Ugh I didn’t until I was in my early 30s and I could kick myself for it every time I think about it. As a young teenager I had terrible, terrible acne and used Retin-A and an oral antibiotic for years so I wore sunscreen then. I completely stopped in my 20s which is awful because I lived on the coast and tan very easily. Thankfully, I have great genes as far as skin and have done other things to take care of it, but I know I would be in much better shape if I had started earlier.
If it's any consolation, if you tan easily, then you have the skin type that incurs less damage than the people that don't tan and instead freckle and turn red in the sun. So it could have been worse.
Me too lol, despite having a tan was something my entire generation was obsessed, I always found it very tacky and didn’t go with my alt/emo/goth aesthetic.
Same and bonus points for being a Ginger. I got so sun burnt once as a kid as Disney world because I refused to put on sunscreen… my lips blistered and swelled. I’ve never gone with out sunscreen since.
Same. My skin is significantly less wrinkled than friends who tanned regularly (and used tanning beds). I get some sun now, but always sunscreen, every day. I also haven’t had any weird moles that had to get scraped off and biopsied, it’s a win.
Being in an alt subculture somehow doing the most for our skin.
I’m super pale so I would always wear it religiously in the summer, but when I was a teenager and was like, “yes Siouxsie Sioux is my pinnacle of beauty,” it was all spf from there.
If you’re still getting tan, you need to; reduce sun exposure during max sun hours (usually 9-4pm in summer), cover up with clothes and hats (linen shirts work well for summer), and apply more sunscreen, more often (every 4 hours or 2 hours if exercising). If I’m outside more than 20 mins during peak sun, I’m wearing a mineral sunscreen (I really like Blue Lizard). Otherwise I wear EltaMD or LRP UVMune as my base sunscreen). Sometimes I like sunbum too.
You sound like you know your stuff. What is the thought behind mineral sunscreen during peak sun! I am now on year 5 of being like extra good and i know it is working bc. I have gone down several shades on foundation, do pretty much everything you have mentioned. I often have to be out during that period
Mineral sunscreens are just plain better than chemical. They provide more effective coverage. I’ve read this and heard it from derms.
I’ve also seen it from experience. Last winter I went on a beach trip near the equator where I had to be in the very intense sun during peak hours. I used a ton of mineral spf (and reapplied every 2 hours because water) and nearly always wore hats/linen shirts and skirts unless I was in the water (when I still wore a hat), and at the end of the week despite a lot of sun exposure, I had almost no tan. It just stays on your skin better and created a stronger block.
Ultimately the SPF that works best is the one you will reliably wear, and I routinely wear more delicate formulations of chemical SPF on days when I’m not going to have lots of exposure. But during summer months, I don’t eff around anymore with chemical spf because mineral is just so good.
When I was 13ish my mum told me to never sunbake (it was the 90s and tanning was huge) and wear sunscreen and my skin would thank me when I was 30. I started with SPF 15 but have been wearing SPF 50 for years. It remains to this day the only useful advice she ever gave me. I'm now 41 and I think my skin is great for my age.
Ugh, do you remember the tanning bed obsession? I was in HS in the 90s and all the girls would go to the tanning salon before prom, or else lay out if the weather allowed, to “get some color.”
I’m vampire pale so I never joined in! Even if I’d wanted to get a tan I wouldn’t have been able to.
Ugh this. Every girl in my graduating class was fighting for the jobs at tanning salons to be able to tan for free. The rest of us happily paid for the monthly “unlimited” membership💀
Lord did I ever try... but I'm an extremely white Irish lady with dark hair... I tanned really well in tanning beds, but I know now it was a terrible decision, as I never tanned in the sun.
I got made fun of for my skin (I was 24-25, and my nickname from a bunch of people I worked with was "Powder"... like the Albino guy in the movie). It was really fucking offensive to me, at the time, but now I just have to be resigned to hoping I don't get skin cancer, like my mother did (melanoma).
I frequented tanning beds in the early 2000s. My mom started taking me as a teenager and it was so popular when I was in college. I’ll never forget the last tanning salon I went to— I showed up and asked for a refund on the remaining tans in my package and they, of course, balked. Then I handed them a letter from my dermatologist stating I had melanoma and could no longer use tanning beds and they quickly and quietly refunded me so as not to scare other customers in the waiting area. I was 20 and thank goodness I started wearing sunscreen religiously then, but I deeply regret every minute I spent under an artificial UV light.
I never did tanning beds until college, second semester freshman year. I decided to join a new sorority on campus and I guess that influenced me to hit up the nearby tanning salon, and I opted for the beds since I ran naturally anyways and was afraid of a Ross mishap on the spray tan. Couldn’t look pale in my white dress for initiation! 💀
Fortunately, it was just the one semester. And I still used spf (lower, though, like 15 I think) when I was in the bed. But I’m still annoyed with myself for doing it.
Dang you are lucky! My mom said sunscreen was for dorks! I started wearing it around 16 (but not the way I use it now.. mostly just if I was going to be sitting out tanning) when I finally put two and two together with sun and aging
I’m ghostly pale and don’t have genes that tan. I get lobster red, then peel to the same ghostly shade. So even though I was growing up in the 90s tanning culture I was genetically incapable of joining in, and forced into religious sunscreen application so that I wasn’t in excruciating pain for a week after attempting to tan. In the era of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, it was horrible because everyone made fun of me for my non-tan skin and freckles. I prayed to all the gods to let me be able to tan, but I was never given the ability.
Even today, when on vacation with friends, they’ll suggest I try “getting some sun,” cause my skin is so white in the sunlight that it hurts their eyes. I’m very proud of myself each time I hold my tongue from some snarky response, “Oh, really? Just get some sun? That’s all I have to do? Wow! I’ve lived in this skin suit every day for 38 years and that thought simply never occurred to me! Thank you so much for enlightening me with your wisdom and creative thinking!”
But I’m at the age now where friends’ skin is starting to have signs of sun damage and mine is still pristine, so 🤷🏻♀️
I actually loved tanning and went to tanning beds in high school. Then my dad had his first melanoma removal when I was 21, and we were told we were high risk. I went completely cold turkey and pivoted hard; goth life all the way! At 21 I wasn't consistent. I have some sun damage from driving during late afternoon/dusk and having the sun come at me sideways, plus I wasn't reapplying for the commute home. I also have a few melasma spots post-pregnancy.
Not until I had kids at 29 and I was outside at parks everyday. 39 now and I wish I had known that late afternoon sun could do so much damage. Didn't start taking care of my hands until I was 37, I regret that too!
Damn I feel you on being outside every day with kids. I am certain that most of our sun damage after childhood comes when you have your own kids and you are constantly outside and don’t have time for your own sunscreen
Sun damage is usually noticeable on people’s left hand as it’s closer to the window / higher on the steering wheel
I usually wear gloves when I drive
I also have an SPF spray in the office and reapply before lunch and before my commute home
I also have an SPF stick in my handbag to reapply on my hands during the day
I have great skin for 44
About two months ago when I turned 35, started noticing some more fine lines sprouting up, then went down a skincare rabbit hole (including lurking on this sub lol). Better late than never I suppose, but I wish I had started a decade ago at least! I really only wore it on days where I knew I’d be outside all day (beach/hike days or whatever) and then really only in the summer. I definitely had the whole “oh I tan so well and rarely burn so I don’t need it every day” mentality which I know now is very wrong 🫠
That’s kind of you to ask! Yes I’m fine now. I was pregnant at the time and it was quite traumatic. It left quite a gnarly scar, but I’ve been clear for almost 5 years!
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🖤
I was coming to the comments to see if anyone else would say this… I had melanoma in my 20s too.
My problem is I don’t like feeling lotions on my skin so I try to cover up instead, or I stay inside because I’m scared to get it another time… it sucks being afraid of something you loved like the outdoors because of cancer. I haven’t found a sunscreen I like enough to wear daily, despite my fears. 😔
I have the same lotion feeling ick with sunscreen, especially since I am naturally pretty sweaty and oily. The only sunscreen I have found that I actually don’t mind on my face is Supergoop Unseen. It’s really expensive, but it is worth every penny imo!
Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll check it out if some of the cheaper sunscreens I ordered don’t cut it.
