Organic Suncream

kerri_gt

We are going on holiday where suncream is going to be 100% necessity. However my OH (who burns easily) does not like / agree with all the chemicals used in 'conventional' suncreams. To avoid him spending the majority of our holiday horribly sunburnt, we have agreed to go the Organic route but I have no experience of these.

Can anyone recommend high SPF organic suncreams (or are there any we should be avoiding) please?

ronmiel

If you enter 'organic sun creams' in your browser, you will find a few different varieties to choose from.

rach_k

I burn incredibly easily and have sensitive skin so we use Green People sunscreen. The highest SPF they do is 30 but with good reasoning behind it (see here: https://www.greenpeople.co.uk/beauty-hub/blog/discover-the-truth-about-spf50-sun-cream and https://www.greenpeople.co.uk/beauty-hub/blog/the-truth-about-uva-protection-in-sun-creams - the 'discover the truth' titles make it sound like conspiracy theory but it's not!). I find it works well. The biggest problem I have with natural/eco/organic sunscreens is that many of them are based on zinc oxide, which leaves me looking purple (very fair skin) and leaves the kids (mixed race) looking grey! I know some people wouldn't bother about that but when you have to wear it often, not just on the beach, it's nice to wear something that doesn't leave you looking very ill!

If you want to try them out before buying (they aren't cheap), the Green People website has a pack of sample sachets for £1.50 and postage is free. If you want a variety of brands to try, I often buy things like this from BigGreenSmile.com.

bluenoseam

To play the devils advocate side of things here, he may not like or agree with the chemicals used in sun screen, but they're proven to work & are safe to use. I'd see the sense if it was an allergy situation, but for personal preference it's (to me I hasten to add) a little OTT.

GwylimT

Well everythings made of chemicals.


Does he feel like using chemicals to treat skin cancer in the near future?

DomRavioli

I second the premise of the previous posters - the chemicals mean he won't get skin cancer as a result of overexposure to UV rays.

Maybe you need to sit down with him, with some medical information (from a reputable source, your pharmacist should be able to provide you with either the information or somewhere you can get it) and have a frank discussion about skin cancer. Having seen my mother go through it more than once, I can tell you it is not something to be sneered at, which seems to be his attitude.

Tell him its more important to not get cancer than have some chemicals on his skin because of his "morals".

kerri_gt

Thank you for the useful links and direction to the website rach_k

Thanks also to the wider options posted on here. Just to clarify, my OH is a fully grown adult capable of making his own choices about what he chooses to put on his skin. I am merely trying to find something he will be happy to use to prevent burning, sun damage, etc.

I also assure you he is not sneering at the dangers of the sun (not quite sure where that impression came from) but thank you for your judgement.

DomRavioli

kerri_gt wrote: »

Thank you for the useful links and direction to the website rach_k

Thanks also to the wider options posted on here. Just to clarify, my OH is a fully grown adult capable of making his own choices about what he chooses to put on his skin. I am merely trying to find something he will be happy to use to prevent burning, sun damage, etc.

I also assure you he is not sneering at the dangers of the sun (not quite sure where that impression came from) but thank you for your judgement.

Your OP is where that came from - if he thinks chemicals are bad, try chemotherapy (if its caught in time) or death (if too late). It came across very much as a sneery snobby person who although he is very entitled to his own opinion and judgement on what he wants, will still call on taxpayer money had it had been that his organic creams didn't work (best off with a cream/lotion that is clinically independently proven to work, regardless of composition) as there are some on the market that are a little fuddy duddy.

And if he's a grown adult, let him find his own. He is a grown adult after all, you're not his mother, nor his carer.

budgetflyer

Well I never read any of that into OP !!! How can asking about a more natural solution be so bad?

If he chooses a more "non chemical solution" good for him.

eDicky

The natural solution would be simply to minimise exposure - wear a wide-brimmed hat and shirt, remain in the shade as necessary. Application of the fresh gel of the Aloe Vera plant, which is often growing around beach resorts, is effective to treat mild or moderate overexposure.

It's hard for me to understand why people, especially those with sensitive skin, punish this vital organ with unnatural degree of sun exposure, then again by applying various chemical preparations to mitigate the effects. However, this may be because I have spent most of my life in the tropics, where only 'mad dogs and Englishmen' etc...

And on the other hand, my delight in the cool rainy British weather during trips here has often amazed people. But at least I use warm clothes and umbrella..!

Moto2

budgetflyer wrote: »

Well I never read any of that into OP !!! How can asking about a more natural solution be so bad?

If he chooses a more "non chemical solution" good for him.

Yep, it's his choice, no one else's
I do find it slightly perplexing that he'd choose to burn rather than use conventional products though.