Sun Protection in Caribbean
Oct 14th, 2005, 05:10 PM
#21
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Avon makes a spray bug repellent/sunscreen that works pretty good..the only thing is the SPF is only 15 factor.I guess you could use it with another sunblock or reapply it often.
It is true that in the Caribbean..even wearing 40+ block..you will get a tan and also sunburn if not re applied often.
I am fair complected and burn easily..so I usually do a tanning bed for a week or two before I go on vacation.(I am not recommending it..by no means!
)Even doing the tanning bed..I have found that without sunblock I will burn especially in the Caribbean..so be careful and reapply often.Have fun!!
Christie
It is true that in the Caribbean..even wearing 40+ block..you will get a tan and also sunburn if not re applied often.
I am fair complected and burn easily..so I usually do a tanning bed for a week or two before I go on vacation.(I am not recommending it..by no means!
)Even doing the tanning bed..I have found that without sunblock I will burn especially in the Caribbean..so be careful and reapply often.Have fun!!Christie
Oct 14th, 2005, 05:23 PM
#22
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Hello brenkj! If I were you I would start out by staying in the sun only about 15 or 20 minutes per day for your first 2 or 3 days and gradually build up from there, make sure you put some pretty heavy sunscreen on your shoulders and especially your nose. Afer 2 or 3 days you should be able to increase your time outside. Dont try to get a ton of sun all at once, Ive seen people do that in St. Thomas and St. John and it will ruin your vacation and it is dangerous also.
Oct 14th, 2005, 07:14 PM
#23
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From a local... with fair skin.... can't beat the Banana Boat sunscreen... cheap as chips, but very effective.
For bugs, second the Avon recommendation.
Umm.. if you need sunscreen and bug repellant at the same time... choose another island
(bugs shouldn't be a problem until dusk and beyond)
For bugs, second the Avon recommendation.
Umm.. if you need sunscreen and bug repellant at the same time... choose another island
(bugs shouldn't be a problem until dusk and beyond)
Oct 15th, 2005, 05:07 AM
#24
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brenkj,
The only time we had problems with bugs was around dusk in St John.The "noseeums" really ate my feet and ankles up.I did not have my Avon repellent with me that day.
I think that if you go to a beach with alot of shade from the trees and take breaks laying under the trees..that you will be fine.
I always enjoy sitting in the shade for a while looking out at the ocean.
Have fun!!
Christie
The only time we had problems with bugs was around dusk in St John.The "noseeums" really ate my feet and ankles up.I did not have my Avon repellent with me that day.
I think that if you go to a beach with alot of shade from the trees and take breaks laying under the trees..that you will be fine.
I always enjoy sitting in the shade for a while looking out at the ocean.
Have fun!!
Christie
Oct 15th, 2005, 01:30 PM
#25
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I just spoke with a friend from St. Croix who is African-American and he says he burns if he doesn't wear some sunblock, so it goes to show you, you can not even rely on the amount of natural melanin (sp?) in your skin to protect you in Caribbean sun.
Oct 16th, 2005, 08:28 AM
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Don't forget to apply to your ears. My ears got fried last year and developed a thick crust after I got home. Then my ears were so shiny after they peeled it was hilarious. Looked like I glazed them with something. As for bug spray, we are not really bug magnets. We really like the Avon Skin So Soft 8 hour Expedition spray for the evening. It is unscented and has a moisturizer in it. My husband even liked it. The mosquitos were a problem at dusk in Negril. There was a heavy rain shower every afternoon and they would emerge with a vengence at dusk. My husband didn't get any bites, and I had a couple of non itching pink dots.
Oct 16th, 2005, 10:30 AM
#27
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I use Banana Boat Baby Magic SPF 50 which feels like glue and leaves a white sheen over my skin, but it is waterproof, and despite spending several weeks in the Caribbean and Mexico each winter, I never have any tan lines. I really like the look of a tan, but not willing to risk my life and/or skin. Fake tanning has come a long way since I was a kid (I am remembering my mother’s orange streaked legs), I go to Elizabeth Arden for a professional application before a trip and my friends can’t believe it is fake.
