Sunscreen for your psoriasis

Do you remember the silly kindergarten song, Oh mister sun, sun, mister golden sun, please shine down on me. By my very nature, I am a winter person. I love cold grey and rainy days. I have a strong love-hate relationship with summer. I'm not a fan of getting hot and yet needing the sunshine to egg on my summer remission.

When I was a lot younger and a lot less knowledgeable and responsible, I would laugh sunscreen off. Those days have gone. My mind is awake and research is everywhere. So when we know better, we do better. When the seasons change from summer to spring, the first warm days are upon us. The promise of summer is in the air. Before long the days are warmer and the sun is very much more potent.

How much SPF is enough SPF?

The short answer, I have no idea. Honestly, if you do some digging on the online world you could find enough evidence to support your theory any which way you want it to go. So for me, it has all been trial and error. Sun protection factor, better known as SPF was my first hurdle.

The SPF amount needed to be enough to really protect my skin. In particular, those bits of psoriasis that have just covered in new skin and also may be thinning from topical steroids.

I have settled on SPF50. I do believe that it offers enough protection. My doctor and I are also in agreement with this. He often smiles at the strange questions I bring to our consultations. Walking in with a few different sunscreens and putting them on his desk was one such moment.

Brand names for sunscreen

The next step is what brand should we go with. Sunscreen is pretty pricey. The last thing you want is to land up with 50 tubes in a drawer that you cannot use. Every company will market theirs as the best as they are trying to sell you something, always be aware of this. 

If you can, get a sample and try it on a small patch of skin to test if your skin will accommodate this. I am currently a big Moo-Goo fan and have found it easy on my skin, next in line is Nivea sensitive sunscreen. I have found them to be the least aggravating of the different ones that I have tried, tested, and then given away to some very grateful friends.

Avoidance of sunscreen because of irritation

Avoiding sunscreen is really only helpful if you stay out of the sun and wear a hat. This is a tough call, as the burning and pain levels that can arise from the wrong sunscreen can really cause chaos in your day, week, or month. So be careful with this.

Being exposed to too much sun without protection is not a good idea. I know that it can be a real pain to find something that works with your skin. Some people even report that the sunscreen helped improve the state of their psoriasis. As always, there are two sides to that coin.

Take care of your skin during summer and winter and apply your sunscreen liberally when you know you are going to be in the sun. Ask around within your community to see who uses sunscreen. It is really a good way to get some decent reviews.