spf 85 my ass!

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

So I am was a little tired of working out in a gym. I wanted some sunshine but I live in the south. Far south actually where you do not see people outside past the middle of May. My partner had a pool so I covered myself with spf 85 from neutrogena. I slathered that crap on too. I swam hard for about 30 minutes then got out put MORE on all over. Read about 15 minutes of a book I had. PUT MORE ON and went swimming again, not too much for the exercise I was just splashing around because some friends had gotten there (WHO DID NOT PUT ON SUNBLOCK EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THEM TOO) I got out PUT MORE ON Read until I dried off then left.

I am burned all over. Even the bottom of my legs are burned. My feet are burned. My armpits are burned. I have blisters on my shoulders and back. My inner thighs are burned. Even my forearms are red.

The people who didn't put on sunblock are burnt too...but they are stupid (though I love them) and didn't wear sunblock and they are not nearly as red and miserable as I am.

I am severely pissed off. I know I burn easy, which is why I apply and reapply the STRONGEST sunblock I could find. Whats worse is the burn is splochy because the only part of my skin that was protected were the two inch circles where I squirted the sunblock on before I rubbed it in. Now that sunblock was 9 dollars for not a large bottle, and I used it like it was 3 dollars because I am so sensitive to the sun.

They are liars and I am blistered and miserable. I've done everything I could think of to relieve the pain, and it has helped, but my shoulders and back is so bad I'm actually considered going to the Dr.

Does anyone know what to do for actual blisters?

I've tried milk and oatmeal baths, which really helped my forearms, legs, and boobs...but not where the blisters are on my shoulders and back. I've tried vinegar-which if your sunburn is not as severe as mine can take the sting out- I am spraying a numbing spray on the blisters which helps but I can't put it on myself because the skin is so tight and painful I can barely lift my arms.

I am going to write the makers of that sunblock a very nasty letter. Those assholes.

[MrsFlipFlops 2]

Take a Dreft bath! I got sunburned real bad with blisters and all before. Dreft is detergerent that's used for babies. Then when you get out, air dry and constantly apply aloe. I bought the spray aloe so no one would have to touch me. I applied every 15-30 minutes.

Dreft is used in burn units in various hospitals. You need to soak in it for about 20-30 minutes to get good use out of it. It draws the heat out and stops the burning. (Your skin keeps burning long after you get out of the sun, which is why it's still warm).

I went to the doctor when I got burned real bad once, they gave me some cortizone stuff, but it didn't work as well for me as Dreft and Aloe. Also, take tylenol.

[Guest Leslie2Lose]

I grew up in Florida and have had some nasty sunburns. I'd definately contact the sunblock maker and complain. If the bottle was left in high heat (storage or transport) it can take away the potancy of the sunblock.

DH got so burnt at the beach a couple weeks ago (he had on 30 SPF) and I had on 8 - I didn't even get red. His was older and had been in the heat at the beachouse (we don't keep it the air on if we aren't there). Mine was new.

I keep aloe on hands for burns - the plant and the green slimy stuff. I keep it in the fridge. It always helps me. I've never used Dreft, but it sounds like it'd be good to try. Anything for some relief. I hope you get to feeling better soon.

[babygrl1234 6]

I want to say that I read somewhere that anything over spf 50 is overkill and does not protect any better than 50 would. I couldvery well be wrong about that though.

That green aloe gel has always been very soothing for me. I also remember one of my friends wearng a soaking wet tshirt around the house to help ease the pain a bit.

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

I want to say that I read somewhere that anything over spf 50 is overkill and does not protect any better than 50 would. I couldvery well be wrong about that though.

That green aloe gel has always been very soothing for me. I also remember one of my friends wearng a soaking wet tshirt around the house to help ease the pain a bit.

My friend said she had read a study that said anything over 40 was lying. It has been suggested to me by a few people to get the brand "bullfrog" apparently that is supposed to work really well.

I will try the Dreft too.

Thanks everybody

[MacMadame 81]

I've heard anything over 30 is wasting money because the benefits are dubious.

According to About.com, sunblock is different from sunscreen. With sunblock, you have to leave it opaque and not spread it around. Did you have sunblock or sunscreen?

[travelgirl 3]

Also, with sunscreen OR sunblock, you should wait 15 minutes after application before going in the Water for maximum effectiveness, and it should be reapplied every I can't remember how many hours, but it says right on the bottle how often to reapply.

