Suntan lotion advice

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DandyTwister

Guest
Hi,
We're going to the Carrabbian in May and my husband is a red head who burns easily (and we live in Canada - so we won't have seen summer for long before we leave)
We are both going to do some "tanning" before going but wondered if people have advice for the best sunscreen for that region. Here he just stays covered up in the summer for the most part - but it will be too hot to do that there.
Thanks
 
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serene56

Guest
even if doing the tanning beofre you leave you should still want to take precautions as the sun in the caribbean is very strong compared to what you are used to.

I like the baby / kid sunscreen. maybe a 45. Bul;lfrog makes the best as you can swim with it and not apply it as often as other stuff
 
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Babushka

Guest
Be sure to get something with a strong spf. I like something that is sweatproof and waterproof...I usually like the Coppertone Sport. I have olive skin, tan very easily, never burn and usually use something with 15 or 20 spf here in California. But in the Caribbean I burn like crazy if I'm not really careful! I have learned to take the 45 spf but I've heard that anything over 30 is all the same. Don't know how true that is but why take chances? Like someone above said be sure to put lotion on your hear, ears and back of your neck too. I like to buy the spraY lotion for those spots and regular lotion for everywhere else.
 
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Gayle V

Guest
Hello Dandy,

I too, am very pale, and burn easily. I also tend to get sun poisoning rather easily too. And if that's not enough, I've already had to have some skin lesions removed that turned out to be "pre-cancerous." So I now use and spf of 30 or better on my face every day, even here at home in Ohio, even in the winter. And If I'm going outside, I use it on all exposed skin.

So, as you can guess, I have to use really effective sunscreen when I go to the Caribbean. My favorite one is Specta 3, which is made by Coppertone. It has an SPF of 50, and yes there is a clear difference in how well a 50 works, over a 30, or even a 45. At least on me. With the spectra 3 I almost never burn, actually I get very little additional color at all. And when I return to work after our cruises, people tend to think that I never really went on a vacation at all. :)

Here's one more idea . I also us Heliocare, which is UV protection in a pill form. Heliocare pills are taken daily and are active within half an hour of your first dose. Don't get this wrong, Heliocare pills are not a substitute for sunscreen ! But they do help your skin handle the sun it does get.
 
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Gayle V

Guest
One little addition to my post above, my doctor tells me to take two of the Heliocare on days that I intend to spend lots of time in the sun, like on a cruise.
 
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aprilctucker

Guest
Heliocare is non-prescription. If you google it, there will be a ton of online ordering sites.

I don't think I have ever seen it in a pharmacy.
 
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Gayle V

Guest
Hello cjbee and Aprilctucker,

Heliocare is hard to find locally, but I have asked around and found most pharmacies are willing to order it in for you. Since I have to use it everyday, I've been keeping an eye out for it at drug stores, and have found a few places that carry it now. Although they are both stores where I've inquired about the item, in the past, and told them I need to buy it regularly. So they may have added it to their stock because of that.
 
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