Living in the equator (2): sunscreens and sunblocks

"Huh? You mean it's cool/chilly in Nairobi? But I thought it's HOT in Kenya/Africa!" Thus go my friends and family whenever I tell them that I hardly ever sweat here.

Well, Kenya might straddle the equator but a sizeable portion of Kenya lies about 5,000 ft above sea level, including capital city Nairobi. Which makes for very nice temperate weather all year round...

But, there's the rub - it may feel like it's not hot at all but it doesn't mean one can't get sunburned here in Nairobi. Equator and high altitude make for dangerous sunburn.

Since Nairobi lies slightly south of the equator, we are now approaching our "summer." It's a little warmer than usual - 14 - 27 deg C and lots of people have taken to abandoning jackets, pashminas, and shawls during the day. Recipe for sunburn! I have made it a point never to go out without putting on sun protection.

So, I have learned to distinguish between sunscreen and sunblock. Both of them protect against the sun of course. But sunscreens are chemical barriers while sunblocks are physical barriers. (Huh?)

Sunscreens actually absorb ultraviolet rays so these do not hit the skin. All my sunscreens target both UVA or the "aging ray" which weakens the skin's immune system and UVB or the "burning rays" which cause changes in the DNA which in turn can cause abnormal skin cell growth such as cancer. I make sure that Parsol is in the list of ingredients since it's the only chemical that blocks UVA. Or so they say.

Sunblocks, on the other hand, physically block both UVA and UVB radiation on the skin. Apparently, true sunblocks include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

But suncreens and sunblocks's effectiveness depend on their SPF (sun protection factor). I'm sure you all know that the higher the SPF, the better the protection. So when it says SPF 15, it means I can stay under the sun 15 times longer before burning than if I hadn't used sun protection.

So what do I use? I have Neutrogena Age Shield Sunblock "superior anti-aging protection," SPF 45, Eau Thermale Avène Emulsion "ultra haute protection," SPF 50+ and Boots Soltan Moisturising Suncare Lotion "advanced triple protection against long term skin damage," SPF 50+ ultra. These are all hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic but I only use the first two on my face while reserving the Boots Soltan for arms and legs. When I'm just indoors, I use Olay complete care daily UV fluid "everything skin needs most to look noticeable healthy," SPF 15 + vitamins. I guess I'm reasonably protected with all that!

By the way, my sweetie, being of the "mad dogs and Englishmen" type, used to be so stubborn about not using any sun protection. He prefers to sit out in the midday sun and.....burn.... (silly old goat!) ;-p But he has learned to be more careful now.