Midlife and Sunscreen

Relax in southern comfort on the east bank of the Mississippi. You're just around the corner from Beale Street and Sun Records. Watch the ducks, throw back a few and tell us what's on your mind.
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AnalogJoe
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Midlife and Sunscreen

Post by AnalogJoe »

I am a white guy and the sun burns me red. I also have a history of skin cancer in my family. My dad developed a mild type of skin cancer and he also had granules in his nose in his later years, again, due to sun exposure. He was the one who insisted that I should really start wearing sunscreen.

On top of all that, I also turned 40 this year and I started paying close attention to several things that I couldn't care less about 5 years ago. Gray hair started popping out of the blue around 6-12 months ago, literally out of the blue, especially in my beard, and it gets worse each week. I decided to completely shave off my beard a couple of weeks ago just to discover that I am growing a subtle double chin. Crap.

I also decided to start taking Plantago Psylium every day because I am usually constipated and I have a family history of diverticulitis, again, thank my dad's side of the family for that. It is almost impossible to find any Plantago Psylium product that doesn't consist of more than 50% sugar or Aspartame and Phenylalanine, plus a non-healthy dose of chemical dye, Metamucil is a clear example. I ended up buying a local "herbal" supplement which is basically raw pulverized Plantago Psylium, however, it has no certifications, nor any serious quality control assurance that can be readily seen anywhere on the label. I believe it is still better than the ultra-processed chemical stuff, though. Pick your poison, I guess.

In any case, let me set aside my midlife crisis for a second. I started using sunscreen daily around a year and a half ago. I ended up using two different types of sunscreen lotions, one for my face and ears (for some reason my ears are very pedantic and get irritated easily) and another one for everything else.

I have sensitive skin in general, even some of the products labeled as "for sensitive skin" ended up causing an itchy rash. So far I've settled with either ISDIN Fusion Water Magic or Eucerin Oil Control for my face and ears, and Eucerin Sensitive Protect for my neck, arms and hands. I never use shorts and I try to use long sleeves most of the time.

Recently, I started researching a bit about the different types of sunscreen products, and, as one would expect, I ended opening a huge can of worms. In essence, I discovered that there are two major types or categories of sunscreen products: mineral and chemical. Mineral sunscreen is based mostly on Zinc and works as a barrier against UV radiation, whilst chemical sunscreen mostly "absorbs" UV rather than blocking it. Mineral sunscreen is your typical "white goo" that is hard to apply and makes your face look white, even though more modern products have dramatically improved in this regard over the years. Chemical sunscreen, on the other hand, is extremely easy to apply. It doesn't even look like sunscreen, as it can appear to be your average run-of-the-mill beauty cream.

So where is the trick? Well, as you could've guessed it by now, there are some studies and claims that some chemicals in sunscreen can cause cancer, some of these toxins end up being absorbed into the blood stream, and some can even accelerate skin cancer or tumors (for instance, Vitamin A), in other cases they are just extremely irritating.

All of the "official" health organisations worldwide pronounce in unison that "There is no medical evidence that sunscreen causes cancer." In fact, that exact phrase is used in multiple sources. But we have all heard pronouncements like that coming from the highest levels of health authority (wink, wink) and from "The Science" incarnate. So I think it is safe to assume that a healthy dose of skepticism and distrust is a must.

I do believe that, overall, sunscreen is better than no sunscreen. As always, there are mixed opinions but most physicians seem to agree that mineral sunscreen is safer than chemical sunscreen, and the higher the SPF rating, the more likely the sunscreen will be more toxic. I have found some possible candidates for mineral sunscreen: Cetaphil Sheer 100% Mineral Liquid Sunscreen, BLUE LIZARD Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen, Coppertone SPORT Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50, La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral Sunscreen and Coppertone Pure & Simple Sunscreen. As to the chemical sunscreen, I plan on using it only for my face and ears, and I think that the ISDIN and Eucerin ones that I mentioned earlier are good alternatives, although I might completely migrate to mineral sunscreen and leave the chemical stuff alone.

I would like a product that doesn't give me an itch or a rash, that protects me from skin cancer without giving me cancer by itself, and that doesn't make my face look shinny like being on a TV show from the 70's without makeup, or like Casper the friendly ghost. I would like to shake someones hand without feeling shameful about leaving them all sticky. Lastly, if possible, I would like a product that doesn't make me smell like a surfer dude, coconuts, or like Paris Hilton.

