Condo Blues: I Greened My SunScreen

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

I Greened My SunScreen

I gave up trying to get sun tan years ago because my pale faced Scandinavian skin makes me burn like a vampire in the sun.

Really.

I got a sunburn by sitting too close to a sunny window at work once, OK?

My New Year’s Resolution for 2010 is to green my health and beauty aids so I switched to a zinc-based sunscreen.

I bought Alba Botanica. Alba scores a 2-3 on the Skin Deep Database for safety. There are other sunscreens that score better for safety but they are much more expensive and most are only available on line. I go through so much sunscreen I wanted to find something I can buy locally when I run out. Price is also important because I buy a lot of sunscreen during the summer.

So far, I like the protection Alba offers. My only negative is that it’s thicker than my old chemical based sunscreen and takes a bit more time and effort to rub it in completely so my skin does not look whiter and more ghostlike than it already is.

The big test was when I marched in a parade. I slathered on one coat of Alba sunscreen and let it dry. I hoped it would protect me because I knew I wouldn’t have time to reapply sunscreen throughout the day. Even if I could, the last thing I needed was to make my hands slippery with sunscreen because I was twirling a flag in the parade.

After a full day in the sun, I came home hot and tired. To my delight I didn't find a sunburn on my face, arms, or legs. Yay! I jumped in shower. For some reason my head hurt when I shampooed my hair.

Because…..

I got a sunburn on the part in my hair!

Sunburn on my head.

I never though of putting sunscreen there!

Yes, I got a sunburn on my scalp.

File this one under “these things only happen to me.”

Next time I am wearing a hat.

Do you have a strange sunburn stories or am I the only one?

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Disclosure: I bought the sunscreen with my own money. Alba did not pay me to say nice things about their product nor are they responsible for my sunburned head because I'm an idiot. This post includes an affliate link. If you choose to purchase an item I will recieve a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me with my goal of making Condo Blues a self hosted blog.

8 comments :

vanessa said...

no, i have DEFINITELY been scalp-burned many times. (word of warning, it will look like you have bad dandruff when it starts to peel! i would opt for a pony tail or some other way of pulling your hair back to cover up your part until that part of the process is over ;)) using a spray-on sunscreen is perfect for protecting your scalp and hair :)

Lisa Nelsen-Woods said...

Fortunately it didn't peel. I used a Qtip to put some aloe gel on it, that helped.

I'm trying to wear hats more often in the sun too.

Anonymous said...

I had my hair braided and was outside all day long and had a sunburn that went back and forth across the top of my head! OUCH!

Kristin - The Goat said...

I've had a scalp burn, too. Nearly once a year and that's mostly because I can't wear hats (makes my head hurt - I'm tender!)

I avoid the sun like crazy here in FL, but I still have quite a farmers tan on my arms. I really really wish I could be more vigilant about putting on sunscreen. Maybe I should start hanging some from the front door.

Kristin - The Goat

Kathleen W. said...

I often forget about my part too.

I love Badger Balm sunscreen, since it's natural too and uses zinc. But it does take a while to sink in, making me look even more ghostly.

Anonymous said...

That's my problem with Zinc sunscreen -- I can never get it all the way rubbed in, and I end up with that lovely ghost complexion! Of course, it's still much better than getting sunburnt.

I can't even count the number of times I've gotten scalp-burn. Once I got it right through the hat I was wearing. Just call me pale-face. :-)

Karen said...

I have pale skin & Dark hair (a lot of it!) and so if I don't have my hair pulled up over the top of my head (think of a high ponytail) for a day out in the sun, I end up with a really bad burn in my part (and mine Always peels, looking like dandruff from you know where!) I haven't found a great solution other than pulling my hair back and not exposing my scalp. On the kidlets, I spray sunscreen on their parts (I'm sure its not a great environmental product, but it takes me a couple years to go through one bottle for multiple people), but don't love it on me. So, ponytail it is. At least its cooler! :>

Jennette said...

I found a good sunscreen for your scalp. My bald friend had it and I tried it and loved it. It's obviously marketed for guys but worked fine on me. It really does not have a smell which is probably more important for bald men. It is slightly thicker than the typical lotion but absorbs quickly and doesn't leave my hand slimy. Check it out if you need scalp/part protection!

www.evilbaldguy.com

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