach with a bandanna and large, long-sleeved iQuad shirt under it ... a funny British voice was heard to come from the middle of all those clothes. Seems Bazzer inherited some of the red headed genes from the early invaders of Great Britain. Then I looked over on another field to see Ben staring the sun down!!!! Can't say that I've ever seen him with a hat!! So, pick your parents more carefully next time and maybe you'll be a little more lucky with sun problems.

If I remember correctly, when -Pete was young suntan lotion was baby oil with a few drops of iodine added. In hind site, seems like we were simply basting the body during hours of cooking in the sun.

Cheers,

Tom

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The weekend in Grand Haven reminded me of one other thing that can be done to prevent sunburn ... pick your parents wisely!!!!

Found a straw hat on the beach with a bandanna and large, long-sleeved iQuad shirt under it ... a funny British voice was heard to come from the middle of all those clothes. Seems Bazzer inherited some of the red headed genes from the early invaders of Great Britain. Then I looked over on another field to see Ben staring the sun down!!!! Can't say that I've ever seen him with a hat!! So, pick your parents more carefully next time and maybe you'll be a little more lucky with sun problems.

If I remember correctly, when -Pete was young suntan lotion was baby oil with a few drops of iodine added. In hind site, seems like we were simply basting the body during hours of cooking in the sun.

Cheers,

Tom

Everyone's always picking on the gingers :kid_smartass:

Where I work, we call poking fun at someone "giving them the needle".

--Pete brought up a good point - check the ratings on your gear, too. Umbrellas, canopies, lean-tos, etc. many things are being rated in terms of their protection factor. With the right combination of gear and sunscreen, you can really minimize your chance of being burnt. If you really want to know how strong the UV rays are, I found these meters on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=uv+meter&tag=mh0b-20&index=aps&hvadid=21567649&ref=pd_sl_70k6q4b6gu_e

I love tools and gadgets, someone needs to make a combination wind speed and UV meter :)

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  • 5 weeks later...

Summer's here! 3 months of Zen weather lies ahead B)

We have a 'summer like' forecast for Blackheath this coming weekend after six or so dismal ones.

Hopefully the following weekend in Sunderland will be good as well.

Felix

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Word about the nasties. Melanoma is no joke. It starts at the skin level and then goes deeper then to lymph nodes. From there it is very bad and very quick. The sunscreen is probably good at prevention but your childhood exposure and probably genes determine if you will have melanoma. But why chance it, use sun screen. Also you can get it in the eye so good wrap around sun glasses are important. Remember we are always looking to the sky.

The key thing is to detect the melanoma early. The gauge is the thickness or depth. If it is less than .9mm there is a good chance of sucessful surgery (complete removal) and no recurrance. If it is thicker that means there is higher probability that it has spread. So if you have one time is your enemy. Mine was diagnosed at a free clinic which reccomened a visit to the dermatologist and biopsy.

Ironically the young nurse that took care of me had one. Her 4 year daughter discovered it. She asked what the funny spot was on her mom's back. It was a melanoma.

So kite flyers pay attention to your skin and get anything suspicious checked and get it done as soon as it looks suspicious.

My result looks good. They thought it might have metastacized but now they think it hasn't. Mine never did look like a melanoma, it just looked suspicious.

Take care

Mtn Flyers' friend

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Word about the nasties. Melanoma is no joke. It starts at the skin level and then goes deeper then to lymph nodes. From there it is very bad and very quick. The sunscreen is probably good at prevention but your childhood exposure and probably genes determine if you will have melanoma. But why chance it, use sun screen. Also you can get it in the eye so good wrap around sun glasses are important. Remember we are always looking to the sky.

The key thing is to detect the melanoma early. The gauge is the thickness or depth. If it is less than .9mm there is a good chance of sucessful surgery (complete removal) and no recurrance. If it is thicker that means there is higher probability that it has spread. So if you have one time is your enemy. Mine was diagnosed at a free clinic which reccomened a visit to the dermatologist and biopsy.

Ironically the young nurse that took care of me had one. Her 4 year daughter discovered it. She asked what the funny spot was on her mom's back. It was a melanoma.

So kite flyers pay attention to your skin and get anything suspicious checked and get it done as soon as it looks suspicious.

My result looks good. They thought it might have metastacized but now they think it hasn't. Mine never did look like a melanoma, it just looked suspicious.

Take care

Mtn Flyers' friend

I'm glad they caught yours in time.

My father wasn't so lucky. He died of melanoma.

This cancer is also no respecter of age. A friend from high school died from skin cancer a couple of years after graduation. He was 19.

