For our eu cousins and fellow perriginas/os sun screen recommendation

[Lori Elgin]

with a little bug to side line me...I have been thinking of our EU /UK pellegrina Peregrino fellow travelers
Your favorite shuncpscreen spo-50 8 hour kind?? As a nurse practitioner I have read up and you all seem to have us yanks beat on this.... Looking for advice!
Still planning (God willing) 2 April SJPDP
Thank you in advance
Lori

 

[peregrina2000]

I am not an EU pilgrim, but I know that many of the chemical sunscreens typically sold in the US have a lot of bad things in them, particularly oxybenzone. My dermatologist recommends a mineral sunscreen, and the one I always buy in Spain before I start my camino is Avene. The other one that she recommends is La Roche-Posay.

 

[Lori Elgin]

Thank you so much!! I have written them down....

 

[Kanga]

I've had squamous cell carcinoma, am a redhead with pale skin, living in Australia (with similarly coloured grandchildren) so it is hardly surprising that I take sunscreen seriously. So does our TGA, as we have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. For any product to be sold as a sunscreen in Australia it must pass stringent labelling and safety tests as well as efficacy tests.

I will only buy sunscreen if it is labelled as protective against both UVA and UVB radiation, and with an SPF of +30 (preferably +50) and water resistant. In Australia they are not allowed to be labelled as "sunblock" or "waterproof" (because nothing is).

Interesting Avene sunscreen is not available here, although their other products are. None of their products here are labelled as sun protective. I assume the sunscreen does not meet the Australian standard. It may only be a labelling issue, but interesting.

La Roche-Posay sunscreen is available here, in a UVA/UBV SPF +30 product.

Am I wrong in thinking mineral sunscreen is basically zinc oxide? Effective if it is applied sufficiently thickly to provide a mechanical barrier?

 

[traveler]

We love Avene and bring it back to the US.

 

[movinmaggie]

I think you're right Kanga. I have skiing friends who use Desitan (sold as a remedy for diaper rash) which is loaded with zinc oxide.

 

[Urban Trekker]

I think you're right Kanga. I have skiing friends who use Desitan (sold as a remedy for diaper rash) which is loaded with zinc oxide.

Oh the white nose people

 

[movinmaggie]

Oh the white nose people

You got it....it has an awful odor, but seems to help.

 

[JMac56]

Hi Lori, Just saw this thread while trying to catch up on Forum news. Will answer your email soon. Buen Camino.

 

[SabsP]

All above mentioned brands are very good. May I add Louis Widmer and Vichy...also at the pharmacy.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Another vote for La Roche-Posay. (I'm in the US but I first found it in France.)