Sunscreen??

[momtimesone]

Hi everyone we are going to disneyworld at the end of july and while going over my shopping list for trip essentials I forgot to get sunscreen in the fall when it was on clearance. I went to walmart yesterday and there are so many choices Im overwhelmed. We are going to the waterparks on 3 diffrent days and I would hate to look like a lobster or feel like one for that matter. My question is what type of sunscreen do you find works best for adults and a child age 8? and I know this is a odd question but what SPF do you all use for that hot florida sun?Thanks again for your advice. I am open to any brand as long as Its economical for a 8 day stay. with your help I hopefully wont have to break out the aloe vera gel again.

 

[skywaywaver]

As high as an SPF as you can get! That is usually what I buy anyway, as the more SPF the better. You might want to go for No AD. Target also has their own brand of some types. You might want to get sport if you sweat a lot, but I think anybody sweats in Florida in July!
Good luck!

 

[IMGONNABE40!]

I like Bull Frog. It is SPF 36. I usually get the spray. I use a Banana Boat Baby No More Tears SPF 50 on my face due to a bad incident where I got sunscreen in my eyes and had to spend much of the day back in my hotel with cold compresses on my eyes!

I know buying sunscreen is pricey, but so worth it not to burn!

 

[TexDisneyMom]

My favorite choice isnt necessarily economical unless you find it on sale but it is the BEST! I love the Coppertone 30 spf continous spray, no rub. Make sure it is the no rub. In the mornings I use the cream and rub it in the kids, but at the parks I just take the can out and I can evenly re-apply all over even while they are walking. But usually it isnt a problem to get them to stand still, because it is cold and refreshing when I spray it on them.

 

[Faerie]

Something oil free for my face, SPF 45. Body, copertone sport (sweat/water proof) SPF 45. I have lived down here since '94 and I still am not used to the sun. Be sure to reapply OFTEN! (Even more so if you're swimming. Waterproof only stays that way for a limited time so I apply every 2-3 hours but I'm pale)

 

[Anie87]

Heh heh.. I know I'm probably get flamed for this but... I don't use sunscreen when I go to WDW... I know, I know! Shame shame shame! But I am usually tan before we go and I just get tanner, not burnt. I know not actually having a burn doesn't mean it doesn't do skin damage, and actually often times we pack it, I just always forget to put it on under my make up! Whoopsie!

 

[sunee]

Different sunscreens block different rays. You want one that blocks UVA and UVB.

UVB rays are they ones that are the major factor in the devlopment of skin cancer and the SPF (sun protection factor) labels on the bottles measure how effective the sunscreen is in blocking UVB rays. So far, there isn't anything for UVA rays, which help along the cancer-causing effects of the UVBs.

SPFs of 15 will filter 92% of UVB rays and work for most skin types. If the person burns easily, get a higher one.

Look for the term "broad spectrum" on the packaging - that means it isn't just for UVA rays.

Get a waterproof one, even if you aren't swimming. It is better for when you sweat.

And don't forget to use them on cloudy days, too! 80% of UVB rays filter through the clouds! I got the worst sunburn of my life on an overcast day - it even rained a lot.

Follow the application directions, re-apply as needed and have a great day!!!

Almost forgot - if you're taking pills that list "photosensitivity", call the doctor and ask about a day or two in the sun.

 

[wiggles02]

Look for sunscreens that are stable, such as the new Neutrogena ones with Helioplex. I used the spf 55 Neutrogena Dry Touch on my face and body in early May at WDW and didn't burn at all.

I think Aveeno has a few photostable ones as well as Banana Boat and Coppertone. Stable means it won't break down as soon as the sun hits it.

There is a lot of interesting info about suncreen out there.

 

[1disneychic]

As a fair-skinned, freckle-faced red-head, I always use my sunscreen. I can't say that I have always been brand specific, but for the past year or two, I have used Coppertone Sport Spray--I think it is waterproof. It is SPF 30 (I always get spf that high--sometimes higher, although I have heard that after 30 it really doesn't matter.) At first I thought the spray wouldn't cover as well as the cream--but it did a great job. And application is super easy. I also have a Neutrogena brand for my face that works well (spf 30 too). However, the coppertone is pretty good. I got mine at Walmart this year--it was in a two pack and not too terribly expensive.

 

[nbodyhome]

Mexoryl is supposed to be the best protection (it was created by Loreal a long time ago, but wasn't approved in the US until last year): http://www.mexoryl.com/

Helioplex looks really promising from what I'm reading as well, I need to read more on it. I wear sun protective clothing also. I had a pre-melanoma about 10 years ago, when I was 30. The clothing is extremely lightweight (people ask me all the time if I'm not hot - but it's so much lighter than anything else and I don't have the sun beating down on my arms and legs). I bought a few extra items, including some gloves for driving at Coolibar a few days ago - http://www.coolibar.com/

The clothing isn't cheap, but the items I bought (except for the gloves) were on clearance. And the one place I wasn't protected was my hands while driving, so I'll be glad to have the gloves. I also save quite a bit of money on sunblock buying the clothes, and they travel well (I can wash the clothes in the sink, and travelling is much lighter now!) I don't burn as easily as I used to - I can get a "base tan", but that is just as much damage as a burn and I try to be really careful not to get too much color. I've really started becoming more serious about that in the past couple of years. I wish I'd done it 20 years ago.

