Sunscreen?

[Sorsha]

What does everyone think of this?

My take on it - first, 1004 people is WAY too small a sample group to draw a conclusion from. But, honestly, I am guilty of this. I don't put sunblock on every single day. If I know I will be out in the sun a lot - if we are going to be outside the whole day or if we are going to a body of water - then I do, but if I am just running errands or something, then no, I don't. I spray down the kids almost every day though, since they spend most of the day playing outside. Of course, in Montana, you only have to worry about this around 3 months out of the year. Unless you are skiing (sun off the snow) its just not something we even think about the rest of the year.

Let's have a DisBoards poll, and see how our numbers match up with theirs...

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Americans turn cold shoulder to sunscreen
By Reuters
Last Updated: July 19, 2010 9:41am

NEW YORK – Even as summer temperatures soar, Americans are turning a cold shoulder to sunscreen, according to a poll released on Friday.

Only one-fifth of Americans wear sunscreen before going outside most days during the summer and just under one-third apply it even a few days during the season, according to the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.

Despite the attention of the healthcare industry on the role of sunscreen in preventing skin cancer, about 40 percent of Americans never apply sunscreen at all before going out and only 9 percent wear it everyday, the poll of 1,004 people, showed.

One of the regions with the lowest use of sunscreen was the South, where 46 percent of people said they never using sunscreen at all during the summer. The age group with the lowest rate of sunscreen use was 18- to 29-year-olds at four percent.

Men were also much more likely not to use sunscreen before going outside with 48 percent saying they do not wear it at all.

The poll also showed that the more money you earn, the higher the chance of applying sunscreen is. Of those surveyed with a household income of $50,000 or more, 25 percent applied sunscreen most days before going out while only 15 percent in the below $50,000 group did.

 

[Ceila]

If we're going to be outside for a while, I always lather up the kids and myself. Otherwise, I don't use it.

 

[JessicaR]

If the intent is to be in the sun for a prolonged period of time myself and the kids will be covered! In and out of a store no not so much.

Funny they asked 1004 people. Wonder how that number was come upon! They didnt ask me darn it!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

It all depends and it has nothing at all to do with how hot it is. If i'm going to be out for a long time in the sun, I definitely put it on. If I'm not going to be out long or will be in the shade, I don't. Other factors like time of day, season, altitude, lattitude, whether I'm wearing a hat, etc also contribute to the decision. It sounds complicated, but basically I just use common sense. My technique seems to work for me because I never burn and don't tan much.

 

[foolishmortal]

well considering Denver is one of the sunniest cities in the world, I put it on no more then 10 times a year......

only for long days outside when hot. swimming, mountains, baseball games etc...

 

[MarkBarbieri]

well considering Denver is one of the sunniest cities in the world, I put it on no more then 10 times a year......

only for long days outside when hot. swimming, mountains, baseball games etc...

Denver also has one of the highest levels of radiation for major US cities. A resident of Denver is exposed to more radiation than a typical nuclear power plant worker. It also has lower than average cancer rates. Just some fun facts.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I work mostly indoors so I don't wear it every day.

But, I have a convertible car so I do have tubes of the stuff in my glove box at all times. If the top goes down, the goop goes on. I know you are supposed to wait 15 minutes after applying, but sometimes that just doesn't happen.

 

[mamacatnv]

Only for long exposure and only on myself - my kids have skin that tans, I tend to burn and DH fries but the kids get brown. We use sunscreen sparingly on the kids in the early summer and then eventually not at all.

Personally, I am not all that convinced that dipping ourselves in a chemical every day of our lives is going to be any better than the day to day exposure we get while out and about. I live in Reno, high altitude and lots of sun exposure. Not sure where we rank with Denver but our climates/elevations are similar

 

[FlightlessDuck]

If I am going to be out for a significant amount of time, I will put it on. Like if we are going to the pool or spending the day at the zoo.

If I am going to be at work for 8 hours, no, I'm not going to bother.

 

[lspst8]

I always put sunscreen on if I'm going to be outside in the sun for a long time -- like swimmng, beach, zoo, afternoon baseball game, golfing, etc... Other than that, I hardly ever wear it. My facial moisturizer (SP?) is SPF 15, and I do put that on every morning.

 

[NMAmy]

If I'm going to be outside for an extended period of time, then yes, I apply sunscreen. I don't put it on every time I leave the house or even if I'm puttering around in the yard for an hour or so early in the morning. My Vitamin D levels have been really low so my doctor actually told me to get a bit more sun without sunscreen whenever possible.

 

[Kimberly]

Living where I do... it's almost necessary. Unless you want to look like a lobster.

 

[PinkPunch]

I have used a moisturizer with 30 SPF in it nearly everyday since I was 18 years old. So my face gets covered, but the rest of me is neglected unless I know we are going to be out a lot.

My DH burns so easy that he puts it on even when he goes out to mow the lawn in addition to a hat and towel on his head to protect his neck.

If I know our DD is going to be directly in the sun to play I put it on her because she gets super dark very easily.

We just went through 4 weeks of swim lessons and I just blew through the sunscreen for her.

 

[dejr_8]

What does everyone think of this?

My take on it - first, 1004 people is WAY too small a sample group to draw a conclusion from.

The whole idea behind scientific polls is to use a small representative group of individuals to discover something about the larger group.

Look at Presidential Election polls - they only poll somewhere between 500 - 1500 people for the presidential election and those are normally very accurate (certainly within 5%)

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

I said other b/c I always apply it to my kids if they're going to be outside but by the time I get them all slathered up I don't always get it on myself. If I know I'm going to be out in direct sun then I make more of an effort but right now I'm sporting a "farmer" tan so I defnitely need to do better with it.

 

[RunningGirl]

I said other because the moisturizer I use every day on my face has spf 30 but I only apply sunscreen to other parts if we're doing something where I'll be outside for a while.

 

[Sorsha]

The whole idea behind scientific polls is to use a small representative group of individuals to discover something about the larger group.

Look at Presidential Election polls - they only poll somewhere between 500 - 1500 people for the presidential election and those are normally very accurate (certainly within 5%)

But only if you are careful to chose a diverse group for your sampling. I have seen polls where the results turned out to be quite inaccurate because they were done in a a particular geographic location and then the results were applied to the nation as a whole.

In the case of sunscreen, I would imagine if I were to poll 1000 individuals in Yuma, Arizona and then poll 1000 individuals in Anchorage, Alaska my results would be very very different.

In the previous presidential election our newspaper ran polls several times trying to predict the winner of the race. Not surprisingly our extremely conservative, extremely Christian little town predicted over and over a Republican victory. Not enough diversity in their sampling.

 

[Christine]

I said only when it's hot and sunny.

I'd love to wear it everyday, under makeup, but I have yet to find a moisturizer that doesn't have some weird smell to it or it bothers my face. I cannot STAND the way it feels on my face when I'm putting makeup on and going to work. I tolerate it when I'm at the beach.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I put "only if it's sunny and hot" but that's not really true, since I also put it on when skiing. Only on my face and hands of course, since I don't ski in my bathing suit.

I don't put it on for day to day, but if we're going to the pool or Six Flags, or otherwise spending the day outside I do.

DS is African American, and I put it on him even less than I do on my own skin that burns easily.

 

[smb6]

I lather myself and the kids up only if we are going swimming- which is atleast twice per week. I have a facial moisturizer that contains sunscreen and I put that on almost daily in the mornings. We are all very dark skinned (American Indian heritage) and never burn, so it's not used as much as it should be....