Sunblocks, Why So Expensive?

[Jingthing]

I continue to be amazed at the high price of sunblocks in Thailand. I assume the brands on the shelf are imported and I also understand in Thai culture, the sun is meant to be avoided, and whitening lotions are the big sellers. However, Thailand hosts millions of sun loving tourists who need sunblocks. You would think some Thai company would take it on themselves to produce this stuff and undercut the imported competition.

[nidge]

I continue to be amazed at the high price of sunblocks in Thailand. I assume the brands on the shelf are imported and I also understand in Thai culture, the sun is meant to be avoided, and whitening lotions are the big sellers. However, Thailand hosts millions of sun loving tourists who need sunblocks. You would think some Thai company would take it on themselves to produce this stuff and undercut the imported competition.

You are going to the wrong shops. I last bought some 'thai' sunblock for 98 baht. The balaclava was 59 baht and the gloves were 39. Mother-in-law loved them. By the way, the balaclava was so expensive because it was reversable blue/green!

Edited July 4, 2007 by nidge

[jetjock]

I have been buying my Sunblocks in Thailand for the past few years even though I can buy most Sunblocks much cheaper than in the US. Reason is that in Thailand I was able to a Sunblock with an ingredient called "Mexoryl' which due to FDA testing only became available here in the US about a month ago. Only brand I was able to find in Thailand was made by a French company named Garnier. Even though most sunblocks on the market now cover both UVA and UVB bands, they do not cover one of the most important part of that bandwith that is responsible for the aging of the skin. Only those with 'Mexoryl' block that part of the band. Since the mexorl ingredient has just come to the US, new sunblocks containing it are currently very expensive so I will continue buying it in Thailand until the price comes down here.

[Carmine6]

I have been buying my Sunblocks in Thailand for the past few years even though I can buy most Sunblocks much cheaper than in the US. Reason is that in Thailand I was able to a Sunblock with an ingredient called "Mexoryl' which due to FDA testing only became available here in the US about a month ago. Only brand I was able to find in Thailand was made by a French company named Garnier. Even though most sunblocks on the market now cover both UVA and UVB bands, they do not cover one of the most important part of that bandwith that is responsible for the aging of the skin. Only those with 'Mexoryl' block that part of the band. Since the mexorl ingredient has just come to the US, new sunblocks containing it are currently very expensive so I will continue buying it in Thailand until the price comes down here.

Where did you find that? I specifically looked for such sunblocks but have never found a place carrying them. All I've been able to find is US brands so end up using what I've brought with me.

[jetjock]

Where did you find that? I specifically looked for such sunblocks but have never found a place carrying them. All I've been able to find is US brands so end up using what I've brought with me.

Carmine6--In answer to your question, I have usually found it in most of the 'Big C' pharmaceutical departments. As I best remember it cost me about 490 Baht per bottle. It comes in a white plastic bottle with an orange top. It is carried in some other stores but not all. FYI it is called Garnier Ambre Solaire and comes in a variety of types with different SPF ratings that contain mexoryl. I much prefer their ones with spray tops as the creme is thinner and they go on easier. I might also suggest that you try their 'Clear Protect Sunblock' ( harder to find) that I also like because it is a clear liquid that dries immediately which works great to spray on if you do not want to chance getting any creme on your clothes.

[Mighty Mouse]

You would think some Thai company would take it on themselves to produce this stuff and undercut the imported competition.

The Thais have a unique sunblock that the whole population use.......

....it's called "umbrella."

[jaidam]

Has anyone else tried P20 sunblock? You put it on 90 minutes before exposue to the sun and it lasts all day, totally non greasy. I have tried staying in the sun from dawn til dusk after using P20 in the morning and didn't exactly get burn't but went brown. Very good stuff but expensive.

BTW here in Koh Tao there are shops selling made in Samui sunblock. At 250 baht for a little bottle u may as well buy western brands.

[realthaideal]

"Only brand I was able to find in Thailand was made by a French company named Garnier."

What's the bottle look like so I can look for it ? How much you pay ?

What part of the light spectrum do we 'really' need to be worried about ? UVA n UVB already cover unseen dangers. Never heard of other things beyond that except when learning about light in school.

[lazeeboy]

"Only brand I was able to find in Thailand was made by a French company named Garnier."

What's the bottle look like so I can look for it ? How much you pay ?

What part of the light spectrum do we 'really' need to be worried about ? UVA n UVB already cover unseen dangers. Never heard of other things beyond that except when learning about light in school.

thais get up when the sun goes down as they hate being black ,black denotes working class ,white means you are wealthy ,funny us farangs like to have a suntan it make you look and feel healthier

[wileycoyote]

"What part of the light spectrum do we 'really' need to be worried about ?

It is worrying.