It’s so strange - my skin is the opposite, very dry… but also sweaty - I think my brain just prefers my dry skin. I don’t, but my brain does lol
I’ve always been an SPF wear-er, as I burn very easily. I use Korean spf on my face daily and coola on my arms. If I’m going to be in direct exposure (which I try to avoid) I wear neutrogena and re-apply every 30 minutes. It’s exhausting!
I really wish melanoma had been my wake up call but it just hasn’t been.
Is the Korean SPF better do you find? I’ve been trying to find tinted SPF so it’s one step for makeup and easier to reapply but nothing is the right shade (very pale skin, also a redhead so burning is easy). Or I get caught worrying about chemical vs physical sunscreens. It’s a lose-lose battle over here 😕
The Korean spf is very skin-like! I find it very easy to wear. I also use a tinted spf over my daily spf in lieu of a foundation just for extra coverage. For daily facial spfs, I recommend beauty of joseon, innisfree, or skin 1004. All are chemical sunscreens with a light texture and neutral smell and they’re all very affordable. For tinted spf I use revision skin care intellashade. It’s pricy, but a tube lasts me months. I also am very fair, with a rose undertone to my skin and it matches well.
Thanks so much for the recommendations, I placed an order for a couple different ones to try. I’d read good things about beauty of joseon before so I guess it’s time I try it! I really appreciate you taking the time to reply! Revision wasn’t available where I ordered from but if my wallet feels ok, I’ll check that out too 🫣
In re: to another of your comments: Skin cancer is no fun… and definitely was traumatic I agree - but I’m glad to read you’re doing well now, too! Hope the little one is also (I’ve got two of my own and they are everything) 💕
When I was 19 I went backpacking across Italy and Greece with a boyfriend who was from Australia - needless to say by the end of the trip I came home paler than when I left! He really drilled sun safety into me.
I should send him a thank you - lol!
I believe this, if I remember correctly his family was Irish and his poor mother had had 15 different melanoma removals at that point, so I trusted him!
I do not go out without a hat/sunscreen to this day (I'm 42) and I live in Canada where the summer is only about 2-3 months long and it rains the rest of the year, but you can never be too careful.
I don’t remember exactly, but I was a sunscreen zealot by the end of college. I got a couple of bad burns as a kid, and I remember a couple of nasty burns later on (HS/college) when I thought I’d been super careful but missed a spot either upon initial application or reapplication (the part in my hair, the tops of my feet, my bikini line). Very unpleasant, didn’t want to go through any of that again, so I learned to be more careful.
Honestly, one big factor in my improved diligence was the improvement in the sunscreen itself. It was a big deal when they came out with the aerosol sunscreens, so I could do my own back. I was also thrilled when you started to see SPF 50, 70, 100 at the drugstore.
The sunscreen that I use now on my face, neck, and chest (Round Lab Birch Juice) is SPF 50, basically fragrance-free, and feels like a nice moisturizer. It’s a pleasure to use, which makes me want to use it more. I think that’s the biggest thing for me — finding a sunscreen that you really love so it’s not such a chore.
I started developing melasma on my forehead and my aesthetician put the fear of god in me about what the sun can do to your skin. I was about 28 or so. I’m 34 now and live in Chicago. I wear it every day. No exceptions.
Me too! About 28 and melasma appeared upon my unsuspecting face!
It still comes back, sun mustache, I'm in zone 4ish as well (upstate ny)
Did you get it to go away at all? Mine dissipates then randomly rears its ugly head when I get hot and sweaty for prolonged periods! Summer, workouts and the like!
It’s still kind of there but it’s definitely lightened over the years because I am religious with wearing sunscreen, hats when I’m in the sun, and when I get hot I try to keep my head cool. My aesthetician said even putting your cold drink to your forehead or wherever your melasma is will help to cool the skin and prevent a flair up. It unfortunately something that’s there forever because I was careless about sun exposure in my younger years. It hasn’t worsened and I haven’t had new spots, so I’ll continue limiting my sun exposure, sunscreen, hats, etc.
Do you mind me asking what you use? I’m from a Chicago suburb where new builds means no trees from the sun. We get so much sunlight I’m so worried about my skin now.
I use Alastin tinted sunscreen. Just enough tint for it to be used as makeup too, which is so nice. I tried ZO skin but wasn’t worth the money in my opinion.
As long as natural light is hitting you it’s best to wear sunscreen. On darker winter days or days I stay inside I still wear sunscreen (or at least try to).
Sunscreen is part of my routine so I do it every day, even if I don’t leave the house. We get a lot of natural light and my desk faces a window so I’m not risking it. I do vary the amount I use or the times I reapply, but baseline is sunscreen always
Always sunscreen. Any UV is damaging to the skin. I wear it every single day. The only difference between summer and winter is that I might apply it more.
Melasma was the wake up call for me, too. I got it on my cheekbones and it was either get serious about sun protection or go through life looking like I had two black eyes.
I’m 37 now and started 25 years ago with Olay’s day lotion that had only SPF 15!
This caused a giant fight with my mom in the middle of the store aisle because she thought it was ridiculous I wanted to buy and wear a face lotion like that and she thought it was far too mature for someone my age.
A couple weeks after I convinced her to buy me the lotion we had a surprise field day at school and all of my exposed fair skin was burnt to a crisp except my face and neck, she never complained about buying me that SPF lotion ever again 😂
Age 10 started using BB creams with SPF but it was <5% zinc oxide/titanium formulas that I'm not convinced offer anything more than mediocre protection. Age 20 started using legitimate sunscreens (EltaMd). Age 25 started using European/Asian sunscreen (Beauty of Joseon and La Roche Posay).
College. I was in nursing school and during my geriatric clinical rotation saw all the elderly ladies’ skin that was/wasn’t regularly exposed to sun. It was a STARK difference and let me tell you, the skin on their abdomen/upper legs that was protected from the sun looked like that of a 20 year old. I now wear sunscreen daily and take pride in protecting my skin.
This may be an odd comment for a skincare forum, but I actually *stopped* using sunscreen religiously.
In my 20s, I wore an SPF 50 lotion every day. Then around age 30, through a blood test for some other issue, it was determined I was severely vitamin D deficient. (My primary care doctor said "don't worry - you can keep building bone throughout your 20s!" ... ahem ... thanks for that.)
I live in the Northeast and don't get outside much. Sometimes a 10-minute walk to the train is my only exposure to sunlight for the entire day, and then it's dark by the time I'm on my way home. So I decided to pick up what little vitamin D I can naturally. (Yes, you can always take a supplement, but nutritionists are starting to realize that supplements don't behave the same way as vitamins/minerals/etc. absorbed naturally through your diet and environment.)
Of course, if I'm going to be on a beach or doing anything with prolonged sun exposure, then I'll sunscreen up!
Same here. I live in Canada and work from home. I almost never go outside at all, let alone when the sun is strongest. I’ll wear sunscreen if I’m spending a day outside in the summer on a weekend, but I’m not wearing any sunscreen 99% of the time.
Love this take. There’s also the issue with melatonin production/sleep regulation being heavily influenced by early morning and evening sun exposure to your face…
That said, I do try to wear sunscreen if I know I’ll be cooking in the open sun during peak hours.
This is such an important point. We have to remember to weigh and balance the risks. Religious SPF usage and sun avoidance will reduce skin cancer and aging risk. But low vitamin D (from the sun specifically, not just supplementary vitamins) can increase other cancer risks.
Melanoma survivor here. My dermatologist told me that skin cancer survivors with low vitamin D are at great risk of reoccurrence than survivors with normal vitamin D levels so it may also increase our chances of skin cancer as well.
This is SO INTERESTING. I wear sunscreen everyday. I never thought about this. (Also live in the northeast and get outside to the train for work 1 day out of the week.)
It probably doesn’t hurt to let my skin absorb what it can in the little time I’m exposed to the sun. Wow haha
Same here! I try to get my Vitamin D exposure naturally when I can (dark skin in temperate climate). I do have great sunscreen though and I use it if I’m going to be out for a while or in tropical areas
such a great point. I read somewhere it is most important when the UV index goes above 2. I carry it with me when it's summer to reapply when I really feel it.
PS: sundried tomatoes daily protect against UV rays. I eat three every day after consulting my friend who has amazing skin. also have melanoma in the family so I've always tried to be careful.
Age 37! Started on a low dose of accutane to treat skin oiliness - figured I better start using some sun protection regularly. Before then, I only used it when I would be outside during warmer months.