So what's your take on sunscreen?
Bonum certamen certavi, cursum consumavi, fidem servavi.
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mediatechnology
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Re: Midlife and Sunscreen

Post by mediatechnology »

I have heard people say that eliminating seed oils from your diet reduces sunburn. One particular person who says this is extremely fair-skinned.

You might want to research that.
Tubetec
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Re: Midlife and Sunscreen

Post by Tubetec »

My beard started to go grey in my early 40's , it began in the area below the chin ,a silver weft either side and gradually spread upwards ,
Luckily I still have a full head of hair up top ,with only a few flecks of grey around the temples .
Ive never considered using hair dye , its full of noxious chemicals .
My advice is dont allow any of these superfical attributes take away your confidence ,just be yourself .

Ireland has very low levels of direct sunlight , this causes its own problems , it affects vitamin D production ,which in turn can have a bearing on mood .
How the skin handles the sun can also change over time , as a child were naturally exposed to more sunshine while playing out of doors ,
Back in the day I used tollerate quite a bit of sunshine without burning , Ive exposed myself less as time went on I dont handle it as well as I once did .
I know a few people who have taken the advice to stay away from strong sunlight to the extreme , and never emerge on hot days because they break out in a rash .
I make a point of exposing my arms and upper body for short periods in summertime , I then cover up with a long slieve tshirt .
I never use any sun block , mineral or chemical .

If you live at high altitude in Mexico city its a very different situation to where I live , adjust your exposure times accordingly , that might be just a few minutes in direct sunlight before applying the sun screen .

I once took two heaped spoons of sugar in my teas and coffees and didnt think twice about consuming a can of coke with over 30 grams of sugar in it ,
NO more , sugar is the most damaging poison on earth , theres a reason its so freely available ,without any warnings .
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AnalogJoe
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Re: Midlife and Sunscreen

Post by AnalogJoe »

Thanks for your kind words.

It is not that I feel lacking in confidence, it is just that before this I never actually noticed any aging sign in my body, and now I do.

With regards to UV. Here, the altitude is 2,240 m (that's 7349 ft for the weirdos out there) and the UV index ranges from high to extreme almost every day. In my opinion, not using sunscreen after 40 with the UV indices here, especially if you are fair skinned, is crazy. A colleague of mine and a close friend also recently went to the dermatologist and she mentioned that he had to use sunscreen every 4 hours, and that he also displayed some signs of irritation due to sun exposure, and he has brown skin, so skin color is no match for the sun.

I once heard a doctor on the radio say something like "If you are looking for a youth serum, it is called sunscreen"; I believe he is right.

I do agree with you that sugar is the worst ever. I try to lower my sugar intake to the bare minimum. I do not drink any soda. I take my coffee black with no sugar nor Splenda nor any other chemicals, although I sometimes have an "Irish Coffee" (minus the cream and sugar, so basically just coffee and whiskey) during the weekends. The only thing I drink aside water is beer, and lots of it. I occasionally have a Tequila or Brandy, straight, and the only thing which has lots of sugar in it that I also drink occasionally after a meal is Amaretto. Although I must admit that I do commit some peccadilloes when it comes to beer and sugar, you guys will probably think it is crazy, but I love a beer in a tall glass frosted with chamoy sauce and chili, but it is a special chili powder called "Miguelito" which has tons of sugar in it, amazing stuff.

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I remember listening to an interview of a food scientist or whatever. He wasn't one of those who think that you can't eat anything, IIRC, he basically said you could eat regular food, except sugar and that you should avoid ultra processed food, still, he emphasized that the worst of all was sugar. He told a story of how they completely eliminated sugar from the diet of prison inmates and during 1 or 2 months the violence went down to zero.

I am not extremely fair-skinned, but I will definitely look into the seed oils. In any case, any seed oil, in my opinion, should be eliminated from my diet for several reasons other than sunburn.
Bonum certamen certavi, cursum consumavi, fidem servavi.
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mediatechnology
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Re: Midlife and Sunscreen

Post by mediatechnology »

My wife and I have eliminated seed oils almost completely. The only exception I can think of is when she makes pancakes.
He told a story of how they completely eliminated sugar from the diet of prison inmates and during 1 or 2 months the violence went down to zero.
Most elementary grade school teachers would agree with him.