Oct 16th, 2005, 01:56 PM
#28
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I have a horrific allergy to most sunscreens (think itchy rash) so rarely use them I am a fair-skinned redhead. I spend at least 2 months a year in Grand Cayman. My strategy is to never go in the sun between 10 and 2. On the other hand, my husband has had melenoma, and won't even go out in the sun here in Chicago without a 45 spf.
Oct 17th, 2005, 04:14 AM
#29
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I agree with tivertonhouse and ejcrowe, anything over SPF 15 is probably a waste. And as my mother's dermatologist has pointed out, the chemicals that they put in some sunscreen products that are over SPF 15 can be more harmful to your skin than the sun itself. Your best bet is to use SPF 15, stay out of the sun (use an umbrella, other shade, and/or cover-up garments) during critical hours (10 to 2), and reapply as necessary.
Oct 17th, 2005, 08:27 AM
#30
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I'm not sure why so many are afraid to "recommend" indoor tanning before your trip. I highly recommend it.
Remember, the outside sun is a very (un)controlled enviroment. The UVA & UVB rays in an indoor facility are totally controlled as are the exposure times. Modern indoor tanning facilities know exactly the percentage of UVB & UVA rays that each bed/booth emits. This percentage is unknown for the sun. Tanning outdoors is MUCH more risky. That being said.....
How skin tans:
First UVB rays penetrate the skin, and stimulate the production of melenin. The melenin releases these tiny crystals that are then "browned or tanned" by the UVA. Over exposure to the UVB rays is what causes a sunburn. This is damaged skin. A lot of people think that sunburns turn into tans. THIS IS NOT TRUE. A sunburn is simply broken blood vessels under the the surface of your skin. Once the blood vessels subside, you are left with a tan. This tan you see is the color you achieved BEFORE the over exposure.
As your skin becomes tan, it is your skins' natural defense against UV light. The darker your skin becomes, the less UV light can penetrate. No it is not a "cure all". And yes, you still need to use strong SPF, especially down in the islands. But pre-tanning before a trip to the tropics is simply an extra step of protecting your skin. I also recommend quality moisturizers. UV light drys out the skin, and you need to keep your skin hydrated. Using quality lotions before & after any type of tanning is essential to keeping your skin healthy.
The Derms will never agree to indoor tanning, but if they had their way, they would tell you stay out of the sun completely.
Remember, the outside sun is a very (un)controlled enviroment. The UVA & UVB rays in an indoor facility are totally controlled as are the exposure times. Modern indoor tanning facilities know exactly the percentage of UVB & UVA rays that each bed/booth emits. This percentage is unknown for the sun. Tanning outdoors is MUCH more risky. That being said.....
How skin tans:
First UVB rays penetrate the skin, and stimulate the production of melenin. The melenin releases these tiny crystals that are then "browned or tanned" by the UVA. Over exposure to the UVB rays is what causes a sunburn. This is damaged skin. A lot of people think that sunburns turn into tans. THIS IS NOT TRUE. A sunburn is simply broken blood vessels under the the surface of your skin. Once the blood vessels subside, you are left with a tan. This tan you see is the color you achieved BEFORE the over exposure.
As your skin becomes tan, it is your skins' natural defense against UV light. The darker your skin becomes, the less UV light can penetrate. No it is not a "cure all". And yes, you still need to use strong SPF, especially down in the islands. But pre-tanning before a trip to the tropics is simply an extra step of protecting your skin. I also recommend quality moisturizers. UV light drys out the skin, and you need to keep your skin hydrated. Using quality lotions before & after any type of tanning is essential to keeping your skin healthy.
The Derms will never agree to indoor tanning, but if they had their way, they would tell you stay out of the sun completely.
Oct 17th, 2005, 09:32 AM
#31
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Yikes !! Scott , you actually reccomend tanning beds ? lol ... Too funny , well come to Quebec , we have one on every corner practically !! but , really folks , the " Derms " might have something ! Like , uh , skin cancer ...
Oct 17th, 2005, 12:21 PM
#33
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I agree. Do some research. I had my own bad experience with tanning lamps and refuse to ever go back, but here is some more erudite commentary from skincancer.org....
"If anyone thought the jury was still out on the danger of tanning machines, new research may provide the clincher. A study from Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, NH, links tanning device use to basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the most common forms of skin cancer.
