Do I need to buy stronger sunblock?
My girlfriend bought a big tube of SPF 30 sunblock. It’s mostly unused. We’re both very white, but we don’t burn immediately. We can both get tans normally.
We’re going to Maui in two weeks (early March), and I’d rather not buy a new tube of sunblock if I don’t need it, but I’d also rather not get skin cancer.
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9 Answers
Just don’t expose yourself too much to the sun. I believe no amount of sunblock can prevent skin cancer if you stay under the sun for long.
Reapplying frequently is the key. They have sprayon sunscreen now thats really easy to use and reapply.
Its better to have enough and options than not to have enough. A sunburn can make a vacation go to hell quick. Dont skimp on the sunscreen.
30 should be fine. In fact, some studies have shown that there’s really no difference from SPF 15 on up. Just re-apply every few hours or after heavy swimming or sweating.
Have fun in Maui, lucky dogs!
You won’t get skin cancer from using SPF30 in Maui. If anything, that is because you are using any sunblock. The SPF doesn’t really matter a lot unless you plan on being in the sun all day (SPF10 lasts for around 2 hours, SPF30 for 6). In the grand scheme of things it’s quantity over quality, number of times in your life you cover your skin up versus amount of SPF (unless you’re a redhead, they need to be a bit more guarded as they tend to burn easier). I’ve linked to the Wikipedia article on how they define SPF, and it notes that SPF is a multiplier to your regular burning time. Since you are not a redhead you could take totally unscientific guess here 20–30+ minutes to burn in Maui w/o sunscreen, so SPF10 would give you 300+ minutes, and SPF30 would give you 900+ minutes. That’s a long time!
My final answer is no, you do not need to buy higher SPF sunblock. But since sunblock goes away when you get in water, you’ll need to reapply each time you get out from swimming. If you plan on spending a lot of time in the water (hours), I recommend buying “waterproof” sunblock which adheres a bit more tightly to skin in water (but feels a bit greasier outside of the pool, so keep with the SPF30 while out of water).
Have a great trip! Here’s some pretty straightforward scoop on sunscreen
How are you getting to Maui? If you’re going on a plane and your container is over 4 ozs, you’re going to have to buy new sunblock anyway. They confiscate liquids now to combat terrorism.
@bodyhead: It can be packed in your actual suitcase; just not your carry on bag.
@bodyhead I can see that—those terrorists could use some sunblock!
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