I wear SPF 30 for UVA and UVB, sunglasses rated for UV and a wide brimmed hat. Anything to better the odds.

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I'm 67. My melanoma exposure happened 50-60 years ago as a child and as a teenager. I've had two melanomas discovered early and removed successfully.

I believe that the solution for those who were exposed and heavily sun-burned when young is VIGILANCE. Get yourself looked over by an expert several times a year.

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We have a 'summer like' forecast for Blackheath this coming weekend after six or so dismal ones.

Hopefully the following weekend in Sunderland will be good as well.

Felix

I hope so too, Felix ;)

Reading through the Sunderland 2011 topic, looks like there will be a good turn-out for this event! Hopefully nature stays in check for everyone out there.

I completely agree with --Pete, Quincy, and John F - take care of your skin! If possible, get yourself checked regularly at a dermatologist. Skin is the largest organ of the human body! It needs a doctor's attention.

Always always use sunscreen, or cover-up, or both! Spring summer winter fall for me, anytime I'm out in the sun longer than half an hour.

Pay special attention to your face, skin is more susceptible to damage there. Keep your eyes, nose, ears, and lips protected!

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  • 1 month later...

I've got some more sunscreen tips for all you festival-goers!

1. Want to look good at the festival? Get Neutrogena Ultimate Sport sunblock lotion. This sunscreen goes on without being shiny! And it actually has a decent fragrance (for a sunscreen). It also costs 3 times more than most sunscreens! Worth every penny.

2. Going to the festival on a budget? Try Equate SPF 50 Baby Sunscreen (Walmart's house brand), or Banana Boat for Kids (yellow bottle). Both are very good sunscreens. Both will have you looking "greasy" after application, and both will have you smelling like, um, plastic, but protecting yourself from the sun is more important!

3. Begin the day with a lotion-based sunscreen, and use a spray-on sunscreen for re-application throughout the rest of the day.

4. Wash any sunscreen off your palms and fingers! Touching your kite lines with palms and fingers covered in sunscreen will result in sticky, gritty lines! Most sunscreens are water-resistant, so I like to use Dawn or a concentrated dish soap to clean up (try and not wash the sunscreen off the back of your hand, just from the palm-side of your hand).

;):)

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Right smack in the middle of summer now, plenty of kite festivals coming up! ;)

Concerning water usage, I'm finding that 1.5 liters of water is lasting about 1.5 to 2 hours of continuous (outdoor) kiting.

When you're out and about, plan appropriately! Nothing will ruin your day faster than a bout of heat exhaustion/heat stroke, conditions brought on by moderate to severe dehydration.

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I've got some more sunscreen tips for all you festival-goers!

1. Want to look good at the festival? Get Neutrogena Ultimate Sport sunblock lotion. This sunscreen goes on without being shiny! And it actually has a decent fragrance (for a sunscreen). It also costs 3 times more than most sunscreens! Worth every penny.

2. Going to the festival on a budget? Try Equate SPF 50 Baby Sunscreen (Walmart's house brand), or Banana Boat for Kids (yellow bottle). Both are very good sunscreens. Both will have you looking "greasy" after application, and both will have you smelling like, um, plastic, but protecting yourself from the sun is more important!

3. Begin the day with a lotion-based sunscreen, and use a spray-on sunscreen for re-application throughout the rest of the day.

4. Wash any sunscreen off your palms and fingers! Touching your kite lines with palms and fingers covered in sunscreen will result in sticky, gritty lines! Most sunscreens are water-resistant, so I like to use Dawn or a concentrated dish soap to clean up (try and not wash the sunscreen off the back of your hand, just from the palm-side of your hand).

;):)

Great tips on sun protection!

I haven't tried the Neutrogena Ultimate Sport, but I'm a big fan of their Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch formula. It is by far the most comfortable sunscreen I've ever used (and I HATE wearing sunscreen). After application it dries completely, leaving nothing feeling sticky or greasy. The Walgreens store brand equivalent is almost as good (and considerably cheaper).

"Kid" and "Baby" formulas often contain physical (vs. chemical) blocking agents like zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. The plus? Physical barriers don't break down in UV like chemical barriers do, so you don't have to reapply quite as often (though they still rub off). Some also believe that the chemical barriers (and their breakdown products) can be somewhat toxic. The minus? These compounds are what gives suncreen a heavy whitish appearance. I have used the Banana Boat for Kids (yellow bottle) and Banana Boat Baby (pink bottle). Even with the same SPF and same ingredients listed, the Baby has always seemed to work better for me. Not sure why. Note that these Banana Boat products are part physical and part chemical barrier. For an all physical barrier try Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby or it's generic equivalent.

