Skin Protection

Posted by: redforest

Skin Protection - 09/15/16 07:51 PM

I normally hike below tree line and I don’t use sunscreen because of my skin allergies. Before hikes I put some pure jojoba oil on exposed areas of my skin. Sometimes jojoba oil doesn’t absorb well and my face looks too oily.

Recently a fellow hiker recommended me a Viking Shield moisturizer.

Are there other “natural” moisturizers without sunblock out there? Any recommendations? Thank you.
Posted by: OregonMouse

Re: Skin Protection - 09/16/16 12:51 PM

The moisturizers you mention do not block the UV rays, which are what causes skin cancer. Far more effective are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in a sufficiently thick coating to look opaque, despite the clown-like appearance. Please talk to your physician about this!

I also am allergic to sunscreen. Also, having grown up in an era when tanning was considered healthy, and a good burn and peel at the beginning of the season was considered helpful to my acne-plagued complexion, I now have several precancerous skin lesions being monitored. In the meantime, I must be extra careful to protect my skin from sun. I rely on long pants, long sleeved shirt (both of fabric with a high tested SPF rating), hand protectors (cover the backs of my hands but not the front, so not hot like gloves, and especially useful with trekking poles), and a very dorky but effectively shady hat (Sunday Afternoons Adventure hat). In fact, I wear the hat around town a lot and ignore the stares (the neighborhood has gotten used to it).

Dermatologists are now beginning to realize that in many cases, sunscreen doesn't protect from skin cancer. I became downright paranoid about this a few years ago when my eldest son's wife had most of her upper lip removed due to skin cancer (she works outdoors year-around).
Posted by: wandering_daisy

Re: Skin Protection - 09/16/16 01:02 PM

I too cover up. The older I get, the more prone I am to skin cancer, but thankfully, the less I care about how I look!

I always say you can estimate the age of a backpacker from a long distance; the dorky looking covered up hikers are old farts; the skin showing, fashionable hikers are under 30.

I also cover up because I do a lot of off-trail travel and try as I may, I easily get all scratched up. Guess I am a real klutz in the bushes.
Posted by: redforest

Re: Skin Protection - 09/18/16 12:59 AM

I agree with OregonMouse: side effects of all sunscreen lotions overweight their sun protection utility. This is why I only use moisturizers.
Posted by: bluefish

Re: Skin Protection - 09/18/16 04:01 PM

Have you tried aloe vera?
Posted by: OregonMouse

Re: Skin Protection - 09/18/16 05:13 PM

Did you read my statement (based on medical opinion) that moisturizers do not provide any protection from the sun's harmful rays? Please talk to your physician about this! If you don't want to or can't use sunscreen or the messy clown makeup (zinc oxide), covering up is the only alternative.

Posted by: BrRabbit

Re: Skin Protection - 09/19/16 03:14 PM

I usually wear long sleeve and long pants, especially on a hot summer day and if it's really hot, I might cover my neck with bandanna tied around my neck. And a hat. And I usually carry an umbrella and when I lived in CA - I would open it up for a shadow (not for protection from rain).

And because of taking those precautions, I don't need no sun protection or moisturizers.
Posted by: aimless

Re: Skin Protection - 09/19/16 05:08 PM

This is why I only use moisturizers.

If you want sun protection, moisturizers will do nothing at all for you. I use long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and a brimmed hat or a bandana when I need sun protection. They prevent sunburn. Moisturizers do not.