Sun Protection

[brambor]

What do you do to avoid sunburn to the face?

If I put on sunscreen I still get sunburned.

I tried hats but seems to me that my had is not wide enough or perhaps I'm getting sunburn from the reflection (is that possible?)

Last Saturday I paddled with sun face mask and that kind of worked except that I got sunburned around the eyes like Zorro.

[tyson]

I use a hat with a very large brim. ...it looks kinda funny, but works for me.

[brambor]

Do you think that sunburn from the sun reflected off the water is possible?

I use a hat with a very large brim. ...it looks kinda funny, but works for me.

[tyson]

Do you think that sunburn from the sun reflected off the water is possible?

Probably possible. Its certainly possible with snow. However, I don't seem to have a problem with it. ...of course, there isn't much risk of sunburn when upside down.

You might try the combination of sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat?

[rick stoehrer]

What do you do to avoid sunburn to the face?

If I put on sunscreen I still get sunburned.

I tried hats but seems to me that my had is not wide enough or perhaps I'm getting sunburn from the reflection (is that possible?)

Last Saturday I paddled with sun face mask and that kind of worked except that I got sunburned around the eyes like Zorro.

i slather on sun screen before launch, at lunch and then whenever i think of it on the water. my wife bought me spf bazillion in a spray can and in a stick.

my complaint was always that the sunscreen lotion was too slippery and that i could never get it off my hands once i'd applied it...thus my hands were really slippery and holding the paddle more difficult but now i have no excuses....between the sunscreens now and a hat and sunglasses....any burn i still get is just cause of sheer dumb.

there was a fella in ct that slathered on zinc oxide, sunglasses, big, big hat and a nose shield and always wore long sleeves and gloves....his was about the most ironclad sun protection i've seen on the water.

and yes, UV rays reflect off of the water...while a hat helps, it isn't complete coverage.

[spuglisi]

i slather on sun screen before launch, at lunch and then whenever i think of it on the water. my wife bought me spf bazillion in a spray can and in a stick.

my complaint was always that the sunscreen lotion was too slippery and that i could never get it off my hands once i'd applied it...thus my hands were really slippery and holding the paddle more difficult but now i have no excuses....between the sunscreens now and a hat and sunglasses....any burn i still get is just cause of sheer dumb.

there was a fella in ct that slathered on zinc oxide, sunglasses, big, big hat and a nose shield and always wore long sleeves and gloves....his was about the most ironclad sun protection i've seen on the water.

and yes, UV rays reflect off of the water...while a hat helps, it isn't complete coverage.

I've had pretty good luck with a face specific zinc oxide ( it rubs in and is invisible) the brand is... ? not sure off the top of my head...but I can check if you're interested. It's available online. As a bonus it comes in a small container that fits easily in a PFD pocket. As far as slippery hands on the paddle I started using sex wax (yes that's what it's called) on my paddle, last summer, with pretty good results. You can get sex wax at any surf shop.

[prudenceb]

Sal - I'd be interested in the brand name of the zinc oxide, as I'm sporting a nice red face from the Sunday CAM day! - pru

[brambor]

Me toi. Thanks Sal.

[spuglisi]

Me toi. Thanks Sal.

The brand is "Ocean Potion Suncare" Face SPF 45 clear zinc oxide. It comes in a screw top jar that is 2" in diameter and about 1-1/2" deep

Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-Potion-Suncare-Clear-Oxide/dp/B000EGMBP2

Hope it's helpful.

[PeterB]

There are sunblock sticks that you can use if you don't want your hands to come in contact with the stuff. the ones i've used are compact and stow nicely in pfd pockets.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___68842

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=neutrogena+sunblock+stick&cp=20&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1188&bih=620&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=1269935303359429441&sa=X&ei=jgPuTd3jF8rs0gHN3JWSCA&sqi=2&ved=0CEoQ8gIwAA

[Doug]

Try an SPF-50 spray on. No need to slime up your hands. Covers completely.

Purchase sunglasses with some side protection or good facial contour.

As mentioned earlier, wide brim hats or baseball caps with legionnaire sun drapes or legionnaire hats (many come with built-in UV protection).

Now, if I can only practice what I preach....

Doug

[brambor]

One issue I also have is after I put sunscreen on my face and spend time on the water the sunscreen eventually makes it to my eyes and consequently acting like an irritant.

I am really having a reat time - no, I am not crying ;-)

[skiyak]

I am surprised that you are getting burned while wearing sunscreen. I have had a couple of carcinomas removed from

my face and now I am quite religious about applying sunscreen. I use SPF 45 or greater everywhere that is exposed.

I am very fair but have not had a burn since. Sunscreens do expire, so make sure it is not past the date of expiration.

