Nicole Kidman reapplies her SPF 100 sunscreen every 90 minutes ‘every single day’

Michael Kors Collection Spring 2020 Runway Show - Arrivals - September 2019 - New York Fashion Week: The Shows

Nicole Kidman gave an interview to Allure and I guess this is part of some kind of promotion for Bombshell, although that’s a stretch because she truly never mentions any of her projects except for Big Little Lies. My theory is that she was aiming for some awards nominations for BLL rather than Bombshell… which kind of checks out. In any case, Nicole chatted to Allure about rituals, face creams and water. Some highlights:

On staying relevant: “I’ve had some amazing roles as an actress, but it’s just so nice to be at this stage and for people to still be responding to projects like Big Little Lies as passionately as, say, Moulin Rouge, or The Others, or any of the films that I made earlier in my career. It brings me to my knees. It’s been an eye-opener for me. Sometimes there is nothing there, and sometimes there are extraordinary opportunities. But if the passion is there, it keeps you going.”

On sacred rituals: “I’ve just wrapped a limited series called The Undoing, where I played a character that’s very intense, so I’m in the process of ‘shedding’ her now. It’s a very strange feeling. When I’m working on a film, I don’t have time for myself. You’re working on adrenaline, and there’s an enormous amount of fatigue. Now I can do some yoga if I want to. I can go to the beach. I take hot baths with lots of oil. I love oil, and I love bathing in it.”

On saving face: “I used to be like, ‘All those creams, who cares?’ But definitely as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized those creams are necessary. I’m shooting outdoors a lot, so the most important thing is the sunscreen — I use Neutrogena SPF 100+ [Kidman is a spokesperson for the brand]. I reapply every 90 minutes, every single day.”

On stealing beauty secrets: “What my husband taught me is water, water, water. We drink so much water. I didn’t realize how important it was to hydrate and flush out. But because he’s a singer, that’s part of his routine. They know that they have to drink and that it helps the chords, but it also helps the skin; it helps all the organs. It keeps you healthy.”

[From Allure]

Nicole was well into her 30s before she realized she should drink a lot of water? That… doesn’t sound real. Neither does taking hot baths with lots of oil! I guess that’s not an Indian-girl thing. My skin veers towards oily anyway, I can’t imagine taking a bath with anything more than a few bath beads, not “lots of oil.” As for Nicole reapplying her sunscreen every 90 minutes… again, that must be for people with mega-fair skin. Unless you’re sweating up a storm and in constant direct sunlight, do you need to reapply sunscreen that often?

Michael Kors Collection Spring 2020 Runway Show - Arrivals - September 2019 - New York Fashion Week: The Shows

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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93 Responses to “Nicole Kidman reapplies her SPF 100 sunscreen every 90 minutes ‘every single day’”

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  1. Suze says:

    If I had skin like hers I’d apply that often too! I’m fair, but I freckle, so even with SPF moisturizer and plenty of sunscreen I get tanner in the summer months.

    (“tanner” lol. I’m still ghostly.)

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      I’ve taken to keeping a bottle of SPF 50 in the console of my car. I have a convertible, so I also slather it on the tops of my hands and my wrists/arms (if exposed). I learned from the experience of driving west into the sun, that even through a windshield, your hands can tan/burn! NOT fun 😬. I just get lazy about taking off my rings to put on enough sunscreen all over…sigh…

      I’ve also gotten better in wearing a wide brimmed hat with the top down during the daytime. Found a great one with a string that allows it to stay on my head when driving.

      • Suze says:

        I have been getting better about wearing hats! We also tend to keep some sunscreen in the car! We do it for sporting events. Don’t go to a pre-season NFL game without sunscreen, you will regret it badly. Oof.

      • Jackie says:

        FYI, if sunscreen is kept somewhere where the bottle heats up (like a car in the sun), its shelf life declines dramatically. Better to keep it in a cupboard at home and just put it in your car when you go out.

