I love being outside. I hate the sun. I also hate sunscreen.
I feel like there’s a weird split between the reality of having this gross white goop on you all the time (most people don’t wear sunscreen all the time, right? Right??) and the reality of the sun basically wanting us all dead.
This sunburn calculator made by a dermatologist will show you how quickly you can actually get burned. Personally, today, I literally can’t stay outside for longer than 14-ish minutes (probably even shorter in my case) without any sunscreen before I’ve had too much sun.
Even on a somewhat cloudy day, I can’t stay out there for more than half an hour. I notice that I’m getting too much sun, too. I feel like my eyes are sunburned practically. I struggle to comprehend how skin like this even evolved. People practically shame me for “not going out enough” when they straight-up just have darker skin than me.
…And yet the idea of always putting sunscreen on is like, some kind of social faux pas on top of me really not wanting to. It smells, people notice that it smells, it feels gross, people notice that I’m even pastier than usual. It’s like wow, you care about skin care enough to deal with that and spend gobs of money sticking a shot glass of sunscreen on yourself every two hours? God forbid if I actually had lip balm of all things as a man, and wearing clothing that would actually keep the sun at bay a little bit, ahhhahahaha. No. /rant
TL;DR what do y’all do about the sun existing?
Edit: I got over myself and started buying decent sunscreen. And decent SPF lip balm because Jesus Christ my lips are somethin’ else. If people think it’s weird to not get skin cancer that’s their problem.
My solution is wearing nice sunscreen. At least on my face. Then sleeves on my arms.
It’s not a solution available to everyone, but if you can afford it, getting a sunscreen like the one I use (Tatcha’s Silk sunscreen) is awesome. Then once it dries, there’s no smell or grease.
100%. There’s no need to use the thick, waterproof sport-grade sunscreen if you’re just running to grab the mail or drive into work. Cosmetic sunscreen is light and sinks in almost instantly.
I’ve considered it. It’s always in makeup isles. Women are always acting like men are encroaching on the last spaces they have to themselves.
Yeah, this. Plug in some values relevant to you into that calculator OP linked to, and see what happens by simply changing the SPF from 1 to just 10. It buys you quite some time!
I hate wearing sunscreen. Always have. Being a pale kid in Florida was unpleasant. I (now in my late 30s and having to take care of myself more) was recently recommended this face cream with SPF 20, and it’s a life changer. Water based, and I can’t even tell it’s there after a couple of minutes.
I’m sure there are cheaper products (this is the first one I’ve tried) that can achieve similar results. I’m sure it being water based is the key to not feeling awful to put on and wear.
One thing a lot of hikers have done is switch from sunscreen to sun hoodies - UV-blocking lightweight fabric so you can wear them even when it’s hot outside. There are even sun gloves.
I have uv shirts for swimming and yard work for this exact reason. I don’t want to be all sweaty and covered in zinc and oil.
Personally, I live outside in the nicer months. I absolutely hate being in a box indoors when the temperature is 55F+. It’s dark and gloomy and makes me feel like a trapped rat and makes me very anxious. Of course, I also have a ton of tattoos and my family has a propensity for skin cancer so I have to take a lot of precautions.
I stick to the dense shade provided by conifers or nearby structures, I wear loose-fitting long sleeves, and you will never see me without sunglasses unless it’s night time. I also wear neutrogena sunscreens that don’t leave a residue or scent on my skin because I hate how particles stick to oils and wasps/bees/flies love smelly-good things.
On a side note, I wouldn’t put too much stock in how stores break up products by sex. I don’t wear makeup and only wear men’s clothing and I’m a woman. I’ve never gotten a weird look shopping for boxers. The only people I know that burn scented candles at home are men, and they are predominantly seen as a “woman” thing despite being located in generally sex-neutral areas of stores. The weird boundaries around items make no sense to me.
I’ve gotta be honest, I didn’t think many humans could go through a day without carrying lip balm. Most men who I know well enough to know what’s in their pockets carry lip balm. OG chapstick, carmex and Burt’s bees are most common.
Don’t let the idea of what someone thinks of your gender stop you from staying comfortable. Carry lip balm, hand lotion, sun screen, or whatever keeps your skin healthy. Fuck, do it in a fanny pack and be the always-prepared friend at every party. Everyone loves that dude.
Also, stay hydrated and wear clothes that are light, loose, and covering in the sun if you don’t want to wear sunscreen. Big brim hats are great too.
I live in Australia so the sun is rather deadly - I guess for me personally when you grow up with constant TV advertising about sunscreen and “slip slop slap” as a national saying (slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat!) our perspective around sun protection is somewhat different.
