Thanks for everyone's shared thoughts. I have some bought trial sizes bottles of some of the ones recommended.
Some conclusions so far are:
Use sunblock not like moisturiser but to lay it on more like jam. Less is not more. More cream is more. Copious amounts are needed. "Rubbing it in" has unvirtue, aside from preventing you looking like you've fallen in custard.
I am strangely resistant to reapplying lots often, but it is really needed every hour or two. I have the strong habit of forgetting about it all day. It does feel like putting another layer of jam on top of old jam, and as sticky.
"Fluid" types (thin) and sprays don't seem as effective as creams. I don't think you can put on enough to be sure of getting effective quantities on, if using either fluid or spray. Reviews say that you do need a great amount to come close to the advertised benefits.
It's a pretty much unregulated field, nationally and internationally. There is no standard and agreed way of describing best usage - the products' effectiveness mostly seem to be as long as a piece of string.
Those products that come under the heading of cosmetics, moisturisers, anti-ageing creams or beauty are not obliged to give details such as manafacturing or sell by dates.
The manufacturers are taking massive advantage of all the confusion and are stoking it. It's not obvious to most people as to the difference between a factor 40 and a factor 50 spf.
The jury seems out as to whether 50+ even exists in any meaningful way, but that doesn't stop the makers making grand claims for it.
Some of the factor 50+ in date with high UV protection had little effect of blocking on my skin. I need to continue to hunt around for blocks that don't give me spots and actually work.
Waterproofing ingredients are important, as otherwise the cream will slide off in sweat, esp if out walking, gardening, working etc. I thought before that the waterproof aspect was all about swimming and the beach, but now I think it's just about trying to keep the cream on the skin.
My friends are very resistant to putting on sunblock, even the older people. They say things like "oh, but it's cloudy", "I'm only out for an hour" or "I put some on this morning". It's still widely dismissed as unneeded in the UK. It's reserved, in their minds, for the high heat of holidays or for children.
My sister doesn't have particularly fair skin, or burn easily, but she's had two separate primary malignant melanomas removed (successfully, thankfully). My parents both had basal cell carcinomas. I'm therefore very reluctant to uncover much of myself when in the sun, because there does appear now to be a genetic element in susceptibility to skin cancer - I wear a floppy hat, gloves, trousers and long sleeves at all times when gardening, plus factor 50 on any bits which might be exposed.
My sister loves sea swimming, and bought herself a "burkini", a Muslim swimming suit, so she could continue swimming safely after her surgery. She has regularly experienced abuse from strangers when she wears it. She's not Muslim but says she now understands what it's like to be persecuted for your beliefs...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Indeed, @Fire. She also got her photo taken at Wimbledon one year when she was wearing a home-made hat with flaps to shade her neck and ears, and it was posted on a fairly official Wimbledon site with a "WTF?" comment... some people should just mind their own business, IMO.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
I've asked lots of random questions in the Potting Shed over the years and had loads of very helpful answers. This thread helped me crack the sun lotion question. I've gone over to using only "full on" non-cosmetic SPF 50 and it's working pretty well. I still have to reapply thickly every hour in hot sun to get no marks - which is remarkable in itself. I hate it - it feels like lathering myself in jam through the summer, but it has to be done. I generally stay out of hot sun. Quite why less than 50 doesn't work for me is a bit of a mystery, but there we are. Thanks for taking the time to help me investigate the question.
I burn easily so tend to be in the shade, but swimming outside I always wear a 'skin". It looks like a full wetsuit but made of swimming costume material. Sometimes they are called rash skins or diveskins. It gives the same protection as F50. I get odd comments too, but usually along the lines of "are you cold?" Even in warm water I have full cover to protect from sun, stinging plankton, or coral rash.
I’m still using a factor 50 on my face, but rarely out in the sun without some sort of covering, long sleeves, trousers etc. If I do ever suffer any sun related skin problems, it’ll be on my back! Used to spend most of my beach holidays lying on my front reading a book, so my face didn’t get much exposure, ended up with a brown body and a white face. I’m very guilty of not wearing a hat, but I’ve just dug out an old cap with a neck shield a la Foreign Legion, and will make an effort to wear it today.
I'm one of those fortunate people who doesn't burn, at least not obviously so. I used to be asked regularly "Where have you been on holiday?" when I hadn't been anywhere other than working in the garden.
Until about the last 10 years I never used sun protection of any kind except on scarred areas on my legs. In the past few years I have started applying protection to my face as my forehead and nose do get very dry. I also wear a had since my personal solar panel appeared. I do check carefully for any potentially worrying signs, but so far there are none.
I'm not suggesting others should follow my example, just saying how I am.
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My sister loves sea swimming, and bought herself a "burkini", a Muslim swimming suit, so she could continue swimming safely after her surgery. She has regularly experienced abuse from strangers when she wears it. She's not Muslim but says she now understands what it's like to be persecuted for your beliefs...