    • SKF says:

      Ha ha ha, Kaiser, she’s Australian! You have NO IDEA, our sun is extremely burny and yes, absolutely, you need to reapply every 90 minutes because the sunscreen stops working. In summer I would advise against the beach in the middle of the day and always wear a hat and have available shade. I have olive skin by the way. A Spanish friend came to visit last summer and didn’t believe me about reapplying sunscreen, getting out of the sun after an hour, etc. smashed burned for the first time in her life. In Tasmania and NZ it’s even worse, even though they have cooler temperatures. I saw a Sudanese guy with the blackest skin burn purple at a music festival in Tasmania. Reapplying sunscreen is hammered into us all if our lives. Our kids wear swimmers with high necks and sleeves and always full coverage hats with brims to the beach. I am a 50+ girl m; but if I was pale I’d choose 100+. I have a pale friend who would blister after 10 minutes without major sunscreen in the Aussie summer.

      • Adrianna says:

        Neutrogena contains dangerous chemicals, including oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate. Retinyl palmitate is a form of vitamin A used in sunscreens and has been found to accelerate cancer in high doses applied to the skin. A U.S. government study found that it “may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions when applied to the skin in the presence of sunlight.” That’s one sunscreen I stay away from.

  2. JennyJenny says:

    All I could think of was how awful it would be to clean out the bathtub after lots and lots of oil!

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      HA!! That was MY first thought about that, too!

      Must be so nice to indulge when you have someone else to clean it out after you! 😊

    • grumpyterrier says:

      And if you have kids it basically turns into a death trap for them to bathe in afterwards.😂

    • holly hobby says:

      She’d probably clog her bathtub. Don’t they tell you not to dump oil into the sinks? Isn’t that the same?

      • JRT says:

        Only if it’s an oil that solidifies when it’s temperature decreases. Most of the oils people use in the tub keep their liquid viscosity and are carried away with the water. It also depends on the amount used which could potential get caught is pockets/ex. build-ups in the drain lines. Most of the time a person uses the oil with bath salts or other bath product that helps to disperse the oil in the water so there should be a issue with clogs.

  3. Elizabeth says:

    I have super fair skin, so when I’m outdoors I do try to apply a minimum of SPF 50 every 90 min to 2 hours.

  4. Maria says:

    I’ve been pretty good about avoiding the sun since I was 13, and have tried to have some type of skin care regimen ever since (32 now). I have decent skin but I’m constantly worried it will all fall apart for whatever possible reason. Right now I focus on vitamin C serums and sunscreen and hydration. For American sunscreens I think the Neutrogena options are a good easy to find choice since they have a decent PPD (which will protect you most against UVA).

  5. NotSoSocialButterfly says:

    Definitely proper use to reapply every two hours or after swimming/sweating, but spf of 100 is unnecessary… my derm, after carving a chunk of flesh out of my upper arm for a dysplastic mole, confirmed what’s in this article. He knows there is a melanoma in situ history in a first degree relative of mine, so I trust that he wouldn’t steer me wrong.

    https://www.businessinsider.com/do-high-spf-sunscreens-work-better-50-2017-5

  6. Jadedone says:

    I’m super pale like Nicole and I’m obsessive about sunscreen even in the middle of winter. Nothing ages pale people like too much sun exposure.

    • Kebbie says:

      Me too. Cloudy, rainy, doesn’t matter, I’m coated in a layer of spf 50. We age like milk and the sun just speeds that up.

  7. a reader says:

    Folks you’re wasting money if you’re buying products with more than 50 SPF. Per *science*, SPF above 50 doesn’t give you much additional protection.

    SPF 50 protects you from 98% of UVB. There’s no statistical significance to using products with SPF above 50. You should reapply every two hours if you’re swimming or sweating, and there’s no such thing as 100% protection.

    Furthermore UVA are the aging rays, and that’s why it’s important to purchase products with broad spectrum SPF protection.