Recent BBC news item

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3142386.stm

Wiley Coyote

[Jingthing]

I don't mind being white. Just trying to delay the skin cancer.

[solo siam]

most of the Thai moisturisers contain sun block, why not just use one of those...

[antsinmypantsouch]

I don't mind being white. Just trying to delay the skin cancer.

Skin cancer…how horrible…My friend died of melanoma (the worst kind of skin cancer). It metastasized so quickly he passed away two years after being diagnosed, a much earlier diagnosis than that of the average case. I remember him telling me that they found growths in his lungs when first diagnosed. Basically, the melanoma was part of a bad mole on his leg which soon after went into his blood stream and then, throughout his whole body: lungs, brain, etc. Nasty disease—Remember to protect yourself.

• Get mole check-ups, preferably overseas (all irregular moles should be check..be wary of those on the back, neck, legs)
  
• Wear sunblock; apply liberally
  
• Keep out of the sun for prolong periods from late morning to late afternoon, if possible.
  

*Those with fair skin and hair colour are at greatest risk, btw.

The following is sourced from: http://www.ynhh.org/healthlink/cancer/cancer_9_99.html

A method for remembering the signs and symptoms of melanoma is "ABCD":

A – Asymmetrical. Dysplastic nevi tend to be asymmetrical. If the lesion were folded in half, the two parts would not match.

B – Border irregular. The borders tend to be poorly defined or have a fried-egg appearance.

C – Color varies. An atypical nevus tends to have more than one visible color.

D – Diameter. While melanomas are usually greater than 6 millimeters (size of a pencil eraser) in diameter when diagnosed, they can be smaller. If you notice a mole different from others, or which changes, itches, or bleeds even if it is smaller than 6 millimeters, you should see a dermatologist.

[jetjock]

In my previous post, I mentioned the ingredient Mexoryl in a Sunblock for those people like myself who are interested in using a sunblock that also offers the most protection currently available against the rays that cause the actual aging damage to the skin. I try to protect myself against skin cancer but also keep myself as young looking as possible so am very discerning about which sunblock I choose to use. Here is some quick info for those of you that are interested and there is loads more on the net if you use your search engine. I hope this info is helpful even though it might be more appropriate in the Health forum.

Article excerpted from ABC News report:

Our suntan lotions are good at screening out the sun's UVB rays -- the ones that cause sunburn and skin cancers -- but most people don't realize their sunscreens don't offer much protection against UVA rays, the ones that put wrinkles in your skin.

"Ultraviolet A light ages your skin. And the reason it does that, it's a longer wavelength, so it can penetrate deeper into the skin, and instead of attacking the upper layers of the skin where skin cancer often forms, it attacks the layers that give your skin its tone, its elasticity, as we call it. … You get the lines, the wrinkles, all the things associated from aging," said Dr. Darrell Rigel, clinical professor of dermatology at New York University.

But there's good news. Lotions that contain the ingredients Oxybenzone, Titanium Dioxide or Parsol 1789 block out some UVA rays.

Doctors say a chemical called Mexoryl offers even better protection.

"It produces a product which gives us almost perfect protection against sunshine," said Dr. Vincent DeLeo, chairman of dermatology at Columbia University.

People are happily protecting themselves with Mexoryl on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, the streets of Paris, in Canada, Mexico and Australia.

Mexoryl "is the No. 1 individual ingredient in terms of protection from Ultraviolet A radiation," Rigel said.

Interesting clips of information about the ingredient marketed as Mexoryl in Sunblocks excerpted from the net:

Ecamsule (USAN, trade name Mexoryl® SX, INCI Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid) is a chemical which is added to many sunscreens to filter out UVA rays.

UVB rays cause sunburn; UVA rays cause long-term damage (including wrinkles and skin cancer) but not short-term impact. There is no official rating for UVA protection in the US.In Europe, there are several different rating systems that are used to measure effectiveness in blocking UVA rays, including the IPD (immediate pigment darkening assay) and the PPD (persistent pigment darkening assay). The UVB range is 280 to 320 nanometers, and the UVA range is 320 to 400. Ecamsule protects against UV wavelengths in the 290–400 nanometer range, with peak protection at 345 nm.[3][4] Since ecamsule doesn't cover the entire UV spectrum, it should be combined with other active sunscreen agents to ensure broad spectrum UV protection. Ecamsule is a photostable organic UVA absorber, meaning it doesn't degrade significantly when exposed to light. This is in contrast to the widely used UVA absorber avobenzone that is not intrinsically photostable and requires photostabilizers to prevent significant degradation in light.[5][6][7]

[viciouskitty74]

For Sunblocks, I prefer the Neutrogena brand with helioplex. Is that available off the shelves in Thailand? Or do I need to maybe start importing them?