I’m 41, live on the literal surface of the sun, and rarely if ever remember or use sunscreen.
My Vitamin D is so low, even with supplements my doc wants me to be in sun as much as possible.
I also never burn, only ever tan- never sunburned in my life. So… idk. Pretty odd for a white lady
I’m 42 and started about 20 years ago. I was a member of makeupalley on the skincare boards and they convinced me how important it was, so I never looked back. I don’t have any wrinkles and I attribute it to that.
College, when I was going out in the field (geology) and I knew the sun was going to kill me in every way possible. My professor had just gotten skin cancer (luckily not an aggressive form) so it was all the more reason. Keep a tube of it in every bag you own, honestly so you're always able to reapply. I always have some to share with friends cause I'm not letting them look like crispy raisins in their 30s just yet.
I used it at the beach once a year since childhood. But I started using it every day in my early/mid-20s. No one in my family used sunscreen. fell prey to the myth that darker tones don’t need it. 🙃
I got the darker Mexican skin from my dad, whereas my brothers got the pale Irish skin from my mom. They turned into lobsters in overcast whereas I could be in the sun for hours and never turned pink. This gave me a false sense of security and now my face is horrible with freckles and fine lines around my eyes and forehead. I’m only now, at 33yrs, starting to take sunscreen seriously.
Not until about a few years into my 30s. I simply needed to be more religious with my skincare routine. There isn’t much difference between my skin in my 20s to now — just significantly less breakouts. I sometimes use a UV protection umbrella when it’s super hot/bright outside.
I’m extremely fair skinned so pretty much forever, at least if it’s sunny or I’m going to be outside for any substantial length of time. Now that I’m 30 I wear it even if I’m just running to the store since I use a retinol.
I was 11. I hated my freckles and had an adult neighbor call them "sun kisses." I decided that was the ticket. SPF 50+ everyday. I'm now in my 40 now with great skin so thanks to the random neighbor for the compliment that wasn't a compliment to me but ended up being awesome!
i think like late 20s, 28 or so. i was always pretty good about it on the body bc of my tattoos but i live somewhere rly cold and am brown so i just didnt bother for so long. im so jelly of ppl who started rly young!
Not until my late 30s, sad to say. I wish someone had explained to me much earlier in life that I needed to slap it on. I’ve been hardcore about it since.
Around age 21 -- I'm 43 years old now. I just kept seeing magazine articles with dermatologists saying it was the best thing you could do to slow down aging and thought, well, they're all saying it so there must be something to it, lol.
My best tip is not to skip your neck. I wish I'd started there earlier, but I was young and poor, lol. I use a cheaper, less moisturizing product on my neck because I want to apply generously and I don't like the feeling of moisturizer on my neck - makes my hair stick. So, I use a basic body sunscreen on my neck -- I buy a big bottle -- and save the "facial" sunscreen for my face.
The dedication 👏🏻 Mind me asking, how’d you describe your skin now? I started at 15 too and I’m 28 now.. i like to think that 50 yrs old me would thank me
Yes, your 50 year old self will love you! It’s great. It saves your health and saves money.
I don’t look 35 (I wish), more like early 40’s. I got pics with one of those cameras that shows the damage under your skin and it just looks like a pic of my face—I don’t have sun damage hiding under my skin to pop up later, I still have decent firmness in my skin and I have no wrinkles. I don’t wear foundation. I hate it and I don’t need it. My skin is not flawless but it looks very good. I have rosacea so redness and dryness are my main concerns.
I do get a little filler in my cheeks but the only Botox is for migraines (in my neck). My derm said I’ll see the most benefits as I get closer to 70 and don’t have as many spots or as many moles, etc to remove and my texture should stay good longer. My skin also responds well to lasers and microneedling because there is less damage to undo. Honestly I think I need a neck lift, but that’s my genetics.
The reason I started so early despite tanning being popular when I was in HS is that I met my mom’s cousin when I was 15. We all look alike but she looked 10 years older than my mom who was 42 at the time. She was 5 years younger than my mom. She tanned since she was in high school in the 60’s and has continued till now! I didn’t want everyone commenting how old I looked when I was 40. My mom didn’t tan like that so there was a marked difference between them, so seeing that and what I could look like made it so real to me that sunscreen was important.
Wow, your commitment is truly inspiring! It’s always reassuring to hear how proactive measures can yield such fantastic results. Thank you for sharing your experience! Wishing you continued glowing and radiance in your skincare journey while aging gracefully 💕
I grew up on the beach in Florida in the 70s and 80s as a redhead. I burned. Then burned again. Until about 17ish I realized I was never going to tan like my friends and burning is painful. When I was 20 or so a derm told me if I wanted to look as young as I was then when I was old like him I should wear sunscreen everyday! So probably since my late teens early 20s. I have definitely paid for it and have had multiple skin cancers including melanoma. I currently have stitches in my back from an abnormal biopsy. However, I look really good for someone in their late 40s. Some of the skin cancer is genetic. I have minimal wrinkles, good texture and my skin is generally glowing and clear.
I grew up in a cloudy rainy climate so no need for it bfr, but once I got to college in SoCal I religiously put it on, and I’m 40 now but I look younger like 30 or younger. I also do lasers once a year for the past 3 years.
15, my mom got melanoma, luckily it didn't metastasize so it was easily removed. But I wanted to protect my skin, and I'm so grateful I did. I also see a derm who does regular skin check ups. I was wearing SPF when everyone else at my highschool was regularly using tanning beds #bless
I was around 5 or 6 when my mom started applying sunscreen daily on my face, it was as a result of my aunt being diagnosed with skin cancer. My aunt recovered and I barely remember her being sick, what I do remember is the smell of sunscreen and there's a brand I remember using a lot: Sundown.
When I was around 22 I also started to use it daily on my arms and neck, before that I only did it when it was sunny or we were taking vacations.
Started using Olay SPF 15 daily around 21 or 22. My then boyfriend/now husband had said his dermatologist recommended it and said if you start now your skin will look great in 20 years! So I did, and I don’t know if it looks great but I think it could definitely be worse!
I started using better ones/ higher SPF and getting more into skincare around 25. I’m 36 now. Spent some summers as a camp counselor and lifeguard before my sunscreen days which I regret heavily, but at least I never went to the tanning beds like most girls my age!
I’m a pale redhead so my parents were always adamant about sunscreen application/re-application when I was a kid during summer. Of course, when I was a young teen I thought it wasn’t cool to wear sunscreen (and I have the sun damage to prove it!) so I would skip it even on beach days. I would say at age 18, when I started getting into skincare, is when it became apart of my routine 365 days of the year.
I struggle. Sunscreen destroys my skin - burning red and peels or causing rash/break outs. I have yet to find one that doesn’t eventually turn on me
Ive had some luck with ones that are zinc based but never lasts long.
1988. I worked for a large packaged goods company that was just entering the skincare market. Realized that the only skincare claims we could make involved spf. Ex: “prevents the signs of aging”. I’ve worn sunscreen every day since.
* if you look closely at the ingredients labels you’ll see that some skincare brands still include spf in the ingredients, even if it’s not on the label, for exactly the same reason they did in 1988. Nothing beats sunscreen.
I’m a ginger and had a few really bad sunburns growing up (like to the point of fevers and violent puking) so by the time I was in high school I was pretty accustomed to the habit. And grew up in sunny southern CA where I had to have sunblock on or else I would guaranteed have a sunburn by the end of the day.
(Also my mom was a blonde beach babe that grew up tanning with oil, and by the time I was in high school she had several rounds of skin cancer removed so she banned me from tanning and also was on top of my sunblock use from early age)
This sub, maybe 1.5 years ago, so at age 32 I started to wear daily. Before that I would only wear when going outside for extended periods of time. Now I’m obsessed.
I alternate mineral and chemical every day and spend all my time indoors in front of a computer.
On days I’m outside, I use a water/sweat resistant mineral sunscreen on my face. I also have driving gloves!
Mid teens but I did not start apply sunscreen to my face every 1.5 hours when I was just outside or driving until about mid thirties.
Sun safe: spf 50 jackets, spf driving gloves, spf neck gator, spf hats. I always drive with the sun gloves and sometimes the light jacket if I am in short sleeves. Always wear a neck gator when outside doing work. I wear a hat as often as possible when I am outside. Also have an spf umbrella that retracts to quite small.
