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Tagged: sunscreen
- This topic has 22 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 7 months ago by
Jay.
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01/01/2019 at 9:25 am #54278
I wonder if anyone has a strategy for purchasing items in UK (or Europe) to carry back to US in luggage for resale? At present, I am investigating purchasing sunscreen in UK and carrying back as much as customs will allow (EU has superior sunscreens to the US due to the FDA being in the pocket of big Pharma). Link Mexoryl XL
I have heard J&R talk about using the scavenger eye – and I plan to do the same, but I am going to be running about and will not be carrying much stuff. Ideally, I would like to buy a cheap piece of luggage on my last day, go to a store and fill it up and fly back. PLEASE NOTE – I AM NOT INTERESTED IN ANYTHING ILLEGAL.
Any ideas? Thanks, Daniel.
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01/01/2019 at 10:03 am #54282
Good idea – I bought some EU sunscreen for big bucks on ebay! I have no tips on the transit piece. I don’t know where in UK you will be, but it may be better to buy the cheap luggage here or on Day 1 in UK, get your ziplocks, etc and have it go with you and fill it up throughout the trip duration rather than last day.
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01/01/2019 at 10:10 am #54284
I did a search of the solds on “eupopean sunscreen sun screen” – not seeing much. Is this the wrong search?
Mark S
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01/01/2019 at 10:14 am #54285
You should be able to pick up a suitcase or similar for between £2 and £5 at a charity shop, or maybe find one on the street. Some airports offer a plastic wrap service which will secure any valise. Don’t know about sunscreen- I’m surprised that a country whose weather is like living in a grey Tupperware bowl has better sunscreen than the US, but then sunscreen in Australia is more expensive than the UK even for the same factor.
Maybe kit yourself out with clothes from a charity shop as well- trousers £2, t-shirt £2, jacket £5- so you won’t look out of place when you’re scavenging! Best of luck!
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01/01/2019 at 11:29 am #54302
Thanks for the tips on finding luggage and navigating the charity shops. I like the idea of buying a piece of luggage early in my journey and filling it while travelling. I am doing trains and buses to Paris, Zurich, Munich and Berlin, so no added fees for the extra bag with those passages, but Berlin to London and London to US are cheap carriers that will charge $45 each –> only makes sense to carry an extra bag if I can make enough money to cover those transport fees. I still may use the carry an extra bag strategy and then make a determination in Berlin about whether to ship items home vs. carrying in luggage vs. donating.
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01/01/2019 at 11:53 am #54303
SOME EU sunscreens have a different ingredient in it USA does not. I cant remember the ingredient but there are lots of articles on it floating around skincare community.
Good luck! -
01/01/2019 at 12:39 pm #54314
I don’t know what you should buy, but here’s how we carried stuff home for free.
–We only brought carry on bags when we flew to Amsterdam. You can buy whatever you need there so no need to overpack. We don’t bring lots of clothes since we wash them and/or buy anything we need from charity shops. It’s so nice to get off the plane and just go. Its so crazy that people travel with huge suitcases while navigating unfamiliar places.
–As Antique Frog said, we did buy a duffle bag at a charity shop for cheap. We also fond a rolling suitcase on the street. We also brought an army duffle bag in our backpack that we filled up. This method only works if you are staying in one place. Obviously if you’re traveling around Europe, you cant drag all that stuff with you.
–How many carry on bags differs from airline to airline. We flew home on British Airways that allowed two check-ed bags each weight 70lbs (I think). You can also pay to check bags which will be much cheaper than mailing things home.
–So we ended up bringing home almost 300 pounds of cool clothes, artwork, vintage items, etc to sell on eBay. These items took time to sell but probably ended up paying for our three week stay.
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01/02/2019 at 5:27 am #54352
I had a look at the difference in sunscreens. Appears that EU creams offer better protection against UVA because manufacturers can use any of 7 approved chemicals. The 2 chemicals approved by the FDA are less effective at blocking UVA rays. Both EU and US types seem to be equally effective at blocking UVB.
I’ve not checked, but I suspect that sunscreen in the UK might be available at reduced prices right now- it’s another six months before anyone here has to start thinking about UV rays, and by that time we’re all suffering from Vitamin D deficiency anyway so we’re out in the streets, bow legged from rickets and butt naked, pointing at that strange glowing orb in the sky.
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01/02/2019 at 9:10 am #54357
Antique Frog, your humor (humour) made my morning.
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01/02/2019 at 9:28 am #54358
LOL Frog! I’ve been to England several times and saw how readily people throw off their clothes and lay down anywhere (nearly) when the sun is shining. Could always pop a Vitamin D3 capsule I guess but it won’t brown you.