    • Ramona Q. says:

      Higher SPFs do not cost more. They used to, and it was dangerous because people were buying lower SPFs because they were cheaper. Higher SPFs no longer cost more.

    • Adrien says:

      I think it’s for people who skimp on sunblock. To be able to get its full sun protection potential, you have to apply a lot like enough to make you look like a clown. The 13 dot technique by Dr. Sam seems like a small amount but people still find it challenging. It’s going to get absorb but it’s uncomfortable. So many people opt for the higher spf for guarantee.

  8. CFY says:

    Recommendation by dermatologists is to reapply SPF every two hours, if you’re outside and sweating (or in the water) then it’s a shorter window, though the length can depend if you’re wearing a mineral or chemical sunscreen (I sweat a ton and live in Florida, so mineral sunscreens tend to slide right off my skin). This goes for cloudy days too, and you can also be exposed to UV indoors or on a plane! I’m at an age now where I do notice the quality of someone’s skin and man, a lot of people I know who are younger than me already have that leather bag look. I’m a skincare obsessive and one of the top tips I see in the skincare community is to be mindful of sun exposure, cover up when and where you can and wear SPF.

    • Kebbie says:

      The first time I went to Hawaii I could spot the white people who lived there because they all looked like leather bags lol I was 25 and it terrified me. I have been using sunscreen ever since.

  9. Anna says:

    I mean, everybody should invest in a good sunscreen (more than spf 15, separate from what’s included in your moisturizer or make up), but reapplying every 90 minutes seems excessive. On weekdays, I usually put mine under makeup, so I can only apply it once in the AM. If I’m in the sun a lot, I skip the makeup and reapply sunscreen every 4 hours or so.

    • SKF says:

      After 90 mins – 2hrs (depending on conditions) your sunscreen is no longer effective. Every 4 hours is not giving you sufficient protection if you are outside.

      • DiegoInSF says:

        That might be true for chemical sunscreens but physical sunscreens last until you sweat them off or wash them off.

  10. Kersten says:

    She puts sunscreen OVER her shooting make-up when she is shooting outside? Every other hour? As in putting a thick and probably oily lotion on an already thick and cakey camera make-up? Yeah, I call BS on this one.

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      That stood out, too. I admit, once applied in the morning, under makeup is it for me, unless I’m not wearing “my face”. I looked into an SPF “powder” brush, but the reviews said that you can’t put on enough, that it doesn’t really work… I slap on the hat during the day for the most part, but obviously, not all the time.

      What do you other CBers do? Reapply over makeup?? Redo?

      • Kebbie says:

        You’ve got to really coat yourself in any makeup with spf for it to work, and the powder spf doesn’t work at all. I don’t wear foundation, but I do dermalogica spf 50 moisturizer and then a little powder over it. I’ll re-apply if I’m going for a walk or something like that.

        If I’m going to be in direct sunlight and outside for hours I use thinksport spf 50 every 90 minutes because the dermalogica is too expensive for me to use that often. I just stick with eye makeup on those days.

      • grumpyterrier says:

        The Neutrogena spray (I’m a spokeswoman for them too, lol, jk) is great- just spray a mist over your arms neck and face and it leaves your makeup alone.

      • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

        Thank you, both! I do put on moisturizer with SPF, and my CC cream/foundation has 30. But I will look into the Neutrogena spray. Thank you!

        If I’m not going anywhere in particular (ie: errands) I do leave the makeup off and just have the moisturizer with SPF. But it does get trickier with my “face” on 😊 Ohhhh the joys of being a woman lol

      • Lex says:

        Just FYI celebitchy folks – the sprays are a waste of money. Most of the can weight is spray mechanism and a lot of product flies off into the air. What you end up w on your skin is well less than the advertised SPF!

    • Ramona Q. says:

      That’s what I thought – how is she putting SPF over her stage/camera makeup? I don’t believe it.