The water will definitely reflect UV, so apply under your nose and in your ears.

Mike

[Michael_Crouse]

I put on sunscreen before I drive to the put in and then again before launching. This is because I always miss a spot so two applications helps avoid the striped sunburn look. Also sunscreen takes some time before it's effective and if I put in on just before I launch I've already been in the sun packing up gear and getting ready to launch.

btw. Rick when did you start wearing sunscreen?

[rick stoehrer]

I put on sunscreen before I drive to the put in and then again before launching. This is because I always miss a spot so two applications helps avoid the striped sunburn look. Also sunscreen takes some time before it's effective and if I put in on just before I launch I've already been in the sun packing up gear and getting ready to launch.

btw. Rick when did you start wearing sunscreen?

the day i had a small bump removed from the tip of my nose.

first the nurse comes at me with a giant honkin' needle and doesn't say a damn thing - just starts to go for my nose with this harpoon! i take her wrist and ask her what she's doing and boy, she wasn't happy that i took her wrist but hey, it's my nose and that's a biiiiig needle. anyways, she jabs that thing in my face and it hurts a lot. 10 minutes later the doctor comes in, doesn't say a thing and heads towards me with a freakin' scalpel....and i stop him before he gets any closer and he says "oh, the needle was just a topical, now i'm going to cut that thing off". which didn't hurt as much as the needle but still....scalpel/nose interaction never good. that would be a score of ZERO in the bedside manner category at the dermatologists.

so between that fun filled experience and the advent of spray on sunscreen, i've converted.

[Cath]

I think some of the sunburn effect is coming from the wind as well. I have best luck with sunscreen made specifically for the face. It is less oily and feels more comfortable, and doesn't seem to cause me to sweat as much. I did forget to use it several times so far this season and got burned so I am trying to use it automatically now. Lately I have been using the Neutrogena Age Shield Face Sunblock 70 spf. It does not even feel all that thick for a 70. I try to rub it in with my left hand only because I am right handed and tend to rub my eyes with my right hand (which you shouldn't do anyway but I can't break the habit). I have also learned to put in contact lenses before getting sunscreen on my fingers.

You might have to look in the face cream / cosmetics section to find the less oily or oil-free sunscreen. It might look like girly stuff but get it anyway! Look for something that says it won't clog pores. It won't feel as thick and heavy and hot and won't drip off with sweat as easily. If you are good about wearing something across your forehead, like a bandana or hat, you could apply it lighter above the eyes and heavier below the eyes so you are less likely to have it drip into your eyes and sting.

It is good to keep it handy and reapply it at lunch time.

I am learning to keep it with the emergency type stuff because it is easier to get at it when you all of a sudden realize your face is getting too hot. Chapstick with sunscreen is good to keep handy too.

After paddling use moisturizer to counteract the drying effect of the sun and wind. If you get burned at all keep up with the moisturizer.

We should probably all be better about offering sunscreen to people who might have forgotten to bring it and reminding people to use it. I think sometimes people skip it in the launch site rush to get in the boats.

Happy kayaking!

Cath

[NateHanson]

One issue I also have is after I put sunscreen on my face and spend time on the water the sunscreen eventually makes it to my eyes and consequently acting like an irritant.

I am really having a reat time - no, I am not crying ;-)

I've had the same problem. I sweat and eventually the sunscreen ends up in my eyes, blinding me. Try using children's sunscreen. I've had no problems with that. Also the Coppertone Sport Stick sunscreen never seems to run. It's pretty waxy and seems to just stick to my forehead instead of washing into my eyes.

[lhunt]

my complaint was always that the sunscreen lotion was too slippery and that i could never get it off my hands once i'd applied it

I've taken to carrying dishwashing detergent for this very reason. I use a tiny bottle originally used for prescription eyedrops which takes almost no room in the pocket of my PFD. It's not much bigger than a good sized grape. If I forget to wash my hands after the whole sunscreen thing it's easy to do in the boat.

[pikabike]

I use a long-billed visor, sunglasses, plus one of the following sun-goos:

* Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby sunblock, SPF 60+. Active ingredients are titanium dioxide and zinc ozide. White opaque paste.

or

* Coppertone Sport sunscreen, various SPFs available. Active ingredients are avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene. White cream goes on clear when rubbed into skin.

Both the above are waterproof and hard to wash off. They do lose effectiveness after lots and lots of rolling, though. Neither goes on my eyelids or forehead (yup, runoff stings)--the sunglasses and visor take care of those areas.

Normally I goop up at home and wash several times with bar soap to remove the residue from my hands. If I have to put it on elsewhere, I use the backs of my hands to apply it, or I put it on a doubled layer of facial tissue (hate to use the genericized brand name for these) and smear with that.