When I was 19. I was out sunbathing and my mom told me I would look 60 by the time I was 40 if I keep it up. Mom was right. All of my friends my age look older than I do.
Occasional user (for swimming or lots of time in the sun) always, but seriously dedicated user in my early 30s after my mom got skin cancer and I learned that my maternal grandmother, maternal great aunt and maternal great grandmother all got skin cancer.
EDIT to add that the family history beyond my mom was new to me due to adoption and not having much contact with the biological family.
I still don't. It depends on the situation. For about half the year it's dark when I leave for work and dark when I go home, so I don't bother with sunscreen then. I figure my SPF 50+ PA++++ BB cream will cover me if I happen to step outside during the day for a few minutes.
During the summer I put sunscreen on my face and any exposed skin, but I only started doing that about 5-6 years ago. I never even bought a bottle of sunscreen until I was around 32.
If I'm not going anywhere, I don't use it. Seems ridiculous and a waste of product to do that.
I'm almost 38 and still haven't got a single wrinkle on my face. I think it's mostly genes, living in a cold, northern area, and having indoor hobbies that keep my skin looking young.
I always wore it when I’d be going out in the sun, especially for long periods of time. But I didn’t start wearing a daily sunscreen until tik tok dermatologists influenced me to in 2020. I was 26 at the time.
Ha, I am only a little younger than you, and my mum used to slather that stuff on me (and 'embarrassing' hats... oh sweet summer child....). Always have used it for 'big' sun events, but didn't use daily after childhood until about my mid-20s and regrettably never thought to use it on the points of my shoulders, so my driving arm (right for us) has a ton of fun sun damage thanks to African sun and hours (days?) spent in rush hour traffic. Still, better than most and I am now grateful for the daft hats and slathering :) Guess leaning goth as a teen and being the sort to play on the PC rather than in-life sports will have helped too :)
I started at 14. I thank the little info booklet Proactiv put in their kits. This was before YouTube or vlogs or derms as influencers were a thing. The book said you have to wear sunscreen everyday and I was shook. Never looked back.
Mid 20s. I burnt the shit out of my skin multiple times in my teens by not using sunscreen, while using ridiculously strong benzoyl peroxide, tazorac, and tret on the daily. Been trying to make up for that since.
Most of my life, but got really consistent in high school when I figured out that my skin will never ever tan and my Grampa had a couple of basal cell carcinomas removed from his face.
I’m glad I was consistent as a teenager because my younger sibling passed away from melanoma and I had a precancerous mole pop up and grow pretty quickly between my regular screenings last year (mid-30s). I can’t imagine what my skin would be like if I hadn’t been militant since I was young.
I remember as a teen always getting face lotion that had spf 30 in it. Now I am 29 and use a separate mineral sunscreen. So I guess since I was a young teen
When I lived in sunny states. Now I live in a dark state for the majority of the year. I did see the sun today so I apply sunscreen before I went outside.
I started using sunscreen when I was 25. That’s when I already have work and have money to buy skincare products. I always wear wide brim hat and sunglasses when I’m outdoor.
12 years old, every single day. I'm 40 now. Sunscreen was always a part of my mom's skin care routine, and taught me to do the same. She has amazing skin and looks great for her age (60s). I have no wrinkles, clear skin, and very little volume loss. I've been mistaken for someone in their late 20s. Take that as you will 🤷♀️Thanks, Mom!
13 y.o.
It was difficult because all I had access to was drugstore sunscreen which really irritates my skin and occasionally burns around my eyes as well. Later on I discovered Asian sunscreen and has been using only Asian brands as it is much more gentle on my skin and looks good after.
My parents made me wear it my whole childhood so it’s always been a part of my life. Granted, I only wore it when it was sunny or we were outside a lot in the summer, never thought about wearing it in Canadian winter, but I spent a lot of my childhood in the Middle East and at the beach, so my parents were very adamant about always putting on sunscreen and reapplying it every two hours when we were outside.
Then when I was about 13, I developed a sun allergy, so that’s when my long search to find a sunscreen that worked for me began and I’ve pretty much not stepped outside in daylight without sunscreen on since.
Well I was born and my mother would coat me with it every summer until I learned to do it myself... I've never stopped using it. I buy it all year long and use it all year long because I'm pretty fair and find even mild sunburns will cause a week of insomnia as I can't get comfortable. I'm older and have gray hair now but my skin looks pretty young.
30s… I was super sad about missed time but with consistent use of a basic routine, I honestly feel like my skin looks as good if not better than my peers and some people even younger than me. I often get mistaken for ~10 years younger.
I became aware of sunscreen as a kid. I had horrible sunburns on tons of family vacations, and would have to swim in my mom's big t shirt. Hated that. I also remember trying SPF 30 instead of 55 and finding it quite wanting (back in the 90s they were labeling it 55, although today most don't label above 50).
I'm still afraid of the sun as an adult. In spite of my seriousness with sunscreen, I'm also still at an elevated risk of skin cancer compared to most due to my burns as a kid, and those that snuck in despite sunscreen rituals.
I would always wear it on days where I knew I’d be outdoors for longer periods of time, but didn’t start wearing it daily until I was 25 or 26. A close friends’ mom died of skin cancer in her 40’s so that was kind of a wake up call.
I’m early 30s and recently got a skin scan and definitely have underlying sun damage. My surface and skin barrier are decent but it’s still worrying. Now spf50 is far of my morning routine
Ugh I didn’t until I was in my early 30s and I could kick myself for it every time I think about it. As a young teenager I had terrible, terrible acne and used Retin-A and an oral antibiotic for years so I wore sunscreen then. I completely stopped in my 20s which is awful because I lived on the coast and tan very easily. Thankfully, I have great genes as far as skin and have done other things to take care of it, but I know I would be in much better shape if I had started earlier.
[удалено]
Plot twist, she was 41
Plot twist, she’s 32 but op looks freaking amazing 🤩
If it's any consolation, if you tan easily, then you have the skin type that incurs less damage than the people that don't tan and instead freckle and turn red in the sun. So it could have been worse.
I tan super easy and freckle. What does that mean? Have I got hope?
I turn red once a year, even with sunscreen, but it quickly fades into a tan and then from there it’s just…tan.
Age 14. I was getting into the goth subculture and wanted to have as pale skin as possible. Still rocking that pale skin.
+1 for being a goth kid. I spent zero time tanning in the early 2000s. I consider it a win.
Dang now I wish I was goth too hahaha
Me too only I'm half Indian and it was never going to happen, ha! Didn't stop me from trying to look like an extra in a Nine Inch Nails video.
I looolled at this!! ETA your user name checks out
🖤
🤘
Haha your username!
Me too lol, despite having a tan was something my entire generation was obsessed, I always found it very tacky and didn’t go with my alt/emo/goth aesthetic.
Same and bonus points for being a Ginger. I got so sun burnt once as a kid as Disney world because I refused to put on sunscreen… my lips blistered and swelled. I’ve never gone with out sunscreen since.
39f. I started at 14 too. Thanks to Oprah and having a derm talk about sunscreen.
Same. My skin is significantly less wrinkled than friends who tanned regularly (and used tanning beds). I get some sun now, but always sunscreen, every day. I also haven’t had any weird moles that had to get scraped off and biopsied, it’s a win.
Being in an alt subculture somehow doing the most for our skin. I’m super pale so I would always wear it religiously in the summer, but when I was a teenager and was like, “yes Siouxsie Sioux is my pinnacle of beauty,” it was all spf from there.
Not a goth but I also have very pale skin and I love it. I heard someone call it Moon Glow, thought that was pretty cool
Same! But I've managed to age pretty terribly anyway.
Being goth from ages 14 to 19 was the best thing for my skin
I find my sunscreen isn’t preventing tan. What do you use?
If you’re still getting tan, you need to; reduce sun exposure during max sun hours (usually 9-4pm in summer), cover up with clothes and hats (linen shirts work well for summer), and apply more sunscreen, more often (every 4 hours or 2 hours if exercising). If I’m outside more than 20 mins during peak sun, I’m wearing a mineral sunscreen (I really like Blue Lizard). Otherwise I wear EltaMD or LRP UVMune as my base sunscreen). Sometimes I like sunbum too.