      • PPP says:

        You have to put it under the makeup. What I don’t understand is how she keeps her eyes open if they’re shooting outdoors. I can’t even deal with cloudy days without sunglasses.

    • Noodle says:

      This was exactly my question as well. How do you apply sunscreen every 90 minutes while filming outside, while wearing film makeup? Either she’s exaggerating or her makeup person HATES her.

      • Kate says:

        It’s pretty normal for makeup artists to touch up makeup and reapply sunscreen on talent quite often on outdoor shoots. Especially with someone like Nicole, I’m sure her makeup artist is extra mindful.

    • Severine says:

      I call b.s. as well. She’s not reapplying over makeup (either on set or off) every 1.5 hours. Example – she’s going out to meet friends for dinner, she’s in a restaurant, and she excuses herself to slather on sunscreen over makeup? I don’t think so.

  11. Rhys says:

    My partner also constantly reminds me to drink more water. I know it’s great for the body and I do not argue the benefits, but I’m not sure it’s that crucial. This yogi who had just turned 102 years old, an agile and healthy looking woman, gave an interview and said she doesn’t drink water, because she believes it flashes out useful components out of the body. This woman eats a lot of fruit and drinks WINE, to get water into her body.

    • Astrid says:

      very interesting

    • Algernon says:

      Staying properly hydrated is important, but there are other ways to get water in your body. If she’s eating a lot of fruit, she’s probably getting most of her hydration that way. “Drinks lots of water” is just the simplest, easiest way to explain hydration to people, but if you make the effort to understand hydration, you will find other things you can do besides chug water all day.

    • Amanda says:

      Rhys, I would listen to science and not one random person who relies on wine to hydrate herself. Wine is the opposite of hydrating; it is a well established diuretic. Drinking wine for hydration makes no sense and has no evidentiary backing. There are multiple factors involved but everyone should absolutely be hydrating religiously. With water. Lol.

    • Kebbie says:

      Drinking wine for water lol that’ll be my excuse now “I’m just making sure I get my water!”

      And then I wake up the next day completely parched.

    • Veronica S. says:

      Sometimes when I hear some of the things these “yogis” and “health experts” say, I wonder why did I bother even getting a degree in medical biology when I could make far more money just spouting off random BS to rich people in media.

    • Mo says:

      The other issue is that if you just chug water on its own, without food or nutrients to cause it to enter the digestive system, it goes right through you without much hydration benefit. Our systems are designed to get water out of food. Drinking water is still good, but gulping down huge amounts all at once to “get your water” really isn’t helpful.

  12. Charfromdarock says:

    I’m paler than Nicole and I reapply that often or even more frequently depending on activity or swimming.

  13. Sarah says:

    Yep. I am fair and get sun spots if a photon of light hits my unprotected face. SPF 100, hat, giant sunglass, the whole shebang. Every single day of the year, in Canada. And not just for vanity – I am the only person in my immediate family not to get cancer and this is something I can be vigilant about as protection and prevention.

  14. Laura Hunt says:

    She had her skin bleached (she was freckly as a teenager now has porcelain) and has always worn rash vests, hats and full kit I notice. spf 100 would be a necessity.

  15. Jaded says:

    I’m pale too and burn easily so I’ve been religious about sunscreen and at 67 I barely have any wrinkles. I have a couple of good friends who are total sun-worshipers and their skin is like leather. They’re always complimenting me on my complexion and asking what products I use and I always say it’s not the moisturizers I use, it’s using sun screen even on cloudy days and not baking in the sun, but they continue to do it. Skin cancer around the corner for them I fear.

  16. PPP says:

    As a fellow red, I feel I have spent my whole life avoiding the sun. It’s not even just the SPF, because I swear I can have all the 100 SPF in the world on and I will STILL burn if I am in direct sunlight for an hour. So in addition to that, it’s scarfs and hats and sunglasses and light white cardigans in the summer. It’s rash guards and boy shorts instead of bikinis for beach time. It’s always picking the shady side of the street. It’s not even sitting at the café tables that have full window sunlight. It’s a freaking lifestyle, being this white. I feel like a vampire, but I also do look really really good for my age.