The researchers interviewed 603 BCC and 293 SCC patients (plus 540 healthy subjects) about their sunbed and sunlamp use, history of sun exposure, sun sensitivity, sunburns, and other skin cancer risk factors. With all factors accounted for, tanning device users had 2.5 times the risk of SCC and 1.5 times the risk of BCC, compared to non-users.
"Our study strongly suggests that sunbed and sunlamp use may increase the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancers," says lead author Margaret R. Karagas, PhD. "Further research is needed to determine an appropriate public health response......We also noted previous findings that women who frequent tanning parlors have a greater incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer."
And the bottom line is....truly fair-skinned individuals who can't tan, still can't tan with a tanning lamp.
"If anyone thought the jury was still out on the danger of tanning machines, new research may provide the clincher. A study from Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, NH, links tanning device use to basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the most common forms of skin cancer.
The researchers interviewed 603 BCC and 293 SCC patients (plus 540 healthy subjects) about their sunbed and sunlamp use, history of sun exposure, sun sensitivity, sunburns, and other skin cancer risk factors. With all factors accounted for, tanning device users had 2.5 times the risk of SCC and 1.5 times the risk of BCC, compared to non-users.
"Our study strongly suggests that sunbed and sunlamp use may increase the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancers," says lead author Margaret R. Karagas, PhD. "Further research is needed to determine an appropriate public health response......We also noted previous findings that women who frequent tanning parlors have a greater incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer."
And the bottom line is....truly fair-skinned individuals who can't tan, still can't tan with a tanning lamp.
Oct 17th, 2005, 01:18 PM
#35
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ScottB..you are right on with the tanning beds. So many are afraid because they don't have the knowledge. Burning when you were a kid increased greatly your risk of skin cancers. Burning now does as well. I take my teenagers to tan in beds because they are outdoors, I'm not always around to tell them to apply sunscreen,and if they burn, they increase the odds. The only way you'll secure very low chances of skin cancer is covering up entirely, and never being in the sun. And we're on this forum for the islands, so I doubt that's an option. Don't rely on sunscreen entirely...tan before you go. There are less UVB rays in the beds than the sun has beating down upon you in the islands. More people who use sunscreen get skin cancer..know why? Well of course that statistic's true..because more people who use sunscreen are outdoors a lot more. I will bet on 'pre-tanning' any day. I'm going bare-boat sailing off St. Martin in a few weeks, and I'm going to a tanning bed a lot!
Oct 17th, 2005, 01:42 PM
#36
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hi we use prosport which is a once a day waterproof sun cream it is available in a 15,35 and 44 we used it last year in the maldives for us and our young kids it was fantastic my eldest used the 35 and still had a lovely tan you can get it off www.sunblocks.com
Oct 17th, 2005, 02:40 PM
#37
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Actually , I did NOT say tanning in the sun was good either , just that I thought it was funny that you were " highly recommending " the use of tanning beds . Neither are healthy practices for your skin , this is fact ( everything in moderation , right ?). I made absolutely no mention of tanning from the sun in the post you are referring to . I have done research as well , seeing as my father is dead from bone cancer which originated from malignant melanomas . Perhaps it is actually you who needs to hone up on research a bit before glibly condoning something which can indeed be harmful .
Oct 17th, 2005, 03:40 PM
#40
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faithie,
I totally agree with your everything in moderation comment. The key is to never burn. And you're correct, bad burns in younger years due increase risk. But my recomendation of pre-tanning is simply to help avoid burning.
Here's an interesting fact: Guess what part of the US has the highest rates of skin cancer? Most might think it would be sun drenched states like Florida or Arizona. But the highest rate of skin cancer in the states are northern states such as New York & Massachusetts. The reason is because folks who see the sun a LOT, have built a tolerance to UV light, and don't burn as easy as us whiteys up here in the north.
The key to this whole discussion is to never burn, period.
I totally agree with your everything in moderation comment. The key is to never burn. And you're correct, bad burns in younger years due increase risk. But my recomendation of pre-tanning is simply to help avoid burning.
Here's an interesting fact: Guess what part of the US has the highest rates of skin cancer? Most might think it would be sun drenched states like Florida or Arizona. But the highest rate of skin cancer in the states are northern states such as New York & Massachusetts. The reason is because folks who see the sun a LOT, have built a tolerance to UV light, and don't burn as easy as us whiteys up here in the north.
The key to this whole discussion is to never burn, period.