[Deb Millar]

All of the above are great suggestions.

We use the Neutrogena Spray-on sunscreen: 15-30SPF for me (I've had a squamous cell bump removed from my face) and 50SPF for the husband, who's the second whitest white boy in Gloucester.

The advantage to Neutrogena is that it dries very quickly and doesn't run. We also apply as often as needed and buy new at the start of every season.

Neutrogena has a new product called "Wet Skin" which can be applied to both dry and wet skin and, according to the blurb on the back, is water, sweat and humidity resistant. I've yet to use it but I'm hoping it lives up to the hype when I do.

Neutrogena is expensive although it does go on sale at both Target and CVS. Given the cost of skin cancer and the general discomfort of a sunburn, it's worth it.

We also wear hats and I usually will wear a long sleeved rash guard under my semi-dry short-sleeved top at the start of the season as an extra precaution as I've had a case or two of severe, itching sunburns .

If I use sun screen while still in my dry suit, I'm very careful to keep if off the gaskets as it can cause, or so I've been told, deterioration of the latex. Suz can no doubt back me up on this or give out more info.

It's also a good idea to use some sort of sunblock stick on your lips and the tops of your ears. I've gotten some very uncomfortable burns there that have lasted a few days and it's not fun.

Deb M

[risingsn]

All of the above are great suggestions.

We use the Neutrogena Spray-on sunscreen: 15-30SPF for me (I've had a squamous cell bump removed from my face) and 50SPF for the husband, who's the second whitest white boy in Gloucester.

The advantage to Neutrogena is that it dries very quickly and doesn't run. We also apply as often as needed and buy new at the start of every season.

Neutrogena has a new product called "Wet Skin" which can be applied to both dry and wet skin and, according to the blurb on the back, is water, sweat and humidity resistant. I've yet to use it but I'm hoping it lives up to the hype when I do.

Neutrogena is expensive although it does go on sale at both Target and CVS. Given the cost of skin cancer and the general discomfort of a sunburn, it's worth it.

We also wear hats and I usually will wear a long sleeved rash guard under my semi-dry short-sleeved top at the start of the season as an extra precaution as I've had a case or two of severe, itching sunburns .

If I use sun screen while still in my dry suit, I'm very careful to keep if off the gaskets as it can cause, or so I've been told, deterioration of the latex. Suz can no doubt back me up on this or give out more info.

It's also a good idea to use some sort of sunblock stick on your lips and the tops of your ears. I've gotten some very uncomfortable burns there that have lasted a few days and it's not fun.

Deb M

Ok, here is my 10 cents ($2.50 with the coming inflation). I'm a fair haired boy...so I burn easily. I have tried the expensive stuff & the cheap Walmart brands. No matter what the SPF, when I got back from paddling my wife would always say "you got burned today". I found some would run in my eyes & just about blind me (I taught a beginners class once with my eyes closed most of the time). I tried Coppertone Kids Pure & Simple SPF 50 ($8.95 @ Walmart). After a few paddles I realized I wasn't getting the old refrain. It has 14.5% Zinc Oxide, one of the 3 magic ingredients. It also does not bother my eyes. A lot of sunscreens have zinc or titanium, but a much small percentage. As for clothing I usually were a Columbia cap with a big bill & a drape and an NRS Hydrosilk L/S (SPF 30). For sunglasses I wear Natives which are polarized. Well there you have it.

[jeffcasey]

the day i had a small bump removed from the tip of my nose.

first the nurse comes at me with a giant honkin' needle and doesn't say a damn thing - just starts to go for my nose with this harpoon! i take her wrist and ask her what she's doing and boy, she wasn't happy that i took her wrist but hey, it's my nose and that's a biiiiig needle. anyways, she jabs that thing in my face and it hurts a lot. 10 minutes later the doctor comes in, doesn't say a thing and heads towards me with a freakin' scalpel....and i stop him before he gets any closer and he says "oh, the needle was just a topical, now i'm going to cut that thing off". which didn't hurt as much as the needle but still....scalpel/nose interaction never good. that would be a score of ZERO in the bedside manner category at the dermatologists.

so between that fun filled experience and the advent of spray on sunscreen, i've converted.

nice story, Rick. by the way, don't forget to keep wearing swim trunks!

[rick stoehrer]

nice story, Rick. by the way, don't forget to keep wearing swim trunks!

the irony of YOU commenting on the importance of swim trunk integrity....Dr. Jeff "look both ways and drop em" Casey, is indeed rich.

[jeffcasey]

at least i look both ways...it wouldn't do to offend a passing pontoon boat of nuns or girl scouts.

....but i wasn't speaking of modesty, only trying to suppress a repeat description of surgery in more

sensitive areas...if i cringe too much i spill my drink.