The last 2 years I have used Aveeno’s sunscreen SPF 70 in the facial formula, and SPF 50 spray for the body. I have been very pleased with its performance for hiking, crabbing, tubing down the Delaware, etc.
As you may recall from when we met, I am quite fair. Phlebotomists love me, because I’m practically transparent! I hardly tanned as a kid, despite laying out for hours coated in baby oil with my friends – but I didn’t burn much then either. In my 20s, I got a couple very serious burns while taking birth control pills… nowadays they warn people about drugs that cause sun sensitivity, but they didn’t in the 80s. Now the sun causes my skin to itch and practically welt – like an allergic reaction – and I will burn fairly easily. I also have melasma on my face, and it darkens quickly with very little exposure.
When I know I’ll be out in the sun all day, I apply the sunscreen to my whole body and allow it to dry before getting dressed. Then, I reapply to exposed areas when I arrive at the beginning of the day’s events. I rarely reapply after that, and I have had very little evidence of further sun damage. I will wear a baseball-style cap or wide-brimmed hat, depending on the days’ activities; and I will not be seen on the beach in the daytime without an umbrella!
Remember your ears, too! I have seen people who have had to have portions of their ears cut off because of skin cancer. Especially those who have a sunroof or convertible should apply sunscreen to their face, ears, neck, shoulders and chest on every day that they’ll have the roof open!