Like everything else in this country the sun is also trying to kill us with skin cancer being one of the leading medical concerns in this country.
Personally I cannot stand ANYTHING on my face (especially!) serious sensory issues and things like creams and makeup (F here) make my skin crawl, but I find a light smearing and a hat better than the alternative in summer - just have to remember to reapply all the time - but again it’s kind of ingrained into our social psyche here because having dealt with sunburn on many occasions I would prefer to not get burnt to a crisp (because nobody like peeling skin…)
I’m a keen mountain biker so it’s important as I spend a lot of time outdoors. Even in winter here the sun will still burn you if not careful.
TLDR: sun protection is a big part of life in Australia and introduced at birth so we kind of just get used to it because the alternative is not to go outside during the day especially in summer (stuff that!!)
For body protection, I wear a white UPF zip-front overshirt (a hoodie without the hood?) and even though I use facial sunscreen I still use a sun hat for extra protection.
On my face and neck, I use sunscreens from Japan or Korea. I’m in the US, where sunscreen companies haven’t yet purchased FDA approval for modern filters, so the best stuff comes from overseas. I’ve not shopped for any Asian body sunscreen yet because I prefer the overshirt, so I can only infodump about my favorite facial sunscreens.
Many Asian facial sunscreens are more “indoor sunscreen” (great for when you’re sitting in sunny rooms or a car, but don’t hold up to sweaty outdoor activity) so finding good reviews is important.
Biore Athlizm is my favorite for playing outside, and has such staying power that I need an oil cleanser to remove it. It feels a little sticky but my face sweats a lot so I put up with it.
For everyday, might-do-errands use, I like Suncut UV Perfect Gel, which has very low fragrance and dries down to a barely noticeable texture in about 10-15 minutes
there are two main types of sunscreens, chemical and mineral sunscreens. mineral sunscreens tend to feel less absorbent and will leave you with a white cast, while chemical sunscreens absorb more easily and do not use a white cast as they have different ingredients. they also tend to have very little fragrance. this seems more in line with what you’re looking for from a sunscreen. here is the chemical sunscreen i use - i just buy a huge tub of it so i never run out (and because the big bottle price is actually quite reasonable) and can use it lots without feeling bad and it’s never bothered my sensitive nose or left a white cast no matter how much i sweat! it’s also spf 50 so fairly strong.
I use 50+ upf/spf clothing if I will be outside for a long time. Too much sun literally makes me ill and/or gives me a rash. Other alternatives for sunscreen are a wide brimmed hat or a spf protective umbrella, a protective wrap, a spf protective hoodie or coverup. Amazon has a bunch of these items some are inexpensive but the name brands tend to be more expensive. Most outdoor outfitters like rei, Eddie Bauer, bass pro and others have sun protective clothing lines too. You may have to look specifically for spf 50+ clothing.
I take a medication that makes my skin sunburn easier, so I do have to wear sunscreen all the time. It sucks.
But skin cancer sucks even more so yeah
If you live in the US, the Trader Joe’s facial sunscreen is excellent, it’s clear and doesn’t leave a white cast. Asian sunscreens are also a lot more cosmetically elegant than american sunscreens tend to be. Our sunscreens in America are actually decades behind other countries technologically, because the FDA is very slow to approve newer sunscreen filters.
Lip balm spf 15 called “lip trip” black stick coconut oil based. Bonus it protects wind damage. Made with snowboarding in mind. Short trips outside can be done with a hat and light long sleeves. Not all sunscreen is created equal.
I went camping last month in a bright, sunny area with minimal tree coverage. I’m currently on accutane, so I made sure to ask my dermatologist if there was anything special I should do to be careful about sun exposure. They mentioned that I should look into getting some UV protection long sleeve shirts, so I bought a 4 pack of those, and also a sun hat with similar UV protection rating. I’ll admit the hat was not stylish at all, but the shirts were lightweight and soft enough that they didn’t bother me at all. I think I put on sunscreen once during the 4 days we were camping, and I didn’t get sunburned at all. If you’re looking for a hat that might provide some sun protection but also looks nicer than the generic outdoorsy style, maybe look for a bucket hat.
Also, beyond all of that, just don’t spend time around people who judge you for wearing any kind of sun protection. If you’re encountering people like that, then they’re the one in the wrong, not you. Remind yourself to address which actions are harmful or helpful. Which is more helpful: wearing sunscreen or criticizing someone for wearing sunscreen? Obviously wearing sunscreen is more helpful and criticizing someone is more harmful, and the harmful action deserves no energy put towards considering or reacting to it.
Normal, polite, nice human beings that deserve your time and energy do not do things like make fun of you for wearing sun protection. They understand, sympathize, and sometimes they’ll even help you.
