Wear Sunscreen, already

I went on a hike up Chapman's Peak on 20th December for a friend's birthday. I had arrived late, so early on when we stopped for a minute I slapped some sunscreen on my arms and neck, then carried on hiking. A few hours later on our way down I felt the Burn: I had forgotten to later put sunscreen on my legs and face and legs had about 3-4 hours of exposure to midday sunlight, lower thigh catching most of it (face partly protected by the hat). Some of the fellow hikers fared much worse. Much after-sun lotion followed. It didn't spoil the party and braai that evening, which was just fun cooking and talking with friends. Some links to articles I've read on the subject.. http://delicious.com/skygreen/sunscreen Using sunscreen effectively involves applying it 30 min before sunexposure, using a decent amount, and reapplying 30 min after the start of exposure, as well as afterswimming or toweling. Sunscreen marketers aren't particularly honest either, and many sunscreen products are not as protectiveagainst UVA they claim, do not achieve their rated SPF with the typical amountsapplied, and are not as water/sweat-resistant as claimed. With this sunburn, I tried actively managing it: not soaping the burnt area when washing (soap removes skin oils), and twice daily applied aqueous cream (the petrolatum prevents moisture loss and thus prevents flaking, but traps heat so should only be used after the burn has cooled down) and after-sun lotion (soothes pain/itching and contains vitamin E which accelerates healing). By day 6 the erythema (redness) had subsided, and on day 7/8 the top layer of skin peeled, but all came off in a few large pieces (instead of flaking) and left healthy skin underneath. Good result, so that may be a good way to manage sunburn. This is just my observation, not to be taken as medical advice (I have no medical qualifications). Still, as the first line of defence, Wear Sunscreen.