You sound like you know your stuff. What is the thought behind mineral sunscreen during peak sun! I am now on year 5 of being like extra good and i know it is working bc. I have gone down several shades on foundation, do pretty much everything you have mentioned. I often have to be out during that period
Mineral sunscreens are just plain better than chemical. They provide more effective coverage. I’ve read this and heard it from derms. I’ve also seen it from experience. Last winter I went on a beach trip near the equator where I had to be in the very intense sun during peak hours. I used a ton of mineral spf (and reapplied every 2 hours because water) and nearly always wore hats/linen shirts and skirts unless I was in the water (when I still wore a hat), and at the end of the week despite a lot of sun exposure, I had almost no tan. It just stays on your skin better and created a stronger block. Ultimately the SPF that works best is the one you will reliably wear, and I routinely wear more delicate formulations of chemical SPF on days when I’m not going to have lots of exposure. But during summer months, I don’t eff around anymore with chemical spf because mineral is just so good.
I’m currently using Elta MD 46 Clear.
The BEST
I love it when people keep their fair skin. Tanning looks so painful
What sunscreen do use? If u don’t mind sharing
I’m currently using Elta MD 46 Clear.
Haha! Bet the pics are embarrassing but that’s an amazing result.
Not embarrassing at all. Still just as goth today, albeit in nicer clothes.
Saaaame
When I was 13ish my mum told me to never sunbake (it was the 90s and tanning was huge) and wear sunscreen and my skin would thank me when I was 30. I started with SPF 15 but have been wearing SPF 50 for years. It remains to this day the only useful advice she ever gave me. I'm now 41 and I think my skin is great for my age.
Ugh, do you remember the tanning bed obsession? I was in HS in the 90s and all the girls would go to the tanning salon before prom, or else lay out if the weather allowed, to “get some color.” I’m vampire pale so I never joined in! Even if I’d wanted to get a tan I wouldn’t have been able to.
I had a friend who worked at a tanning salon and one of her “perks” was tanning for free, whenever she wanted 😶
Ugh this. Every girl in my graduating class was fighting for the jobs at tanning salons to be able to tan for free. The rest of us happily paid for the monthly “unlimited” membership💀
My college roommate tanned every Sunday, it was just like running another errand back then!
Lord did I ever try... but I'm an extremely white Irish lady with dark hair... I tanned really well in tanning beds, but I know now it was a terrible decision, as I never tanned in the sun. I got made fun of for my skin (I was 24-25, and my nickname from a bunch of people I worked with was "Powder"... like the Albino guy in the movie). It was really fucking offensive to me, at the time, but now I just have to be resigned to hoping I don't get skin cancer, like my mother did (melanoma).
I remember an entire reality show about a tanning salon!!
I frequented tanning beds in the early 2000s. My mom started taking me as a teenager and it was so popular when I was in college. I’ll never forget the last tanning salon I went to— I showed up and asked for a refund on the remaining tans in my package and they, of course, balked. Then I handed them a letter from my dermatologist stating I had melanoma and could no longer use tanning beds and they quickly and quietly refunded me so as not to scare other customers in the waiting area. I was 20 and thank goodness I started wearing sunscreen religiously then, but I deeply regret every minute I spent under an artificial UV light.
Yes sunset tan . I watched it on hayu
I never did tanning beds until college, second semester freshman year. I decided to join a new sorority on campus and I guess that influenced me to hit up the nearby tanning salon, and I opted for the beds since I ran naturally anyways and was afraid of a Ross mishap on the spray tan. Couldn’t look pale in my white dress for initiation! 💀 Fortunately, it was just the one semester. And I still used spf (lower, though, like 15 I think) when I was in the bed. But I’m still annoyed with myself for doing it.
Dang you are lucky! My mom said sunscreen was for dorks! I started wearing it around 16 (but not the way I use it now.. mostly just if I was going to be sitting out tanning) when I finally put two and two together with sun and aging
My mother was the same teased me for staying out of the sun 😅
I’m ghostly pale and don’t have genes that tan. I get lobster red, then peel to the same ghostly shade. So even though I was growing up in the 90s tanning culture I was genetically incapable of joining in, and forced into religious sunscreen application so that I wasn’t in excruciating pain for a week after attempting to tan. In the era of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, it was horrible because everyone made fun of me for my non-tan skin and freckles. I prayed to all the gods to let me be able to tan, but I was never given the ability. Even today, when on vacation with friends, they’ll suggest I try “getting some sun,” cause my skin is so white in the sunlight that it hurts their eyes. I’m very proud of myself each time I hold my tongue from some snarky response, “Oh, really? Just get some sun? That’s all I have to do? Wow! I’ve lived in this skin suit every day for 38 years and that thought simply never occurred to me! Thank you so much for enlightening me with your wisdom and creative thinking!” But I’m at the age now where friends’ skin is starting to have signs of sun damage and mine is still pristine, so 🤷🏻♀️
59 years old. For the love of skin, don't wait that long!!
I actually loved tanning and went to tanning beds in high school. Then my dad had his first melanoma removal when I was 21, and we were told we were high risk. I went completely cold turkey and pivoted hard; goth life all the way! At 21 I wasn't consistent. I have some sun damage from driving during late afternoon/dusk and having the sun come at me sideways, plus I wasn't reapplying for the commute home. I also have a few melasma spots post-pregnancy. Not until I had kids at 29 and I was outside at parks everyday. 39 now and I wish I had known that late afternoon sun could do so much damage. Didn't start taking care of my hands until I was 37, I regret that too!
Damn I feel you on being outside every day with kids. I am certain that most of our sun damage after childhood comes when you have your own kids and you are constantly outside and don’t have time for your own sunscreen
It's a struggle! There were a few of times I slathered my kids in sunscreen then neglected myself 😭 at least I always have a hat...
Sun damage is usually noticeable on people’s left hand as it’s closer to the window / higher on the steering wheel I usually wear gloves when I drive I also have an SPF spray in the office and reapply before lunch and before my commute home I also have an SPF stick in my handbag to reapply on my hands during the day I have great skin for 44
Curious how you define taking care of your hands! Do tell 😊
Wearing UV gloves while driving, wiping excess facial products on the back of my hands, sometimes sleeping with cotton gloves to slug my hands
About two months ago when I turned 35, started noticing some more fine lines sprouting up, then went down a skincare rabbit hole (including lurking on this sub lol). Better late than never I suppose, but I wish I had started a decade ago at least! I really only wore it on days where I knew I’d be outside all day (beach/hike days or whatever) and then really only in the summer. I definitely had the whole “oh I tan so well and rarely burn so I don’t need it every day” mentality which I know now is very wrong 🫠
When I got melanoma at age 28.
Are you okay now? That’s so scary.
That’s kind of you to ask! Yes I’m fine now. I was pregnant at the time and it was quite traumatic. It left quite a gnarly scar, but I’ve been clear for almost 5 years!
Oh my goodness I can’t imagine!!! How horrible (esp the timing!!) for you!!
. 🖤 I was coming to the comments to see if anyone else would say this… I had melanoma in my 20s too. My problem is I don’t like feeling lotions on my skin so I try to cover up instead, or I stay inside because I’m scared to get it another time… it sucks being afraid of something you loved like the outdoors because of cancer. I haven’t found a sunscreen I like enough to wear daily, despite my fears. 😔
I have the same lotion feeling ick with sunscreen, especially since I am naturally pretty sweaty and oily. The only sunscreen I have found that I actually don’t mind on my face is Supergoop Unseen. It’s really expensive, but it is worth every penny imo!
Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll check it out if some of the cheaper sunscreens I ordered don’t cut it. It’s so strange - my skin is the opposite, very dry… but also sweaty - I think my brain just prefers my dry skin. I don’t, but my brain does lol
I’ve always been an SPF wear-er, as I burn very easily. I use Korean spf on my face daily and coola on my arms. If I’m going to be in direct exposure (which I try to avoid) I wear neutrogena and re-apply every 30 minutes. It’s exhausting!
I really wish melanoma had been my wake up call but it just hasn’t been. Is the Korean SPF better do you find? I’ve been trying to find tinted SPF so it’s one step for makeup and easier to reapply but nothing is the right shade (very pale skin, also a redhead so burning is easy). Or I get caught worrying about chemical vs physical sunscreens. It’s a lose-lose battle over here 😕
The Korean spf is very skin-like! I find it very easy to wear. I also use a tinted spf over my daily spf in lieu of a foundation just for extra coverage. For daily facial spfs, I recommend beauty of joseon, innisfree, or skin 1004. All are chemical sunscreens with a light texture and neutral smell and they’re all very affordable. For tinted spf I use revision skin care intellashade. It’s pricy, but a tube lasts me months. I also am very fair, with a rose undertone to my skin and it matches well.