  17. Diamond Rottweiler says:

    As someone with the same hair and skin tone as Nicole–people who could burn sitting under and umbrella in a cave–the answer is absolutely yes. I just wish I remembered as often as she does. Also surprised she uses an American-made sunscreen, as they’re not nearly as effective as some of the French brands. I’ve always understood La Roche Posay to be the gold standard, but only the French formulation as the American version doesn’t use the same high quality ingredients.

    • Tia says:

      I think she advertises Neutrogena so she’s required to say that’s what she uses. Whether this is true or not is another matter.

  18. Snazzy says:

    You’d be surprised how late some people figured out the water thing. I sort of knew it but didn’t even imagine the positive effects until my 40s, mostly because I’m a stubborn shit who likes Coke Zero

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      I used to chug the Coke Zeros by the six-pack! lol. Gave up my habit a couple of years ago; now I only “allow” myself to have ONE at lunch. The rest of the day (outside of my 2 c of coffee or tea in the morning) is spring water. I fill up my reusable Starbucks trenta-sized plastic, and usually finish at least 3 of those per day (they hold about 22-23 oz.)

      One thing you DO need to be careful about though: Be careful of drinking TOO much liquid. It can thin your blood sodium causing dizziness, confusion, etc. (I know this because my dad is having this issue right now. A blood test, when he was just in the hospital, showed his blood sodium was @ 10 pts. below the normal level, so they’re restricting fluids by mouth to 1 liter to help raise it. He seems better since doing this.

      • SparkJoy says:

        There was a radio comp a couple of years back, to see which contestant could drink the most water. A woman actually died (don’t know if the family sued the radio station). Some doctor said checking your urine colour (excuse the graphic detail) is the best way and aim for a pale yellow. Anything darker – drink more water.

  19. Jess says:

    I didn’t drink a lot of water until I was almost 30, I lived on Diet Coke! Water really is essential for so many bodily functions though, it seems like common sense but it’s not to everyone. I drink a crap ton of water now, I crave it all day long and don’t understand how I survived before. My acne cleared up a lot, my tummy and constipation issues settled, my back and kidney pain got better, and my feet are less stinky. I’m sure there’s more but that’s all I can think of right now.

    • lucy2 says:

      I had a friend who only drank Diet Coke too, a ton of it every day, until her doctor had to tell her to stop! She was having a bunch of issues and quitting that helped a lot.
      I know a lot of people, older than their 30s, who don’t drink water at all. I don’t find her saying this shocking in the least.

  20. Veronica S. says:

    It’s pretty much a necessity if you’re on the fairer side, to be honest. I get maybe half a shade darker in the summer, but I never really “tan.” I just continuously burn if I’m not careful. I wear SPF year round, but in the summer I try to stay indoors more often. If my family insists on going someplace where the sun has taken a hit out on me, I apply it heavily and frequently. I don’t care if I look like a white ghost on camera. I had one horrifically bad burn in my early twenties, and that was quite enough for me.

    This being said, we do need to get rid of the myth that only pale people need SPF. Very deep skin tones can get away with lower SPF for longer periods of time, but they can still see long term damage from sun exposure – and they’re more likely at risk for serious melanoma cases because it take longer to diagnose.

  21. Nancypants says:

    Okay, this might not be the right forum but I’d like to ask ya’ll something especially those over 40.
    I’ve noticed a lot of older women have this dewy glow to their faces almost like a slight sheen and I want it.
    Two women told me they use Mary Kay.
    I bought samples and I bought the other, “dewy” foundations but no dew.
    I’ve tried oils, creams, peels and different make-ups and I can’t get it.

