Trina's comment in the tanning bed post prompted me to ask this. Trina wondered if the sunless tanning lotions are safe, as they are chemicals we plaster over our whole body. Well, so is sunscreen. I hardly ever use sunscreen, and I only use it on the kids if we are going to be outside for hours in the sun. I'm leery of all those chemicals lathered on, over and over again (all those 're-apply after two hours or after sweating or swimming) all day long, day after day after day; even in winter it's recommended!! And they all say to wash off after coming inside. HARDLY practical and considering how a normal day with kids is inside and out, all day long, it's absurd. Same with bug spray...all those chemicals you're supposed to wash off each time you come inside!

So what are your opinions? Yes, skin cancer is dangerous, but what about the repeated chemical exposure from sunscreen? And think how much more little kids' bodies absorb it...they always take in higher concentrations of chemicals than adult bodies.

So basically we don't use sunscreen but we do try to avoid hours of direct sunlight.

By Trina~moderator on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 06:51 am:

Interesting post. Although I'm leery of tanning lotions and treatments I never thought of sunblock that way. After some thought I've come to this conclusion. Sunblock is a preventative to protect skin from cancer. *IF* it is unhealthy in any way I think it's the (much) lesser of two evils. A necessary health precaution. However, tanning isn't *necessary*. It's a vanity issue. People like the look of being tan but it's certainly not a health concern. As in it's not unhealthy to be pale/tanless. KWIM? Don't get me wrong, I love to sunbathe occasionally myself, but certainly don't worship the sun like I did as a teen and young adult. We use sunblock and limit sun exposure when possible.

By Jann on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 07:24 am:

My father has skin cancer from the sun. He doesn't have skin cancer from sun tan lotion. It's pretty simple to me. I do not tan, I wear hats when I am out, and I wear SPF 30 on my face every day. My kids are active in sports and they were sunscreen everyday. My youngest comes home from school sometimes with sun on her face just from being at recess. They have sunscreen sticks in their backpacks. I have some friends who moved here from Australia and at the pool their kids wore long bathing suits similar to body suits with hats. She couldn't believe that people here didn't protect their kids better from the sun.

By Eve on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 08:29 am:

What about all the chemicals in all of our processed foods and drinks. What about the antibiotics in milk now? What about pesticides sprayed all over your healthy fruits and vegetables? Have you ever read your bottle of deodorant? What about all the fumes from gasoline that we breathe in just pumping it or spraying our hair with hairspray? There are so many preservatives and chemicals in everything we use everyday, including cleaning products. I don't worry about a little lotion, especially if it keeps me out of the sun. Everything in moderation.JMHO

By Feona on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 08:37 am:

I have so much damaged skin from the sun. I wear sunblock before I leave the house and I put it on before I leave the car. Plus I put on a big straw hat.

The dermatologist said put it on before leaving the house.

By Andyjoy on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 11:14 am:

If you research the chemicals in sunscreen, you find that many of them are present in the body. The others are used to repel water, absorb sun rays, and moisturize skin. They've been used in many products for so many years without a link to a health hazard that I doubt that they present a greater risk than sun exposure.

I swear by sunscreen now--and I've learned to check the expiration date, because it really does matter! My best friend and I used sunscreen that was 4-5 years old, and got the worst burns of our lives in about an hour! Did you know that getting one bad burn as a child doubles your chances for skin cancer? I'm not taking any risks now.

My sister, who is 21 (I'm 23), is obsessed with her tan. She's now the manager of a tanning salon. Fortunately, I think she's using the mist on tan more than the beds, but she NEVER uses sunscreen when she's out swimming, hiking, boating, etc. Right now she takes pride in the fact that people think she looks older than me. I don't think she'll be nearly as excited when we're middle-aged and her skin is so damaged that I look years younger! I'm hoping she matures before she has kids, because I seriously doubt that she'll protect them from the sun. She thinks it's "so cute" to see little suntanned kids running around in the summer.

By Palmbchprincess on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 11:21 am:

Is anything safe?? In 20 years they're going to tell us we're getting cancer from sitting in front of a computer screen. We generally don't use sunscreen, I'm like you... I'll apply it on the kids if we're going to be out all day. Nate uses it the most, but only to protect some expensive tattoo work.