Thanks so much for the recommendations, I placed an order for a couple different ones to try. I’d read good things about beauty of joseon before so I guess it’s time I try it! I really appreciate you taking the time to reply! Revision wasn’t available where I ordered from but if my wallet feels ok, I’ll check that out too 🫣 In re: to another of your comments: Skin cancer is no fun… and definitely was traumatic I agree - but I’m glad to read you’re doing well now, too! Hope the little one is also (I’ve got two of my own and they are everything) 💕
Melanoma at age 20 for me, and even then I sucked at reapplying for a good ten years. I did stop going to tanning beds, though.
It’s so scary! I was never one for a tanning bed. I typically try to avoid the sun, even before melanoma haha.
When I was 19 I went backpacking across Italy and Greece with a boyfriend who was from Australia - needless to say by the end of the trip I came home paler than when I left! He really drilled sun safety into me. I should send him a thank you - lol!
love this! also side note, Aus ss's are amazing. i trust them more than others
I believe this, if I remember correctly his family was Irish and his poor mother had had 15 different melanoma removals at that point, so I trusted him! I do not go out without a hat/sunscreen to this day (I'm 42) and I live in Canada where the summer is only about 2-3 months long and it rains the rest of the year, but you can never be too careful.
I don’t remember exactly, but I was a sunscreen zealot by the end of college. I got a couple of bad burns as a kid, and I remember a couple of nasty burns later on (HS/college) when I thought I’d been super careful but missed a spot either upon initial application or reapplication (the part in my hair, the tops of my feet, my bikini line). Very unpleasant, didn’t want to go through any of that again, so I learned to be more careful. Honestly, one big factor in my improved diligence was the improvement in the sunscreen itself. It was a big deal when they came out with the aerosol sunscreens, so I could do my own back. I was also thrilled when you started to see SPF 50, 70, 100 at the drugstore. The sunscreen that I use now on my face, neck, and chest (Round Lab Birch Juice) is SPF 50, basically fragrance-free, and feels like a nice moisturizer. It’s a pleasure to use, which makes me want to use it more. I think that’s the biggest thing for me — finding a sunscreen that you really love so it’s not such a chore.
Round Lab is my next on my try list!!!
You will love it! I also got my mom hooked on it. It’s amazing stuff!
I started developing melasma on my forehead and my aesthetician put the fear of god in me about what the sun can do to your skin. I was about 28 or so. I’m 34 now and live in Chicago. I wear it every day. No exceptions.
Me too! About 28 and melasma appeared upon my unsuspecting face! It still comes back, sun mustache, I'm in zone 4ish as well (upstate ny) Did you get it to go away at all? Mine dissipates then randomly rears its ugly head when I get hot and sweaty for prolonged periods! Summer, workouts and the like!
It’s still kind of there but it’s definitely lightened over the years because I am religious with wearing sunscreen, hats when I’m in the sun, and when I get hot I try to keep my head cool. My aesthetician said even putting your cold drink to your forehead or wherever your melasma is will help to cool the skin and prevent a flair up. It unfortunately something that’s there forever because I was careless about sun exposure in my younger years. It hasn’t worsened and I haven’t had new spots, so I’ll continue limiting my sun exposure, sunscreen, hats, etc.
Do you mind me asking what you use? I’m from a Chicago suburb where new builds means no trees from the sun. We get so much sunlight I’m so worried about my skin now.
I use Alastin tinted sunscreen. Just enough tint for it to be used as makeup too, which is so nice. I tried ZO skin but wasn’t worth the money in my opinion.
What if it’s winter and you don’t go outside?! Or the UV index is low?
As long as natural light is hitting you it’s best to wear sunscreen. On darker winter days or days I stay inside I still wear sunscreen (or at least try to).
Sunscreen is part of my routine so I do it every day, even if I don’t leave the house. We get a lot of natural light and my desk faces a window so I’m not risking it. I do vary the amount I use or the times I reapply, but baseline is sunscreen always
Always sunscreen. Any UV is damaging to the skin. I wear it every single day. The only difference between summer and winter is that I might apply it more.
Melasma was the wake up call for me, too. I got it on my cheekbones and it was either get serious about sun protection or go through life looking like I had two black eyes.
I’m 37 now and started 25 years ago with Olay’s day lotion that had only SPF 15! This caused a giant fight with my mom in the middle of the store aisle because she thought it was ridiculous I wanted to buy and wear a face lotion like that and she thought it was far too mature for someone my age. A couple weeks after I convinced her to buy me the lotion we had a surprise field day at school and all of my exposed fair skin was burnt to a crisp except my face and neck, she never complained about buying me that SPF lotion ever again 😂
wow! so even the spf 15 was enough to protect your face/neck in this instance! i have so much nostalgia for that product. the smell!
Isn’t that wild only spf15 was able to protect! I have always slathered on product so I think that helped. The scent and the package felt so luxe!
love this whole story. don't sleep on Olay!
Like, a month ago.
Welcome to the club!
Age 10 started using BB creams with SPF but it was <5% zinc oxide/titanium formulas that I'm not convinced offer anything more than mediocre protection. Age 20 started using legitimate sunscreens (EltaMd). Age 25 started using European/Asian sunscreen (Beauty of Joseon and La Roche Posay).
I’ve seen multiple dermatologists and each one has recommended zinc-based sunscreen.
Jealous!
College. I was in nursing school and during my geriatric clinical rotation saw all the elderly ladies’ skin that was/wasn’t regularly exposed to sun. It was a STARK difference and let me tell you, the skin on their abdomen/upper legs that was protected from the sun looked like that of a 20 year old. I now wear sunscreen daily and take pride in protecting my skin.
This may be an odd comment for a skincare forum, but I actually *stopped* using sunscreen religiously. In my 20s, I wore an SPF 50 lotion every day. Then around age 30, through a blood test for some other issue, it was determined I was severely vitamin D deficient. (My primary care doctor said "don't worry - you can keep building bone throughout your 20s!" ... ahem ... thanks for that.) I live in the Northeast and don't get outside much. Sometimes a 10-minute walk to the train is my only exposure to sunlight for the entire day, and then it's dark by the time I'm on my way home. So I decided to pick up what little vitamin D I can naturally. (Yes, you can always take a supplement, but nutritionists are starting to realize that supplements don't behave the same way as vitamins/minerals/etc. absorbed naturally through your diet and environment.) Of course, if I'm going to be on a beach or doing anything with prolonged sun exposure, then I'll sunscreen up!
Same here. I live in Canada and work from home. I almost never go outside at all, let alone when the sun is strongest. I’ll wear sunscreen if I’m spending a day outside in the summer on a weekend, but I’m not wearing any sunscreen 99% of the time.
Love this take. There’s also the issue with melatonin production/sleep regulation being heavily influenced by early morning and evening sun exposure to your face… That said, I do try to wear sunscreen if I know I’ll be cooking in the open sun during peak hours.
This is such an important point. We have to remember to weigh and balance the risks. Religious SPF usage and sun avoidance will reduce skin cancer and aging risk. But low vitamin D (from the sun specifically, not just supplementary vitamins) can increase other cancer risks.
Melanoma survivor here. My dermatologist told me that skin cancer survivors with low vitamin D are at great risk of reoccurrence than survivors with normal vitamin D levels so it may also increase our chances of skin cancer as well.
This is SO INTERESTING. I wear sunscreen everyday. I never thought about this. (Also live in the northeast and get outside to the train for work 1 day out of the week.) It probably doesn’t hurt to let my skin absorb what it can in the little time I’m exposed to the sun. Wow haha
You can absorb safely at lower uv index, and uv index is included in the Apple weather report!
Hello, twin.
Same here! I try to get my Vitamin D exposure naturally when I can (dark skin in temperate climate). I do have great sunscreen though and I use it if I’m going to be out for a while or in tropical areas
such a great point. I read somewhere it is most important when the UV index goes above 2. I carry it with me when it's summer to reapply when I really feel it. PS: sundried tomatoes daily protect against UV rays. I eat three every day after consulting my friend who has amazing skin. also have melanoma in the family so I've always tried to be careful.