You can use white vinegar to take some of the heat out of the burn. Smells bad, feels wonderful. Take a cool bath, and if it's really bad, see your doctor. Oh, and remember to stay WELL hydrated.

[Froggi 4]

I've had several burns like that and in the long run I got skin cancer. Now no matter what sunblock or sunscreen I use I get burnt just outside for a short period of time , plus I get sun poisoning a lot, So I try my best to keep shaded and not be in the sun a lot if at all possible.

I always used aloe afterwards, I got this aloe stuff with pain numbing stuff in it, can't remember the name but it was bright greenish and it felt sooooo cold on the burn. Was wonderful.

Also I sat around with no top on if it was possible, yeah I know horrible, but it helped SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much

[Telecia 1]

wish I could remember the name of it. there is a spray on pain reliever for sunburn that I would use when ever I got sun poisioning. Been years though so I dunno if its still available or not.

Now I don't bother with sunscreens/blocks much. I don't tan anyhow, whenever I go to the pool (they don't allow suntan/block products at all cause they mess up the filter) I just wear a tshirt. Aloe and white vinagar always helped the most though of any at home products.

But I do use a SPF 30 sunscreen when in the car for very long.

[anonemouse 1]

I ditto the white vinegar. It feels so good, and the smell goes away pretty quickly.

[newhope4me 0]

"...the pool (they don't allow suntan/block products at all cause they mess up the filter)."

Telecia, I don't think they can do this? Maybe it's a local thing, but here, you cannot prohibit the use of sunblock, because of health issues. At work, we must supply sonblock for our lifeguards. It is somewhat like the smoking laws, if you have a pool, you cannot deny someone applying sunblock to protect themselves from skin cancer.

And if I remember correctly, you can burn through a wet white shirt. I do not believe that is adequate protection.

[Telecia 1]

I don't know if they can or cannot do it but they are. Big sign as you enter the complexes pool and every year they send out flyers too. The arguement is that the oils etc clog up the pools filters. And since you have to have a magnetic pass card to get in. They can deny you entrance

I have never yet been burnt through a tshirt in my life. And have been wearing them when I swim since i was 11 years old. I don't do white period. If anyone in the house has any white clothing its cause it was a gift. LOL

I have never been able to keep white clean. not even socks.

My first bought with sun poisioning came at 11. When me and a girlfriend spent the day at the beach with her granparents and her grandmother made darn shure to pull us off our floating rafts to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours. It took me over a month to heal up from that. 3 weeks just to be able to wear LOSE shirts over it, my back was a horrible mess. We basicly just used our rafts in such a way from the waist down we didnt get sunburned cause it was underwater. we spent the daay catching up as we hand't seen each other for months it was also a cloudy overcast day too. suposed to be WORSE for burning. In fact every MAJOR sunburn I have ever got was while wearing *sunblock/screen* suposedly being Water proof or resistant.

I just find it much better for me to keep covered.

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

I've heard anything over 30 is wasting money because the benefits are dubious.

According to About.com, sunblock is different from sunscreen. With sunblock, you have to leave it opaque and not spread it around. Did you have sunblock or sunscreen?

Oh. Well that would explain the splotchiness.

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

Take a Dreft bath! I got sunburned real bad with blisters and all before. Dreft is detergerent that's used for babies. Then when you get out, air dry and constantly apply aloe. I bought the spray aloe so no one would have to touch me. I applied every 15-30 minutes.

Dreft is used in burn units in various hospitals. You need to soak in it for about 20-30 minutes to get good use out of it. It draws the heat out and stops the burning. (Your skin keeps burning long after you get out of the sun, which is why it's still warm).

I went to the doctor when I got burned real bad once, they gave me some cortizone stuff, but it didn't work as well for me as Dreft and Aloe. Also, take tylenol.

Thanks.

I think the absolute best thing is the tylenol. I was taking it already during the day, but yesterday I bought some tylenol pm and took it last night and only woke up a few times instead of never going to sleep like the last two days.

I put this 100% pure aloe vera gel on my burn and that helped, but some of the smaller blisters on my back popped (i'm guessing) because it burned my shoulders and back so much I thought I was going to cry. Looking at the back of the "100% pure aloe vera" I saw there was alcohol in it. This confuses me.

[juliegeraci 7]

Thanks for the post. I am going to Hawaii Monday and thought about buying some too. I will stick to the one my Dermatologist perscribed which is a 45 but works really well.