I've been served Miguelito on Margarita glasses. I'm a virtual water, black coffee and tea-totaler now and might have a drink once a year at a birthday dinner.

Bailey's is in its own category and I still would probably drink that occasionally as a night cap if I had some. I haven't set foot in a liquor store in over 7 years. I do like liquor in food as a flavoring.
Tubetec
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Re: Midlife and Sunscreen

Post by Tubetec »

I do like beer also , I usually drink from a bottle , the old style Guinness is a favourite of mine , but now we have plenty of craft breweries also ,
they tend to make stronger beer where more of the sugars have turned to alcohol , usually 5-5.5% ,
I find it better value and I drink less for a given 'effect' level :D
I will take a whiskey alongside the Guinness once in a while , never shooters , always just a sipping thing with me ,
Tequilla I leave alone , many years ago a friend who I shared a house with got everyone drunk on tequila , they wrecked the house ,
punched out walls and doors , had to be a big cleanup opperation afterwards .

I dont know if I could do that hot lips thing with the chilly ,beer, syrup ,
my beard would be destroyed , be like a zombie movie ,
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mediatechnology
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Re: Midlife and Sunscreen

Post by mediatechnology »

This may be of interest...

NPR: 50 Years Ago, Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists To Point Blame At Fat
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way ... ame-at-fat
In the 1960s, the sugar industry funded research that downplayed the risks of sugar and highlighted the hazards of fat, according to a newly published article in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The article draws on internal documents to show that an industry group called the Sugar Research Foundation wanted to "refute" concerns about sugar's possible role in heart disease. The SRF then sponsored research by Harvard scientists that did just that. The result was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1967, with no disclosure of the sugar industry funding.
JAMA Internal Medicine: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamain ... ct/2548255
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AnalogJoe
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Re: Midlife and Sunscreen

Post by AnalogJoe »

Tubetec wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2024 5:10 am I do like beer also , I usually drink from a bottle , the old style Guinness is a favourite of mine , but now we have plenty of craft breweries also ,
they tend to make stronger beer where more of the sugars have turned to alcohol , usually 5-5.5% ,
I find it better value and I drink less for a given 'effect' level :D
I will take a whiskey alongside the Guinness once in a while , never shooters , always just a sipping thing with me ,
Tequilla I leave alone , many years ago a friend who I shared a house with got everyone drunk on tequila , they wrecked the house ,
punched out walls and doors , had to be a big cleanup opperation afterwards .

I dont know if I could do that hot lips thing with the chilly ,beer, syrup ,
my beard would be destroyed , be like a zombie movie ,
There are many different Tequila brands. Some are really nasty, some are great. I wasn't a big fan of Tequila but Tequila Patron and Tequila Don Ramon changed my mind. Mezcal is similar, but I also like it. A friend of mine used to go to Oaxaca to buy full barrels of different types of Mezcal for next to nothing.

When it comes to beer, I do like Guinness, I also like Belgian beers like Delirium Nocturnum, and the British ones, like Hobgoblin and so forth. Although they are a bit too strong for everyday drinking, in that respect, I prefer Mexican or American beers.
Bonum certamen certavi, cursum consumavi, fidem servavi.
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AnalogJoe
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Re: Midlife and Sunscreen

Post by AnalogJoe »

Getting back on topic, if someone is interested...

I just discovered this YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@LabMuffinBeautyScience This lady does seem to know what she is talking about and has the (alleged) academic qualifications to back up her claims. She is into Beauty Science in general, but her sunscreen videos are particularly good. In any case, I have grown wary of "The Science" and peer-reviewed studies in journals, after it has become evident that science is no longer as impartial as it once was, if there ever was such a time in which science was 100% impartial.
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mediatechnology
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Re: Midlife and Sunscreen

Post by mediatechnology »

I have grown wary of "The Science" and peer-reviewed studies in journals, after it has become evident that science is no longer as impartial as it once was, if there ever was such a time in which science was 100% impartial.
The problem with following "The Science" is that the science follows the money.
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