Does sunscreen lotion add to risk of heat-related conditions?
June 28, 2009 - 2:13pm
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My husband said the strangest thing---he did not want to put sunscreen lotion on our toddler when we were going outside for a walk (he would be mostly, if not all, in the shade in his stroller), as he said that "sunscreen lotion clogs pores, and can make him over-heat".
I have never heard this "excuse" before, and realize that my hubby hates putting on sunscreen because it "matts down" the hair on his arms and legs (something I've never had to deal with, I guess, as a female...that would be bothersome). I think he's equating the feeling of heaviness of lotion to it being "hot", but does lotion really clog pores? Does it impair the body's ability to cool itself?
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Hi Veronica
Great question and interesting, too - I hadn't thought of that!
Your husband has a point - some sunblocks can clog pores, especially the creamy, oil based ones. I also hadn't thought of being a hairy man - that creamy sunblock must feel horrible!
My suggestion to you is to use what I do - it's called Ocean Potion Suncare and it's an instant dry mist. It's not one of those pumps that claim to go directly and easily on the skin (as opposed to the creams that you put on your hands and then rub onto the body) that don't work at all (ironically, because the pumps clog all the time!). The mist is literally a light mist and goes on as a continous spray and dries in about 15 seconds. We use it every day, Factor 50/Waterproof.
The downside? The cost. Because it's a continous spray mist, you'll go through a bottle faster than the pump styles or the creams. But it's so easy to use and I don't need to wash my hands afterwards because they're greasy, that for me, it's worth going through an extra bottle or two during the summer season.
Try it out - or one like it - and let me know if your husband likes it! It smells good too, not to strong, just a nice, beachy smell!