Reactions to sunblocks

[Guest guest]

This was sent to me privately, but I imagine this is a common

situation and continues a thread we've been talking about, esp as

summer is approaching for many of us (sadly, not those who put prawns

on the barbie ). I've not signed it, out of respect for the sender

who may have wanted not to post publicly.

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Dr. Lazoff

I have done my homework and on Dr. Nase's recommendation

(in his book), bought the Clinique City Block (SPF 25) for use as

protection against the sun. I used it for the first time last

weekend, and as it turned out (due to a cloudy day and me not

even being outside much) I didn't need to put any on. But I

reacted terribly to it, and I cannot figure out why. It is supposed

to be safe for rosacea skin, and while I am cognizant of the fact that

every person's skin type is different, I was just wondering if there

was anything in the ingredients (which you listed in a previous

posting) that I might be reacting to?

I haven't been able to find any sunscreens or moisturizers (the

ones recommended by Dr. Nase as being available at

supermarkets/pharmacies are not at any stores near me). Do

you know of any I might be able to purchase that are not sold via

the Internet?

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Last first: check out www.drugstore.com, which lists ingredients of

products it carries and usually offers free standard shipping.

Another option is www.cvs.com, which I believe also lists

ingredients. (I've never ordered from them, but it saves browsing

time when I do visit my local CVS.) A third site, one I've also never

ordered from, is www.dermstore.com. It's a doctor's office that

carries lots of skin products commonly sold through doctor's offices

and other harder-to-find products. It also lists ingredients.

I can't know what ingredient is causing the reaction. Like many

products, City Block (spf 15) and SuperCity Block (spf 25) doesn't

have any of the usual suspects, but that doesn't mean it is " safe for

rosaceans, " for people with skin that reacts easily. Note that the

two products do not have identical ingredients, so it's possible to

react to one and not the other.

I don't know a good way to determine one's skin sensitivities that

doesn't involve lots of energy and involvement.

I investigate my sensitivities by maintaining a folder with two

piles: one with ingredient lists of all the products I react to, and

one with ingredient lists of all the products I don't. I don't copy

the ingredients by hand; either I cut out or flatten the product box,

or I print the ingredients off the Internet or from emails from the

companies. Then, when something comes up, I review the folder looking

for common ingredients. Over the past half-year or so, I've been able

to make some sense of what my skin likes and doesn't like.

Two questions for general consumption: a number of people on the list

talk about not needing sunblock when the day is cloudy. Can someone

explain that reasoning to me? I'm not aware that UV is inhibited by

clouds, which (aside from rosacea) is suppose to age skin/increase

risk for skin cancer. I know that my face is sensitive to the heat of

the sun -- heat from anything, actually -- which is a problem when my

skin is overtly irritated. But sunscreen/block doesn't protect

against heat, that requires large-rimmed hats, parumbrellas, and

other shade-producing objects. (One happy discovery: with my skin

less reactive these days, I've found it is enjoying the sun during

this mid-April heat wave -- so much different than last fall, when my

skin was at its worst, and the heat from the sun actually hurt my

face.)

Second, can someone explain why spf is so important in these

discussions? It only measures UVB, and I though rosaceans were as

much or more concerned about UVA. Since it only measures UVB, and

since anything over 15 is already above the 90% percentile, I

wouldn't think that the difference between spf 30 and spf 60 has much

practical meaning for most rosaceans. If there is a concern, why not

just reapply a lower spf more frequently, which is the best way to

insure continual coverage anyway, right?

Hope that helps, and thanks.

Marjorie

Marjorie Lazoff, MD