    I’ve always been careful with my skin but I live in an Alpine Desert and the heat is on in the house. I’m not dry or itchy really. I just want that glow.
    How do they get that? I’m sure it’s an oil or cream or something.

    You see it on t.v. and sometimes in person.

    I have a couple of things in my Amazon cart to try but I thought one of you might know before I spend more money.

    • CL says:

      Using products with Vitamin C will help you get a brighter complexion. Do you use AHA’s or retinol? Those will also help.
      I suspect what you’re seeing in other is a skincare/makeup combo.

      • Nancypants says:

        Thank you! I have used Vit C and AHA and retinol but not religiously.
        I think I’ll try the Hyaluronic (sp?) Acid.
        I think they are putting something on top of their make-up.
        I even tried patting a drop of olive oil on my cheeks but it doesn’t last.

    • (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

      I use a great serum from Vintner’s Daughter that really does do this. I also can get a boost from Chanel’s primer (has a slight “rosy” tint to it; it’s very sheer, but adds a “light” under my foundation (also Chanel) that comes through).

      I want to add: ladies, spend the most you can on a good foundation. You can really skimp on other things (mascaras, eye pencils etc). But a great foundation is a must. If you *can*, do a really good blush, too. It really makes a difference!

      • Nancypants says:

        Thanks! I’ll try these too.
        I have this highlighter cream from Prescriptives that helps a little but not like the ladies faces I see.

    • Jaded says:

      I use Neutrogena’s Deep Moisture day creme. It has a SPF of 20 so if I’m going out in the sun for any time I start with Coppertone Clearly Sheer sun screen SPF 50 then put the moisturizer on after. It gives me a glowy look – I rarely use foundation, just some cream blush and under-eye highlighter stick.

    • Veronica S says:

      Try mixing a dot of cream or liquid illuminator in with your foundation, too. My skin is clear but naturally somewhat matte because it’s not oily at all. Illumination adds glow.

      Guerlain meteorites is also great for a subtle glow.

    • SparkJoy says:

      Chanel’s Vitalumiere foundation or its cheaper counterpart Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation are examples of dewy foundations that have a lot of fans. I think you might want to experiment with different dewy and sheen-y foundations and see what works for you.

    • Jen says:

      Could be a combination of Retin A and Botox.

    • Nancypants says:

      Thanks again to everyone. I just ordered a sample of the Chanel foundation and will keep trying.
      There just seems to be some secret to it. 🙂

    • Nibbi says:

      definitely sounds like a cream highligher makeup product to me.

      this one has been intriguing me for ages, but i haven t tried it yet:
      https://www.beautylish.com/s/rms-beauty-living-luminizer

      also this one looks intriguing, and skincare-y, but outta my price range:
      https://www.beautylish.com/s/la-mer-the-hydrating-illuminator

      best of luck in finding your perfect glow 🙂 the struggle is real 😉

  22. Scumlord McCarthy says:

    She seems normal.

    Also, BLL was terrible after season 1.

  23. Sorella says:

    I like Nicole’s acting, she’s terrific. But whenever she talks about skin care and lotions and potions, I’m always like wahhh? Never any mention or hint about all the many procedures she’s had done over the years, how it does show she is struggling with aging. It’s laughable – girl couldn’t move her face it was so frozen. So you stay out of the sun and eat/drink well, yet you inject substances in your face and don’t consider that unhealthy. Weird.

    I think Nicole talks about projects MORE when she is the standout (like BLL). On Bombshell, everyone is talking about Charlize more – and I don’t care what ANY of them say (I work with theatre actors), they ALL want to be the main star, they all watd the adulation/awards and they are all secretly jealous when another actor gets more attention. And Charlize being her direct peer/up for same roles, possibly more. They are ACTORS, so they act excited for another, but unless they are proven to be like Mr. Nice Tom Hanks, they likely get jealous.

    • carmen says:

      Her face definitely looks different from her younger days – and not due to the ageing process!

