Is your sunscreen harming you?

A few years ago now a dermatologist told me never to use anything over factor 30 ever as the chemicals used would do more harm than good. He advocated using a lower factor (30) and using it as often as necessary rather than using the higher factor.

But of course he was talking to me about my dark olive skin which has pigmentation damage from laser therapy. He did one of those scans things and I had lower than average damage for my age/skin type.

I wear factor 30 all year round, although only on my face in Winter. I have occasionally used factor 50 but I can count the occasions on one hand. If it's doing me harm, which it hopefully isn't, at least I'll meet my maker with a pale, unburnt skin.

Mind you, there's always some article about what isn't good for us and so I tend to take things with a pinch of salt. 😳

I rarely use sunscreen, you may, or may not be scandalised to hear. Having said that, I don't lie in the sun or actively sunbathe, just catch the sun in my day to day tasks.If I am going to be walking around in the midday sun because it cannot be avoided, I apply a little.
Both of the people I know who had melanomas had them in places never exposed to the sun, one on the sole of her foot, one at the base of the spine. Both lived in U.K.,both used sunscreens religiously. I have many friends of my age who used cooking oil to expedite their tan when they were young and are in their 70s, like me, and have no skin lesions.
I don't think enough is known about how these cancers target some people, not others, but I do believe that careful exposure to the sun is healthy and good for one.
Obviously, this is my personal view and you may think me foolhardy - or just lucky. I am a natural redhead with very fair skin and lots of freckles which I keep an eye on but I prefer the benefits of vitamin D exposure to slathering on sun creams and expensive potions.

I need to wear sunscreen, the higher number the better, since years ago, my face was sun damaged. I'm supposed to use it everyday, no matter the weather & I normally do, but not always. I do when it's sunny for partly sunny though.