Calypso, Ambre Solaire and Nivea are good brands. Go for SPF30 or SPF50 Apply frequently. If you have fair skin, blue eyes, blonde or red hair be really cautious as you are at a much higher risk of developing skin cancer in the longer term. So also wear a hat, long sleeves etc avoid midday sun 11.00 to 3.00pm have a leisurely lunch and a siesta. I did not do any of the above when I was young and now have incurable advanced skin cancer. You dont have to get sunburn to enjoy a really good holiday have a lovely time.
I, and many other melanoma patients, use Altruist. It's available online and at some supermarkets and pharmacies. It was formulated by a UK dermatologist. Otherwise, look for SPF 30 or 50 with a 4 or 5 star rating. Farmer Ed has also given very good sun protection advice - don't forget sunglasses too as melanoma can also affect the eyes. Have a lovely holiday.
Sunglasses for eye protection a very good point I forgot to mention.. they also protect the delicate skin on your eyelids and around your eyes. I have not come across Altruist suncream before. What is it like to use?
Suncreams are far more expensive than they need be as they are treated as a cosmetic for tax purposes. The government could save £billions on future skin cancer healthcare if only they would drop the tax and make it more affordable. Australia have cheap generic suncream available and it is now widely used coupled with a skin cancer awareness program their skin cancer rates are now falling.
I fully agree - in fact I'm sure there is a petition circulating & an MP has asked in the Commons for VAT to be removed from sunscreen. Once upon a time melanoma patients were prescribed sunscreen but it was stopped due to cost cutting!
Altruist is the best I've used (having tried many over the years). I use SPF30 and it's easily absorbed, not thick and gloopy. It doesn't cause me a rash like some do & it doesn't stain white clothing as much as some do. Take a look at the website https://altruistsun.com/ The dermatologist who formulated Altruist is also a skin cancer surgeon and he gave a melanoma presentation at our annual Melanoma Patient Conference several years ago. Since then, Altruist has become popular amongst the melanoma community.
Thanks for the info on Altruist suncream. I wii try some on your recommendation as it looks like it is genuinely 50 SPF as many are not. An Australian consumer group called Choice lab tested 20 popular sunscreens 16 faled the test and did not meet the stated SPF. As 2 out of every 3 Australians will get skin cancer in their lifeime it is important to know suncreams are effective. I have incurable metastatic cutaneous SCC now in my spine and know how important it is for people to protect their skin. All the best