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<snip>

"Kid" and "Baby" formulas often contain physical (vs. chemical) blocking agents like zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide. The plus? Physical barriers don't break down in UV like chemical barriers do, so you don't have to reapply quite as often (though they still rub off). Some also believe that the chemical barriers (and their breakdown products) can be somewhat toxic. The minus? These compounds are what gives suncreen a heavy whitish appearance. I have used the Banana Boat for Kids (yellow bottle) and Banana Boat Baby (pink bottle). Even with the same SPF and same ingredients listed, the Baby has always seemed to work better for me. Not sure why. Note that these Banana Boat products are part physical and part chemical barrier. For an all physical barrier try Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby or it's generic equivalent.

Thanks for the breakdown on physical vs. chemical sunscreens!

I will give the Banana Boat Baby sunscreen a try, once I run out of this half-gallon jug of the BB Kids stuff :)

As mentioned previously in this topic, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide have come along ways, in terms of how they can alter your appearance (remember the lifeguard in the movie Caddyshack, one leg completely white with sunscreen :lol: that's over-applied, old-school zinc oxide for sure). The new zinc oxide and titanium dioxide products still take a couple shades of brown out of my tan though. The protection is much better, IMHO.

Unfortunately, as mentioned above, some of the components that make up sunscreen are toxic. In fact, almost every "active" ingredient in sunscreen has been shown to cause cancer within labratory animals.

I wouldn't worry too much about that though. They expose those animals to incredible doses for very extended periods.

Still, I don't chance it. As soon as I am finished exercising (my exercise includes flying the Rev), I'm washing the sunsreen off.

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As mentioned previously in this topic, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide have come along ways, in terms of how they can alter your appearance (remember the lifeguard in the movie Caddyshack, one leg completely white with sunscreen :lol: that's over-applied, old-school zinc oxide for sure). The new zinc oxide and titanium dioxide products still take a couple shades of brown out of my tan though. The protection is much better, IMHO.

I've always thought it was a pretty neat application of "nano-scale" physics how they do that. Newer manufacturing techniques allow for the creation of large numbers of oxide particles with a very tightly controlled range of sizes. The trick to making "invisible" oxides for sunscreen is to make the particles big enough to block UV wavelengths, but small enough that they don't block visible wavelengths of light. If you look at it in UV light, it's just as opaque as the old stuff. It's still a bit whitish in visible light since the size control isn't perfect and and there is still some scattering.

Unfortuanately as with everything else in life there is a tradeoff. Nanoparticles are relatively new and their safety is not well understood yet. There is some evidence that they can penetrate deeper into the body than larger particles and cause various problems, inlcuding DNA damage. There is just no way in life to be perfectly safe. You've got to take the best tradeoff with the information you have available.

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  • 8 months later...

Yeh an Akubra hat for me too.

I use Banana Boat on a "daily basis" as well. I work outside teaching agriculture.

It is the only sunscreen (4 hours in water) I've tried that will give you the protection in humid conditions.

The others seem to be dissolved by sweat and I end up burnt.

Banana Boat is my only choice when welding aluminium, as it safely protects skin that seems to catch all the welding reflections.

Only down side is it's a little greasy and will attract some grit.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Yeh an Akubra hat for me too.

I use Banana Boat on a "daily basis" as well. I work outside teaching agriculture.

It is the only sunscreen (4 hours in water) I've tried that will give you the protection in humid conditions.

The others seem to be dissolved by sweat and I end up burnt.

Banana Boat is my only choice when welding aluminium, as it safely protects skin that seems to catch all the welding reflections.

Only down side is it's a little greasy and will attract some grit.

Chook, which Banana Boat product do you use, specifically? I like BB lotion sunscreens, but the spray-ons stain my clothes, unfortunately. However, if the spray-on works in high humidity, I might give it a go again.

I recently tried a new Coppertone product, "Coppertone Sensitive Skin" sunscreen lotion, SPF50. I can't recommend this product; sure, just like all sunscreens I've used, it keeps me from burning, but its also less product for considerably more money (compared to regular Coppertone sunscreen), the smell isn't pleasant, and no matter how much I try it will not rub into my skin, making me look like I'm covered in a light layer of lithium grease or crisco or something. Skip this one.

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Hi it's

Banana Boat "Sport" Sweat resistant.

This one won't rub in as well though. It gives you a pasty sheen.

As I said it does attract the grit, but is the only one I've had that will last all day.

Being fair skinned, I've already had enough skin cancers removed. So I have to be on the ball, working outside all the time.

Hope this helps, Chook

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