      I am approximately the same age as Nicole and went through my youth without sunscreen and faced many burns and had a face full of freckles. During the 70’s and 80’s I don’t recall sunscreen being on anyone’s radar and many people even used baby oil on their skin to hasten the “tanning process”. I wonder if Nicole was as diligent then as she is now?

  24. Rhys says:

    Isn’t Neutrogena known for including tons of harmful chemicals in their products?

  25. Trillian says:

    How does she stand that? Sunscreen with chemical block is horrible for my skin, I get pimples and rashes even from the super sensitive skin stuff. Mineral sunscreen is better but I look like a ghost then.

  26. Em says:

    Hello from a surprise melanoma patient! Just here to say… Wear sunscreen and get your skin checked OTR. I went to the derma for a check and you could have knocked me over with a feather when he told me I had a melanoma. Stage 0, the best stage to find one, but still scared the bejeezus out of me. I am fair/pale, never tanned, never used a sunbed, but have burned a few times over my life. Only surgery required, no other treatment. I’m not sharing this to scare anyone – just chiming in to mention that not all skin cancers look like the ones on the ABCDE charts (mine didn’t). Check yourself regularly and flag anything that has changed or looks odd compared to any other freckles or moles on your body (look for an “ugly duckling”) with your GP or NP. You can check ewg.org to research “good” and “bad” sunscreens too – hope this helps 🙂

  27. Elizabeth says:

    I wish my mom had allowed me not to try to tan when I was a kid. My arms especially were capable of getting a little color when I was young, and now they’re all blotchy from sun damage. I’d much rather have been allowed to be fair thenand have pretty arms now.

  28. manta says:

    As an avid scuba diver, swimmer and runner and generally an outdoor person, I am careful with sun exposure/protection. But my main criteria is checking if the product is reef and land safe.
    Even if there is no regulation where I live I chose to apply to myself the rules observed in Maldives or Hawai. Don’t think I ever saw a Neutrogena product on the list of safe screens.

    And some of my trails are 5 hours or more. I can’t picture myself reapply on my overly sweaty face in the middle of a competition, and never saw another runner doing it . Physical protections are the best.

    • Nibbi says:

      do you wear a face guard for sun protection, like a balaclava?

      i’m bc if i were constantly in water/ on the beach, creams just wouldn’t cut it for me, and you’re right, they’re gross for the environment. as if our coral reefs didn’t have it hard enough now with climate change.

  29. ChillyWilly says:

    She’s just shilling for Neutrogena. I do not believe that is what she uses and not some expensive, fancy pants brand.

  30. Ali says:

    Fact – I look better with a tan than without. It’s a cruel twist that my youth was spent tanned and my later years, when I can use all the help I can get, are resigned to a sickly pale hue.

  31. JDAY says:

    I have fair skin. I don’t tan (I did as a child, but not as an adult), and have had to be on steroids in the past for a severe allergic reaction to the sun. I wear sunscreen even on foggy winter days. When I noticed that my chest was perpetually a bit red and starting to crepe, I started wearing sunscreen more often, and then a bandana, scarf, or high-neck shirts. I didn’t want cancer and I didn’t want a random patch of my flesh to be 40 years older than the rest of me.

    Then, last year, my older sister had to have a cancerous lesion removed from her forehead. She and I have fair skin and blistered more than once as kids. One incident in particular saw the majority of her body, including her scalp, severely sunburned when she started a job at an amusement park after moving to the east coast from the southwest. Because it was so much less hot and sunny than it had been in our previous town, and because she was working mostly in the shade at her job, and because the park itself was located in dense forest, it never occurred to her how dangerous it was to not wear sunscreen. Lesson learned.

    In addition to sunscreen, I cover myself almost entirely when it is sunny: Wide-brimmed hat, bandana to cover my chest, and usually something with pockets or billowy layers so that I can cover my hands. When I swim in the summer I wear a thin, billowy maxi skirt around my neck so that only my hands are exposed while I swim. Next year I will probably buy a swimming hijab because the reflection off the water is worse than the direct sun. I spent decades trying to not be pale, and now I’d rather not be dead.

