Sunscreen in Spain

[Simperegrina]

Note from the mods: I’ve moved these sunscreen posts out of the discussion of coffee prices so as not to further derail the coffee thread.

As a young Spanish barista in one of my neighbourhood coffee places in London said, if coffee was as expensive in Spain as it is here, very few locals could afford it.

Now don’t get me started on how much more expensive sunscreen is in Spain…

 

[trecile]

Now don’t get me started on how much more expensive sunscreen is in Spain

Sunscreen in pharmacies in Spain is a lot more expensive than in the US, but the prices in supermercados are much more reasonable.

 

[C clearly]

Sunscreen in pharmacies in Spain is a lot more expensive than in the US, but the prices in supermercados are much more reasonable.

I think they are often different products with different ingredients.

 

[JustOneGuy]

I think they are often different products with different ingredients.

I am getting curious: how much does sunscreen costs in the US???

I buy them here (Canary Islands) regularly. The cost depends on the brand but they don't look particularly expensive to me in supermarkets. In farmacy it may be different.

 

[peregrina2000]

Sunscreen in pharmacies in Spain is a lot more expensive than in the US, but the prices in supermercados are much more reasonable.

I think they are often different products with different ingredients.

For years my dermatologist has told me to stay away from sun screens with oxybenzone and octinoxate because of their carcinogenic properties. You can get those sunscreens in the US but they are more expensive. In my experience, sunscreens in farmacias in Spain do not have the ingredients that she warns me to stay away from. My favorite brand is Avene, and it is a little cheaper in Spain than in the US. But it is WAY cheaper in France. La-Roche Posay is another good brand. The grocery store sunscreens are like the normal brands available in the US and are comparable in price, I think.

 

[JerryStroebele]

I would recommend getting sunscreens in Europe (or Asia) when travelling. Prices are reasonable and the technology is decades ahead of what we can access in the U.S. Any of the big pharmacy brands have great options: La Roche Posay, Avene, Bioderma, etc.

Why the difference? Countries outside the U.S. have the benefit of using many of the newer, safer, and more effective sun blocking technology that has come out in the past decades. Because sunscreen is categorized as a drug in the US (and not a cosmetic) it has to go through a much slower approval process. Here's a Scientific American article on the subject : https://www.scientificamerican.com/...unscreens-and-why-arent-they-sold-in-the-u-s/

Full disclosure: All of the above was written by my daughter, a 6 Camino veteran who met a Frenchman on our first Camino. They married two years later and my daughter has mostly lived in France since then. She keeps me informed of European issues -- and European differences. My wife and I are leaving for Spain and another Camino in three weeks -- crimenee, I just filled a small container with American sunscreen for the trip. My daughter's advice: Dad, use European sunscreen and bring a lot home. Bon Chemin

 

[Camino Chrissy]

My favorite sunscreen brand is Neutrogena and I bring it with me on camino. It is not greasy, and does not have the typical "sunscreen odor" of many basic brands. I like their 45 spf as it has no fumes that bother my eyes under my sunglasses. I once tried the 100, but it made my eyes burn. I hear anything above a 30 is overkill anyway, although unsure if that is true. It is free of the Oxybenzone that @peregrina2000 mentioned. Available at most pharmacies and not too expensive.

 

[JustOneGuy]

For years my dermatologist has told me to stay away from sun screens with oxybenzone and octinoxate because of their carcinogenic properties.

This thread is now keeping me up at night.

That is good because I can now save the cost of coffee...

 

[peregrina2000]

My favorite sunscreen brand is Neutrogena and I bring it with me on camino. It is not greasy, and does not have the typical "sunscreen odor" of many basic brands. I like their 45 spf as it has no fumes that bother my eyes under my sunglasses. I once tried the 100, but it made my eyes burn. I hear anything above a 30 is overkill anyway, although unsure if that is true. It is free of the Oxybenzone that @peregrina2000 mentioned. Available at most pharmacies and not too expensive.
View attachment 177104

Now that I’ve taken this well and truly off-topic, I just wanted to mention that there are some “rogue dermatologists” who are starting to make the case that though sunburn is bad bad bad for you, we are doing our kids a disservice by slathering them in sunscreen (and ourselves too) every time we go outside. Just in case you wereren’t confused enough.

Is it Safe to Get Vitamin D From the Sun?

Sunscreens are under a bit of a cloud. They prevent vitamin D formation. Pills may not be all that effective. Can you get vitamin D from the Sun? How much?

www.peoplespharmacy.com

The radio show had an interview with a well-respected British dermatologist and was very surprising to me.

Show 1397: The Surprising Secrets of Sunlight’s Health Benefits

What are sunlight's health benefits? People who get enough–not too much–sun are less likely to die prematurely.

www.peoplespharmacy.com

 

[trecile]

More reading on sunscreen

Sunscreens don't cause cancer, they protect AGAINST skin cancer

Chemical sunscreens are not *less safe* than mineral sunscreens. Disinformation about sunscreen safety is a public health issue.

immunologic.substack.com

https://labmuffin.com/?s=Sunscreen

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Laurie, the article seems to have been written five years ago. Possibly there is even more and newer information since then to confuse us further.

P.S. I see the article @trecile has just posted is from less than a week ago, with new info.

 

[peregrina2000]

Laurie, the article seems to have been written five years ago. Possibly there is even more and newer information since then to confuse us further.

