Attitudes to Sun Protection in the 90's, 00's and now

I sometimes think it's amazing how quickly culture, science and attitudes evolve. If I look back on my 32 years on Earth, times have certainly changed. As a child of the 80's I had no idea I would live a life with the internet in my pocket for example.

One thing that I think has radically changed is the advances and attitudes towards sun protection. Things have certainly come a long way since I was a child. 

4 year old me in Estartit

Sun Protection in the 90's

As a redhead with fair skin I burned fairly easily as a child. I remember my mum putting LOTS of suncream on me but it was never enough. The main memory I have of this holiday to Spain in the 90's is burning my shoulders so badly that they peeled and my skin felt so raw as my poor dad tried to rub aftersun in. I don't think I've ever experienced pain like it. It was horrendous. For the rest of the holiday I had to swim in the pool with a t-shirt on. There was no such thing as UV swimming suits in those days!

Sun Protection in the 00's

In the early 00's like a lot of girls or my era, I NEEDED A TAN. I shudder when I think of this but our parent's used to hire sun beds and from the age of around 13 years old our group of friends would take it in turns going on each other's sunbeds. I think the risks weren't fully understood then but OMG! I really regret doing this. I don't blame my mam at all as it was absolutely acceptable, normal and common place for teens to do this. I even used tan accelerator on my skin!!! Can you imagine 13 year olds doing this now though? Because I certainly can't. It really is amazing how quickly things change. 

In the late 00's I had two young children and I'm always conscious that they don't get burned like I did. Thank the lord for UV suits which are a life saver when you're on holiday (especially abroad) and offer good protection from the sun. These have always been available even when my children were babies (although they weren't as common and were more expensive then). I like how these days most supermarkets even make these suits and they are usually accessible and affordable to all.

Sun Protection Now

 It was during our holiday to Marrakech that I first discovered sun cream that you can wear all day. At first it seemed to be too good to be true. It was a little more expensive than 'normal' sun protection but we decided to give it a go. It works by creating a very thin film over your body to shield it from the sun's rays. Ideally you should apply 15 minutes before going out in to sun and you actually should re-apply every 6 hours I think. OMG I can't tell you how life changing this was! Steve and I (both redheads) walked around Marrackech in mid-July when the temperatures were near 50 degrees and didn't burn once. Once per day sun cream was a real game changer for us!

Fast forward a few years and the range of sun screen available has never been greater. For our up-coming holiday to Spain we have decided to go for Calypso Once A Day Lotion  that has been especially formulated to protect children's skin. It is water resistant and provides 4* protection against UVA and UVB rays. The online reviews state that it's very easy to absorb too.

Obviously we will still be applying common sense - my three will mostly be spending their days in their UV swimsuits which have long sleeves, legs and hats and I'll keep them out of the sun around midday when the sun is at it's most damaging. I plan to apply their 'once a day' sun cream in the morning before we head out for the day and then I will re-apply again after lunch (you don't really need to do this but it feels weird if I don't). I honestly can't explain how reassured I am that the kids have this kind of protection and won't have to endure the horror of sunburn. I also like that I don't have to re-apply every 2-3 hours like I would with traditional sun screen. Anyone who has kids will know how hard this is once they are on the sand or in the water.

Have you tried 'Once a day' sun screen? What did you think?