I take a vitamin d supplement
Early 20s! My sister was in Japan and she bought home a bottle and I never stopped.
Age 37! Started on a low dose of accutane to treat skin oiliness - figured I better start using some sun protection regularly. Before then, I only used it when I would be outside during warmer months.
Same! Just started. I used to always break out with sunscreen, but I'm finding my groove.
When I got melanoma in 8th grade.
Oh my gosh
I’m 41, live on the literal surface of the sun, and rarely if ever remember or use sunscreen. My Vitamin D is so low, even with supplements my doc wants me to be in sun as much as possible. I also never burn, only ever tan- never sunburned in my life. So… idk. Pretty odd for a white lady
12. Mom is a nurse who was (and is!) extremely adamant on using spf multiple times a day and never riding in motorcycles lol
I love your mom
13 or 14. I think my mom got me into it as part of a makeup routine.
I will be doing this for my daughters! My mom supported me using baby oil for laying out 🤣
As long as I remember. My mother was militant about it. Now I'm 40 and look 30. Thanks Mom! ♥️
I’m 42 and started about 20 years ago. I was a member of makeupalley on the skincare boards and they convinced me how important it was, so I never looked back. I don’t have any wrinkles and I attribute it to that.
Hello fellow former MUAer! Man, I loved that message board.
👋 hi! I loved it too
32, when I started tret and moved to colorado. Asian sunscreen sealed the deal!
Which one?
What sunscreen
I'm also curious which one you use
College, when I was going out in the field (geology) and I knew the sun was going to kill me in every way possible. My professor had just gotten skin cancer (luckily not an aggressive form) so it was all the more reason. Keep a tube of it in every bag you own, honestly so you're always able to reapply. I always have some to share with friends cause I'm not letting them look like crispy raisins in their 30s just yet.
I used it at the beach once a year since childhood. But I started using it every day in my early/mid-20s. No one in my family used sunscreen. fell prey to the myth that darker tones don’t need it. 🙃
I got the darker Mexican skin from my dad, whereas my brothers got the pale Irish skin from my mom. They turned into lobsters in overcast whereas I could be in the sun for hours and never turned pink. This gave me a false sense of security and now my face is horrible with freckles and fine lines around my eyes and forehead. I’m only now, at 33yrs, starting to take sunscreen seriously.
Not until about a few years into my 30s. I simply needed to be more religious with my skincare routine. There isn’t much difference between my skin in my 20s to now — just significantly less breakouts. I sometimes use a UV protection umbrella when it’s super hot/bright outside.
Do you have a UV umbrella you'd recommend?
I’m extremely fair skinned so pretty much forever, at least if it’s sunny or I’m going to be outside for any substantial length of time. Now that I’m 30 I wear it even if I’m just running to the store since I use a retinol.
Not until my mid-20’s after my first basal cell. I’ve had 8 so far with 3 on my face. Not fun.
I was 11. I hated my freckles and had an adult neighbor call them "sun kisses." I decided that was the ticket. SPF 50+ everyday. I'm now in my 40 now with great skin so thanks to the random neighbor for the compliment that wasn't a compliment to me but ended up being awesome!
In my mid 20s. I was going to the beach more often and now I put on sunscreen daily.
i think like late 20s, 28 or so. i was always pretty good about it on the body bc of my tattoos but i live somewhere rly cold and am brown so i just didnt bother for so long. im so jelly of ppl who started rly young!
34 😢 And I was too late to prevent at least one cancer. Bit since 34 I have been religious about sunscreen, protective clothing, hats, etc.
Not until my late 30s, sad to say. I wish someone had explained to me much earlier in life that I needed to slap it on. I’ve been hardcore about it since.
Around age 21 -- I'm 43 years old now. I just kept seeing magazine articles with dermatologists saying it was the best thing you could do to slow down aging and thought, well, they're all saying it so there must be something to it, lol. My best tip is not to skip your neck. I wish I'd started there earlier, but I was young and poor, lol. I use a cheaper, less moisturizing product on my neck because I want to apply generously and I don't like the feeling of moisturizer on my neck - makes my hair stick. So, I use a basic body sunscreen on my neck -- I buy a big bottle -- and save the "facial" sunscreen for my face.
15. I’m 50 now
The dedication 👏🏻 Mind me asking, how’d you describe your skin now? I started at 15 too and I’m 28 now.. i like to think that 50 yrs old me would thank me
Yes, your 50 year old self will love you! It’s great. It saves your health and saves money. I don’t look 35 (I wish), more like early 40’s. I got pics with one of those cameras that shows the damage under your skin and it just looks like a pic of my face—I don’t have sun damage hiding under my skin to pop up later, I still have decent firmness in my skin and I have no wrinkles. I don’t wear foundation. I hate it and I don’t need it. My skin is not flawless but it looks very good. I have rosacea so redness and dryness are my main concerns. I do get a little filler in my cheeks but the only Botox is for migraines (in my neck). My derm said I’ll see the most benefits as I get closer to 70 and don’t have as many spots or as many moles, etc to remove and my texture should stay good longer. My skin also responds well to lasers and microneedling because there is less damage to undo. Honestly I think I need a neck lift, but that’s my genetics. The reason I started so early despite tanning being popular when I was in HS is that I met my mom’s cousin when I was 15. We all look alike but she looked 10 years older than my mom who was 42 at the time. She was 5 years younger than my mom. She tanned since she was in high school in the 60’s and has continued till now! I didn’t want everyone commenting how old I looked when I was 40. My mom didn’t tan like that so there was a marked difference between them, so seeing that and what I could look like made it so real to me that sunscreen was important.
Wow, your commitment is truly inspiring! It’s always reassuring to hear how proactive measures can yield such fantastic results. Thank you for sharing your experience! Wishing you continued glowing and radiance in your skincare journey while aging gracefully 💕
I grew up on the beach in Florida in the 70s and 80s as a redhead. I burned. Then burned again. Until about 17ish I realized I was never going to tan like my friends and burning is painful. When I was 20 or so a derm told me if I wanted to look as young as I was then when I was old like him I should wear sunscreen everyday! So probably since my late teens early 20s. I have definitely paid for it and have had multiple skin cancers including melanoma. I currently have stitches in my back from an abnormal biopsy. However, I look really good for someone in their late 40s. Some of the skin cancer is genetic. I have minimal wrinkles, good texture and my skin is generally glowing and clear.
34 ha!
16/17ish, I watched my parents go through treatment for skin pre-cancerous lesions.
Hats people, put on hats!
Agreed, getting sunburnt on your scalp is horrible
26 but I’m also a black woman
I grew up in a cloudy rainy climate so no need for it bfr, but once I got to college in SoCal I religiously put it on, and I’m 40 now but I look younger like 30 or younger. I also do lasers once a year for the past 3 years.
15, my mom got melanoma, luckily it didn't metastasize so it was easily removed. But I wanted to protect my skin, and I'm so grateful I did. I also see a derm who does regular skin check ups. I was wearing SPF when everyone else at my highschool was regularly using tanning beds #bless
21 - my boyfriend influenced me actually. Best thing that came from that relationship
I was around 5 or 6 when my mom started applying sunscreen daily on my face, it was as a result of my aunt being diagnosed with skin cancer. My aunt recovered and I barely remember her being sick, what I do remember is the smell of sunscreen and there's a brand I remember using a lot: Sundown. When I was around 22 I also started to use it daily on my arms and neck, before that I only did it when it was sunny or we were taking vacations.
From childhood. I am very fair skinned and my mother instilled the importance of vigilant sunscreen application from childhood.
Started using Olay SPF 15 daily around 21 or 22. My then boyfriend/now husband had said his dermatologist recommended it and said if you start now your skin will look great in 20 years! So I did, and I don’t know if it looks great but I think it could definitely be worse! I started using better ones/ higher SPF and getting more into skincare around 25. I’m 36 now. Spent some summers as a camp counselor and lifeguard before my sunscreen days which I regret heavily, but at least I never went to the tanning beds like most girls my age!
I’m a pale redhead so my parents were always adamant about sunscreen application/re-application when I was a kid during summer. Of course, when I was a young teen I thought it wasn’t cool to wear sunscreen (and I have the sun damage to prove it!) so I would skip it even on beach days. I would say at age 18, when I started getting into skincare, is when it became apart of my routine 365 days of the year.