P.S. I see the article @trecile has just posted is from less than a week ago, with new info.

Yes, the article is old but the podcast is from last week.

More reading on sunscreen

Sunscreens don't cause cancer, they protect AGAINST skin cancer

Chemical sunscreens are not *less safe* than mineral sunscreens. Disinformation about sunscreen safety is a public health issue.

immunologic.substack.com

https://labmuffin.com/?s=Sunscreen

I know that this is the standard US dermatological response.

There are really two issues here, which I have conflated and will try to separate.

Number One. Does sunscreen with oxybenzone cause cancer? The standard dermatological community response in the US is no. I know some at my university doing research on carcinogens generally who believe we are being too flippant by just saying that oxybenzone and octinoxate are safe. The web is full of reasonable people who say the same thing, that there are real health impacts. Hawaii has banned the sale of it because it kills coral reefs and other marine life. I use sunscreen, but try not to use the standard ones with those chemicals.


Number Two. Does over-use of sunscreen lead to a Vitamin D deficiency? The podcast I’ve linked to above, which is LONG, is an interview with a respected Scottish dermatologist, Dr. Richard Weller, who has been arguing for years and years that we need to do more research to examine whether the extremely serious downsides of a Vitamin D deficit (caused by too little sun exposure and not remedied by taking Vitamin D pills) are being ignored in part because of the “stay out of the sun because of sun cancer” bandwagon. He describes some studies (caveat, they are done in northern Europe where sun exposure is much less, so he is not saying what he found is true for the US), and his point is that because there is a wall of resistance to any studies that might cast doubt on the use of sunscreen, we just don’t have good evidence in the US. I am not a scientist, have a terrible scientific deficit, but listening to this radio show while I was making dinner on Sunday convinced me that this is a serious issue that should be studied.

If you’re interested but don’t want to listen to an hour long conversation, you can find lots of shorter snippets on the web, including a TED talk, by searching with “vitamin D” and “Richard Weller.”

 

[Simperegrina]

I am getting curious: how much does sunscreen costs in the US???

I buy them here (Canary Islands) regularly. The cost depends on the brand but they don't look particularly expensive to me in supermarkets. In farmacy it may be different.

Personally, I’m comparing to prices in the UK, where it’s pretty cheap in places like Boots, a store with branches in the high streets of most towns. So mileage might vary etc etc…

I do know that American pilgrims I’ve met on various Camino’s have mentioned how expensive it seems in Spain, compared to back home.

But the price of coffee, beer and wine more than compensate

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Now that I’ve taken this well and truly off-topic, I just wanted to mention that there are some “rogue dermatologists” who are starting to make the case that though sunburn is bad bad bad for you, we are doing our kids a disservice by slathering them in sunscreen (and ourselves too) every time we go outside. Just in case you wereren’t confused enough.

Is it Safe to Get Vitamin D From the Sun?

Sunscreens are under a bit of a cloud. They prevent vitamin D formation. Pills may not be all that effective. Can you get vitamin D from the Sun? How much?

www.peoplespharmacy.com

The radio show had an interview with a well-respected British dermatologist and was very surprising to me.

Show 1397: The Surprising Secrets of Sunlight’s Health Benefits

What are sunlight's health benefits? People who get enough–not too much–sun are less likely to die prematurely.

www.peoplespharmacy.com

That TED Talk was quite interesting, thanks for linking the article etc.

 

[Joynz]

My favorite sunscreen brand is Neutrogena and I bring it with me on camino. It is not greasy, and does not have the typical "sunscreen odor" of many basic brands. I like their 45 spf as it has no fumes that bother my eyes under my sunglasses. I once tried the 100, but it made my eyes burn. I hear anything above a 30 is overkill anyway, although unsure if that is true. It is free of the Oxybenzone that @peregrina2000 mentioned. Available at most pharmacies and not too expensive.
View attachment 177104

That’s my favorite brand too. The most un-greasy one I’ve found. I use the Face version and the Face & Body version. Full price in Australia is about AUS $22 - but goes on special at half price at least once a year. I wear long pants, long sleeves and a hat - so only really use it on my face and hands.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

That’s my favorite brand too. The most un-greasy one I’ve found. I use the Face version and the Face & Body version. Full price in Australia is about AUS $22 - but goes on special at half price at least once a year. I wear long pants, long sleeves and a hat - so only really use it on my face and hands.

I pay between US $12-15 at my local pharmacy. On the Camino I mostly use it on my face. If boating/swimming I definitely use it everywhere my skin is exposed.

 

[trecile]

Several years ago, I read the discussion about the possibility that we are over sun-screening ourselves, but I think that there are many factors to decide what is best for oneself. Such as where in the world you live, your hereditary risk factors, and how much time you spend outdoors. As pilgrims walking the Camino we are generally spending a lot more time outside than we usually do in our daily lives, and forgoing sun protection could lead to some pretty bad burns. While on the Camino I tend to put my sunscreen on in the morning, and don't often reapply. I end up with a bit of a tan, but not a sunburn. I'm pretty sure that I'm getting enough sunshine to adequately make vitamin D.

According to this article,
Regular sun exposure is the most natural way to get enough vitamin D.

To maintain healthy blood levels, aim to get 10–30 minutes of midday sunlight, several times per week. People with darker skin may need a little more than this. Your exposure time should depend on how sensitive your skin is to sunlight. Just make sure not to burn.