 

[Colleen27]

My new favorite isn't cheap, but being a family of freckled, red-headed Irish folks with a boat, I take sunscreens seriously. We spend too much time in the sun for me to do otherwise. Now that it is available here, I only use Anthelios with an SPF of 45 or higher.

Prior to the FDA approval of the UVA blocking ingredient in Anthelios, I used Neutrogena or Hawaiian Tropic. I practically have to buy sunscreen in bulk so I prefer to avoid the very expensive brands, but it has to have Parsol and an SPF factor of at least 50 for me to even consider it. And I buy a spray marketed for babies' scalps for the parts in my & DD's hair, and a stick sunscreen for our faces because it seems to stay put better without getting into our eyes.

 

[Colleen27]

The clothing is extremely lightweight (people ask me all the time if I'm not hot - but it's so much lighter than anything else and I don't have the sun beating down on my arms and legs). I bought a few extra items, including some gloves for driving at Coolibar a few days ago - http://www.coolibar.com/

Great link! I've been looking for someplace to get a hat for this summer, and they have a couple styles that would work. Believe it or not, it is tough to find a good sun hat with a chin strap that will keep it from flying off (like I said in my other post, we have a boat - I've lost more than one attractive but impractical hat to the wind!), especially if you're adverse to tropical prints and bright colors. I've been able to find them for the kids without difficulty, but haven't had much luck for me.

 

[goofy4tink]

As a fair-skinned, freckle-faced red-head, I always use my sunscreen. I can't say that I have always been brand specific, but for the past year or two, I have used Coppertone Sport Spray--I think it is waterproof. It is SPF 30 (I always get spf that high--sometimes higher, although I have heard that after 30 it really doesn't matter.) At first I thought the spray wouldn't cover as well as the cream--but it did a great job. And application is super easy. I also have a Neutrogena brand for my face that works well (spf 30 too). However, the coppertone is pretty good. I got mine at Walmart this year--it was in a two pack and not too terribly expensive.

I used the Coppertone 30 no rub spray yesterday on my freckle-faced red-headed 13 y/o dd. I wasn't sure how good it was going to be, but man...was I surprised! I put it on her at 1:00, she swam most of the afternoon, and when we got home that night, she told me that perhaps I should be more careful when spraying...somehow I missed one little area by her elbow, and it was bright red!!! I guess it worked really, really well.

I have to say that after having two basal-cell carcinoma's dug out of my body, plus one frozen off, several months ago, I'm very careful about the sun. Just don't want to do that again!!! I would rather be pale and healthy now. So..you youguns out there....take care of that skin now!!!

 

[Kae]

We use Coppertone Sport products, also. I prefer the lotion over the spray. I would think about at least 30 spf. We tried No-ad sport And it burned my eyes when I was at the water parks. But I have liked the other No-Ad products.

Kae

 

[klj27]

We use the continuous spray sunblocks anywhere from an spf 30-50. They are so easy to reapply throughout the day. We just use a lotion or sunblock stick for our faces.

I believe the banana boat brand is B1G1F at Walgreens this week.

 

[Ariel8676]

We use Blue Lizard sensitive sunscreen, it is a 30 SPF and works immidiately. It blocks both UVA and UVB rays and doesn't have all the chemicals that a lot of sunscreens have.
I use it on myself, dh and our 3 dd's (5,4, and 18 months) we haven't had one burn while using it (started using it May '06)and is VERY waterproof.

 

[zuzu310]

We always use Coppertone Sport Continuous Coverage Spray. Just spray it on and no messy residue on hands. After our showers every morning, we just spray it on before getting dressed. I am really, really fair-skinned and it works. I used SPF 30 last year. I had read last year that SPF 50 isn't really any more effective than SPF 30 but if they are the same price I get the higher one. The spray is not sticky and dries fast.

 

[nbodyhome]

Great link! I've been looking for someplace to get a hat for this summer, and they have a couple styles that would work. Believe it or not, it is tough to find a good sun hat with a chin strap that will keep it from flying off (like I said in my other post, we have a boat - I've lost more than one attractive but impractical hat to the wind!), especially if you're adverse to tropical prints and bright colors. I've been able to find them for the kids without difficulty, but haven't had much luck for me.

I hope you find one! I bought a sun hat from another sun protection company (Stingray from Australia), but I often wear a regular cap to the parks. It is nice having a larger hat sometimes too.

 

[nbodyhome]

My new favorite isn't cheap, but being a family of freckled, red-headed Irish folks with a boat, I take sunscreens seriously. We spend too much time in the sun for me to do otherwise. Now that it is available here, I only use Anthelios with an SPF of 45 or higher.

That is the sunblock that has Mexoryl, although I asked on another board if I could find Ombrelle (the name of the sunblock overseas) in Paris - but was told I could find it cheaper online from Canadian pharmacies. It's much less expensive than buying Anthelios here, so I plan to pick some up.

 

[ellenmiele]

I bought the continuous spray Coppertone before our April trip and while the application is very convenient, there are not many applications per bottle so it ended up being really expensive since we went through it so quickly. I used 2 bottle for our family of 6 during a 7 day stay in April. I'd probably use twice that amount in July because the sun is stronger and we'd be in the pools/waterparks more. So if you go for the continuous spray type just be sure to bring enough!
One more thing - I like the stick type for faces (it looks like a really fat chapstick). Much easier to apply to the face than a lotion or spray and very easy to reapply as you are walking around the parks.