  32. Alison says:

    I’m Australian, I’m extremely fair and I’m vigilant about sunscreen. I get my skin checked by a dermatologist every year and I wear protective clothes. If you don’t live in Australia or haven’t been here you won’t understand exactly how damaging the sun is here. My husband’s family is from Queensland and when we first met 20 years ago, they were very bemused by my habits of wearing 50+ SPF creme every day. Now, they’re getting things burned off their skin and I feel for them, as the culture up there is one of getting a tan and living life outdoors. I can appreciate a love of outdoors, but I’m thankful for my teenage years spent practising piano and being a nerd! I spend my life in recording studios.

    When you go to Queensland you see a lot of scary leathery men and women. My mother had ridiculously fair skin, so being sun safe was part of my childhood. My older sister took my brother and I to the beach as kids once and our skin got burned badly. She hasn’t taken care of her skin, and you can see how the sun really takes a toll on fair skin in Australia. I think Nicole Kidman has had her skin treated to get rid of her freckles in the past, so she’d have to be really careful of the sun. It’s a bit weird cos Keith Urban looks perpetually tanned!!

  33. SparkJoy says:

    I’ve read stuff about UVC getting through now; don’t know if that’s true, but anyway, I’m East Asian and Australia-based at the moment and ALWAYS use a parasol/thick umbrella when walking or spending more than 3 minutes outside. I have a huge visor as well for backup but usually just the parasol. We East Asians are obsessed with skin protection so I get where Nicole is coming from. However, I don’t like sunscreen unless I have no other choice, since it’s more chemicals absorbed into your skin – plus it washes down your drain into the sea and at the beach into the sea too – and my arms are more toned thanks to my “parasol workouts.”

  34. Marigold says:

    Yeah, pasty people have to apply sunscreen. A lot. I have SPF in pretty much everything that goes on my skin, and I wear clothing that covers me up. Lessons hard-learned from a childhood with a mother who tans if she stands near a window and didn’t have any idea how to keep me from burning in my youth. I do not tan; I only burn.

    As to the drinking water–it’s not that I don’t KNOW I need water; it’s that I hate drinking plain water. I started forcing myself to do it on a schedule, and my skin has been slowly improving.

  35. Bread and Circuses says:

    A redhead in Australia should absolutely reapply sunscreen every 90 minutes when out in the sun.

    As a Canadian pale brunette, I can go about two hours with no sunscreen at all without burning. After that, I need to get something on.

  36. Valerie says:

    Her skin is amazing in person. I know she was wearing makeup when I saw her but damn. She looked good.

  37. A Fan says:

    I get the sunscreen thing…

    but…she has major plastic face.

    How do you go from 100 sunblock every 90 minutes to I’m going to get so much work done that I look very different from what I used to and can hardly move my face?

    [*There is a huge disconnect between the two in my opinion.*]

  38. ChamomileLawn says:

    In the last pic Nicole looks absolutely emaciated. She is a talented and interesting actress and seemingly person so it is sad to see. The plastic surgery is unnecessary for someone as stunning as her but it is easy to imagine the pressures to stay youthful in HW. But that BMI is dangerously low and a possible worsening of an Eating Disorder judging by that pic alone. Side note thanks for retinyl palmitate warning!

  39. bobafelty says:

    I apply a mineral sunscreen powder (spf 50) a couple times a day, even if I’m in my office. That way, even if i’ve lost some of my original morning sunscreen, I’m still a bit protected. I keep the powder tube in my office and purse.

    I had a skin cancer scare this year and i’m only in my 30s. I’ve drastically changed my approach to sunscreen. Nicole is from Australia, with a terribly high skin cancer rate. I think it’s ok for her to go overboard on this.