I went in March and took 15 but it wasnt enough. A lot of people had 30 and I guess that is what I'll be taking next time.

Jill,Any factor below 15 is a waste of money as it does not give adequate protection.We went in November/December and used factor 20-30 and I am not fair skinned.You will still get a tan but hopefully wont burn.

Don't forget you will be a lot nearer the equator in Egypt, therefore getting a much stronger 'hit' of UVA & UVB rays than you would here in the UK. For this reason it's best to significantly 'up' your usual SPF, to be on the safe side. (No-one wants painful sunburn or skin cancer as a memory of their holiday in Egypt!! )

I have been in May, June, and July and never go below factor 30 (ambro solaire milk), the second week i go down to 25. Milk tans you more evenly and you go brown quicker than cream as it dries very fast on your skin. I am dark haired but always go red normally, but didnt in Egypt and came home really dark. Oil is fatal, it just melts off.

we went in August and i also never go below 30. I even took some factoe 50 to put on the childrens places that always get burnt, noses, tops of shoulders, ears etc.

We are returning in August for our 3rd visit, the children never go below factor 50, both are normal to dark skinned and have never burnt, the grown ups usually start with factor 25-30 and dependant on the heat will never drop below factor 10, apart from the suncream the most important thing you can do in Egypt is make sure you drink plenty of water, this will help to keep your skin hydrated.

factor 10
I burnt to a cinder just going down to factor 25 and i brown easy

factor 15 was all we used this week in Sharm! And yes go into town and have a great time!!

i use sunbeds before i go away and i used factor 4 and then 2, my hubby just used 2 and the kids had 15 on but that was in june

sharon

Surely the kids should have more than factor 15 on???????

I use factor 15 in this country, so i have never gone lower, and i tan easy and dark haired. People think the lower the factor the more they get tanned, this is untrue, the higher the factor tans you more and less likely hood of getting cancer. Wearing low factors you are susceptible in getting cancer, when the skin burns the damage is already done. Unless you are completely covered up and under the shade, there is no way any child should wear lower than factor 30, i am sorry but this is irresponsible in my eyes. I have been several times in the sun and seen many young children red and sore, and running around with no t.shirts on and hats, mainly Germans i might add.
I am a nurse and have cared for 4 people with cancer, believe me, its not worth burning for.

sos everyone,
don`t wanna upset you all but my kids and us parents haven`t burn`t..god i`m not gonna put their lives at risk!!!!!!!! i put 15 on them and watch there skin, so i know what`s good for them. they have never burn`t while on holiday so i thik i can judge the way thing are.. we were told in lanzarote 2 years ago that over 20 factor is like putting wax over you.. we made friends with people and her son was badly burnt with a 30 on, and she was told over 20 works like wax and keeps the heat in your skin...and that wAS from a specialist.. i just put 15 on mine and make sure i keep applying it often, they go a lovely black/brown and don`t burn.. maybe they have the skin for it????

sharon

It is each to their own, and what you do for your family is your business and yours only. But i totally disagree with the comment that over factor 20 is like putting wax on you, it isnt, nor does it hold the sun on you, if that was so why do Boots sell soltan for all the whole family with 5 * and also sell products for kids over factor 50? If the sun held the heat, it would crucify the kids. This isnt a particular post aimed at you shazza, i am merely trying to get across that majority of people should wear over factor 30 in Egypt, mainly because its in the desert and temps last June reached 130 degrees when we were there, it is very fierce, i was very shocked at the way people were thinking the sun wasn't that strong. I am a golden brown when i get home, and pleased i practiced safe sun.

We got back from Sharm yesterday and used a combination of Factor 50 for the kids and 30 as the week went on. I dont think I would go lower than 25 in Sharm.

Neither felt like putting 'wax on'. I guess it's a personal decision but I can't imagine any reputable specialist advising a low factor for children, it goes against everything you ever read on protecting yourself against sunburn and its long term effects on the skin.

sorry i cannot agree with the statement oil simply melts off ,i would rather use oil than cream.oil helps to keep the skin supple decreasing the risk of burning ,one of the best suntan oils i have ever used is AFTER aquiring a decent tan is pure olive oil it works for me anyway .the secret of NOT burning is a liberal dose of whatever factor you use at the begining of the day and at least every half hour through the day after that ,i have seen far to many people in greece and turkey who think that putting sun tan oil on once a day is suffiecent its not ,this is usually dictated by how much the people either bring with them or can afford to purchase in the resort ,rather than how much is really needed .
my advise would be to buy as much as possible in the u.k at supermarket prices and load your case up .we usually give our surplus away at the end of the holiday to anyone who needs it

Do you mean cooking olive oil

The oil i am referring to was ambro solaire, i like oil, but when i was in sharm, it melted off me and was very sticky, i use it in the states where it doesnt get as hot as sharm. The oil i used was factor 15 and burnt me after i was brown. So after that i stayed with factor 30 milk, milk is soft and supple.

but that is your choice for your skin .everyones skin type reacts differently and what may well suit you wont suit me ,and yes i did mean pure extra olive virgin cooking oil ,all your doing is keeping your skin supple in reality .over exposure to the sun is far more harmfull than low factor sun oils and thats the one that does the damage ,take it in moderation day by day and your tan will build up

I am sorry but this is like an april fools joke, as a nurse that looks after cancer patients i am astonished that you apply oil of the cooking variety to your skin in temperature of this kind in Egypt. You will have no protection at all from harmful rays (UVA/UVB), this is so irresponsible, but at the end of the day it is your skin and your life.

each to there own .