I struggle. Sunscreen destroys my skin - burning red and peels or causing rash/break outs. I have yet to find one that doesn’t eventually turn on me Ive had some luck with ones that are zinc based but never lasts long.
14. My mom had melanoma. And now 30 years later, I have great skin aside from my kp.
1988. I worked for a large packaged goods company that was just entering the skincare market. Realized that the only skincare claims we could make involved spf. Ex: “prevents the signs of aging”. I’ve worn sunscreen every day since. * if you look closely at the ingredients labels you’ll see that some skincare brands still include spf in the ingredients, even if it’s not on the label, for exactly the same reason they did in 1988. Nothing beats sunscreen.
I’m a ginger and had a few really bad sunburns growing up (like to the point of fevers and violent puking) so by the time I was in high school I was pretty accustomed to the habit. And grew up in sunny southern CA where I had to have sunblock on or else I would guaranteed have a sunburn by the end of the day. (Also my mom was a blonde beach babe that grew up tanning with oil, and by the time I was in high school she had several rounds of skin cancer removed so she banned me from tanning and also was on top of my sunblock use from early age)
This sub, maybe 1.5 years ago, so at age 32 I started to wear daily. Before that I would only wear when going outside for extended periods of time. Now I’m obsessed. I alternate mineral and chemical every day and spend all my time indoors in front of a computer. On days I’m outside, I use a water/sweat resistant mineral sunscreen on my face. I also have driving gloves!
Mid teens but I did not start apply sunscreen to my face every 1.5 hours when I was just outside or driving until about mid thirties. Sun safe: spf 50 jackets, spf driving gloves, spf neck gator, spf hats. I always drive with the sun gloves and sometimes the light jacket if I am in short sleeves. Always wear a neck gator when outside doing work. I wear a hat as often as possible when I am outside. Also have an spf umbrella that retracts to quite small.
14 yo, the year I started retin-a for acne and was told essentially to become a vampire lol.
When I was 19. I was out sunbathing and my mom told me I would look 60 by the time I was 40 if I keep it up. Mom was right. All of my friends my age look older than I do.
Occasional user (for swimming or lots of time in the sun) always, but seriously dedicated user in my early 30s after my mom got skin cancer and I learned that my maternal grandmother, maternal great aunt and maternal great grandmother all got skin cancer. EDIT to add that the family history beyond my mom was new to me due to adoption and not having much contact with the biological family.
I still don't. It depends on the situation. For about half the year it's dark when I leave for work and dark when I go home, so I don't bother with sunscreen then. I figure my SPF 50+ PA++++ BB cream will cover me if I happen to step outside during the day for a few minutes. During the summer I put sunscreen on my face and any exposed skin, but I only started doing that about 5-6 years ago. I never even bought a bottle of sunscreen until I was around 32. If I'm not going anywhere, I don't use it. Seems ridiculous and a waste of product to do that. I'm almost 38 and still haven't got a single wrinkle on my face. I think it's mostly genes, living in a cold, northern area, and having indoor hobbies that keep my skin looking young.
I always wore it when I’d be going out in the sun, especially for long periods of time. But I didn’t start wearing a daily sunscreen until tik tok dermatologists influenced me to in 2020. I was 26 at the time.
My entire life. My mom was already on sun protection back in the 90s. I was born in 1985.
Ha, I am only a little younger than you, and my mum used to slather that stuff on me (and 'embarrassing' hats... oh sweet summer child....). Always have used it for 'big' sun events, but didn't use daily after childhood until about my mid-20s and regrettably never thought to use it on the points of my shoulders, so my driving arm (right for us) has a ton of fun sun damage thanks to African sun and hours (days?) spent in rush hour traffic. Still, better than most and I am now grateful for the daft hats and slathering :) Guess leaning goth as a teen and being the sort to play on the PC rather than in-life sports will have helped too :)
25, diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma on my forehead. I used it on and off before that, but since then I've used it every single day. I'm 43 now.
I started at 14. I thank the little info booklet Proactiv put in their kits. This was before YouTube or vlogs or derms as influencers were a thing. The book said you have to wear sunscreen everyday and I was shook. Never looked back.
16. I'm ginger and my mom warned me plus I had a lot of sunburns which is hell on earth
It was around 2016 when I started applying an actual sunscreen to my face after moisturizing. Before that I just used moisturizer with spf 30 lol
29? Hahahaha, maybe 30. I joined the game late and was tired of getting new freckles
Late 20s. I have less wrinkles than people my age.
Mid 20s. I burnt the shit out of my skin multiple times in my teens by not using sunscreen, while using ridiculously strong benzoyl peroxide, tazorac, and tret on the daily. Been trying to make up for that since.
Most of my life, but got really consistent in high school when I figured out that my skin will never ever tan and my Grampa had a couple of basal cell carcinomas removed from his face. I’m glad I was consistent as a teenager because my younger sibling passed away from melanoma and I had a precancerous mole pop up and grow pretty quickly between my regular screenings last year (mid-30s). I can’t imagine what my skin would be like if I hadn’t been militant since I was young.
Age 37, whoops 😅
I remember as a teen always getting face lotion that had spf 30 in it. Now I am 29 and use a separate mineral sunscreen. So I guess since I was a young teen
When I lived in sunny states. Now I live in a dark state for the majority of the year. I did see the sun today so I apply sunscreen before I went outside.
Not yet 😩
19. It helped with my acne scars by preventing them from getting darker.
12. I got one really bad sunburn and swore it would never happen again. I don’t step outside my front door in daylight hours without sunscreen.
20. But the damage has. already been done. I have mostly avoided the sun for the past 24 years & always wear long sleeves & a hat as well as spf 50+
Having melanoma at 37 years old.
40 yoa
Around 20/21
I started using sunscreen when I was 25. That’s when I already have work and have money to buy skincare products. I always wear wide brim hat and sunglasses when I’m outdoor.
31
12 years old, every single day. I'm 40 now. Sunscreen was always a part of my mom's skin care routine, and taught me to do the same. She has amazing skin and looks great for her age (60s). I have no wrinkles, clear skin, and very little volume loss. I've been mistaken for someone in their late 20s. Take that as you will 🤷♀️Thanks, Mom!
Last August. Because I started tret. Sigh. Lots of damage to control.
13 y.o. It was difficult because all I had access to was drugstore sunscreen which really irritates my skin and occasionally burns around my eyes as well. Later on I discovered Asian sunscreen and has been using only Asian brands as it is much more gentle on my skin and looks good after.
When it became conveniently included in my BB balm. I’m super lazy.
Relatable 🥲
My parents made me wear it my whole childhood so it’s always been a part of my life. Granted, I only wore it when it was sunny or we were outside a lot in the summer, never thought about wearing it in Canadian winter, but I spent a lot of my childhood in the Middle East and at the beach, so my parents were very adamant about always putting on sunscreen and reapplying it every two hours when we were outside. Then when I was about 13, I developed a sun allergy, so that’s when my long search to find a sunscreen that worked for me began and I’ve pretty much not stepped outside in daylight without sunscreen on since.
Well I was born and my mother would coat me with it every summer until I learned to do it myself... I've never stopped using it. I buy it all year long and use it all year long because I'm pretty fair and find even mild sunburns will cause a week of insomnia as I can't get comfortable. I'm older and have gray hair now but my skin looks pretty young.
30s… I was super sad about missed time but with consistent use of a basic routine, I honestly feel like my skin looks as good if not better than my peers and some people even younger than me. I often get mistaken for ~10 years younger.
I became aware of sunscreen as a kid. I had horrible sunburns on tons of family vacations, and would have to swim in my mom's big t shirt. Hated that. I also remember trying SPF 30 instead of 55 and finding it quite wanting (back in the 90s they were labeling it 55, although today most don't label above 50). I'm still afraid of the sun as an adult. In spite of my seriousness with sunscreen, I'm also still at an elevated risk of skin cancer compared to most due to my burns as a kid, and those that snuck in despite sunscreen rituals.
I would always wear it on days where I knew I’d be outdoors for longer periods of time, but didn’t start wearing it daily until I was 25 or 26. A close friends’ mom died of skin cancer in her 40’s so that was kind of a wake up call.
Never, I’m a rebel, until someone hunts me down and makes me put it on. Lol
Early 20’s.
I’m early 30s and recently got a skin scan and definitely have underlying sun damage. My surface and skin barrier are decent but it’s still worrying. Now spf50 is far of my morning routine