By Eve on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 12:58 pm:

Ditto, Crystal! Have you heard about brain cancer from cell phones and also how bad Albacore tuna is? Geesh...it never ends!

By Missmudd on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 01:16 pm:

Definately would rather take the risk of the stuff in sunscreen vrs skin cancer. And in the end I TOTALLY HATE being burned, and it just makes me crazy if the kids even get kinda pink. I just can't handle the way a sunburn feels and I internalize it way too much when I see a kid w/ a sunburn, I can practically feel it. So I am a rabid sunscreen, long sleeve, hat wearing nut case.

By Jann on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 02:17 pm:

Several posters have said they use sunscreen on their kids. Why not protect yourselves also? Aren't you worth protecting?

By Yjja123 on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 02:39 pm:

We ALL use sunscreen. Living in Florida it is vital. Jessica is a redhead with freckles. Despite sunscreen use she has gotten badly burned (blisters!) twice. We reapply often and I make her wear t'shirts in the pool. She hates it but it gives her extra protection as her shoulders seem to burn the easiest.
My father-in-law has had skin cancer 3x now. It is quite an eye opener in how important it is to protect your skin.
Yvonne

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 03:13 pm:

We would all burn if we didn't use sunscreen! I had one bad sunburn in my life. It's an experience I wish not to repeat. Yet, I'm not going to stay indoors all summer, either. I will take my chances with the sunscreen!

By Kernkate on Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 10:16 pm:

Something I never thought about but we all use sunscreen and will continue. My Dad had skin cancer and had to have 1/2 of his ear surgically removed. Doc said it was all the years he played golf with no hat covering his ears and no sunscreen. I will take my risk with the sunscreen. The only kind my DS could use is Avon , because all the others he was allergic to.
Sunburn pain is not good! BTDT

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, May 20, 2005 - 10:40 am:

Skin cancer is a very high risk cancer - that is, it often goes unnoticed, because you don't think it is anything important, until it has reached the point of spreading. And once it spreads, it is very, very, very difficult to treat. Why take the risk?

As for bug sprays - I don't know that I would use sprays (at least, not propellant sprays, but hand-pump sprays I might), but I would definitely use some kind of insect repellant if I lived in a community where mosquitos and ticks were a risk. You can do some research and find out which insect repellants are safe to use with children, but on the whole I'd rather not risk Lyme Disease.

By Amecmom on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 09:39 pm:

Update!
There was just an article in my local paper that too much sunscreen use is bad. You should be getting 15 min. a day a few days a week of unprotected sun exposure to increase and maintain levels of vitamin D in your body which is a very important cancer fighting vitamin that cannot be gotten in adequate quantities from food or supplements.
Skin cancer is rarely fatal and the vitamin D helps protect against cancers that are.
When I fins out if the article is avail. on line I will post a link.
The article did not advocate sitting on a beach unprotected for hours, btw.
Ame
Happy Sunning (for a short while)

By Karen~moderator on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 07:35 am:

Ame, I just read that same article yesterday, here's a LINK to it.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 07:49 am:

But, how can you go to the beach and only stay for 15 minutes? For my kids that would be about 2 trips down the water slide and then go home, after we have just paid about 6 bucks to get in. We don't go to the beach that often and I'm not staying for only 15 minutes. I'll still take my chances with the sunscreen.

By Jann on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 08:27 am:

They were just talking about this on the Today show. 15 minutes of unprotected doesn't mean not wearing sunscreen. The doctor advocated using a lower spf for a bit and then upping it for the rest of the day or going out unprotected and then putting it on.
For me, having seen the ravages of skin cancer (yep, thankfully my father is still alive, but very scarred) I will protect my children and myself. I know what the sun has done to my face and I would sure hate for my kids to come to me when they are older looking scarred and damaged because I didn't want to put sunscreen on them.

By Feona on Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 07:18 am:

Interesting article. I won't be doing it. I am out in the sun for at least 4 hours a day (walk for me and park for ds). If I am not getting enough vitamin d after spending 4 hours in the sun even with sun block... I don't know... My hand are alittle brown already even with the sun block.

The study definitely seems to say to take a vitamin pill a day for many vitamins.


I still put sunscreen on ds before we get out of the car. (blond and blue eyes) He's already got a freckle on his neck from the sun from last year.