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01/02/2019 at 10:02 am #54361
Jay, thanks for sharing your strategy. I am flying Norwegian low fare which limits carry on to 10Kg plus a personal item (5Kg max I think). I am going to walk on with a backpack and a man-purse. Like you, I plan to purchase any necessarys on the road. The charge for a 20 Kg checked bag on return is $45. While traveling, I aim to source light weight ephemera, or find flips that are less then 20 Kg and cover the $45 fee.
Antique Frog – thanks for the laugh to start my day. If you were looking in London for a lot of reduced price but high-end sunscreen, where would you look? Thanks, Daniel.
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01/02/2019 at 10:32 am #54366
Hi Daniel
I don’t know- there are street traders who deal in short-dated foodstuffs and since suncreams have a use-by date they might have some- but it’ld probably be low-end stuff. Otherwise Boots (who seem to have a large range) or Lloyd’s or Superdrug.
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01/26/2019 at 3:58 pm #55932
FYI – if anyone is coming to London from USA and is looking for merchandise that is popular in London and may be cheap in US, I have noted that all things Carhardt are popular here. I scanned some jackets at the vintage shops on Brick Lane, and they were listed at 50% higher than in the US. Beanie hats are the rage here, but I haven’t seen them for sale anywhere yet.
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01/26/2019 at 4:54 pm #55935
Yeah in the US, Carhartt is still a pretty practical clothing line for workers.
In Europe, Carhartt is more of a lifestyle brand. Often seen on the high streets with other fashion brands. Different prices for different contexts 🙂
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01/27/2019 at 3:28 am #55949
I had no idea Carhartt had such a different brand positioning in the US. Here in Europe Carhartt is quite expensive and worn by kids that want to look the cool streetstyle/ surfer/ skater part. Of course that’s just a look – these kids may have never used a skate or surf board 😂
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01/27/2019 at 9:39 am #55952
Yeah, in the US it’s mostly known as a brand of clothes for workmen: https://www.carhartt.com/
Though even here, it’s been adopted by hipsters to look more working class. (They’re good, practical clothes for outdoor work).Dickies also has a different aesthetic in Europe than in the US.
US: https://www.dickies.com/
UK: https://www.dickieslife.com/en-
01/27/2019 at 12:31 pm #55953
That’s really a big difference between the US and UK marketing for Dickies! My husband just ordered a Dickies coverall for my son (off Amazon). My son is in the Automotive Services program at our local VoTech high school, so the purchase is definitely utilitarian.
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01/27/2019 at 1:29 pm #55954
I buy Dickies work pants at Walmart. They’re definitely a bargain brand here.
“Street Wear” is the fancy word for “expensive”.
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01/27/2019 at 2:07 pm #55955
My husband went to two Walmarts looking for my son’s correct size. A 5′ 5″ teenager at 105 pounds is definitely underrepresented in their inventory! Even with the small size, I may have to shorten the pant legs, and it will definitely be big in the waist.
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01/27/2019 at 5:05 am #55950
There’s a brand of work clothing in the UK, JCB (by J C Bamforth, manufacturers of diggers and tractors and suchlike). Bamforth’s been in the news recently for paying £10,000 to Boris Johnson to give a 40 minute pep talk to the workers re Brexit. I don’t think the kids are down with JCB!
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01/27/2019 at 2:41 pm #55957
Interesting discussion as I was just checking flights to the U.K. for a possible late winter adventure.
Perhaps I should load a couple suitcases full of Carhartt clothing and sell them out of an Airbnb then buy some natty English wear for the return voyage. -
01/28/2019 at 1:55 pm #56021
Jay, we travel with carryons as well. Our first trip our flight got delayed and running through the airport carrying bags made us re-think the travel with tons of luggage strategy. So now we each have a backpack and we share a carryon size bag on wheels. Another plus to traveling light is one country we were in line and each of us had to push the button and if it was green you go through and red you need your bag searched. I’m sure you’re familiar with this. We put the bag behind us and I pushed the button first I got a green so I grabbed the carry on wheeled bag and pulled it through. Then if he’d gotten a red we would have only had small bag to search instead of both bags…
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01/28/2019 at 3:26 pm #56030
Yep, it’s great to get off a long flight in a strange country and just go. So much easier to get on public transport with just small backpacks. Plus, the rest of the trip is easier because we’re not trying to figure out transport for all our stuff.
No waiting for bags. No carrying three bags each. No fighting to find a cab.
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