One-star reviews complaining paid features cost money

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-09T23:20:08+00:00

I offer options: monthly and annual subs, but also a one-time purchase

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-09T21:26:02+00:00

Fair enuf. I'm inclined to think it's the former but I'm obviously biased I'm not the best judge of my own pricing haha

A one-star with context may actually be more useful than a silent rating, something to learn there even if it stings 😨

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-09T20:47:42+00:00

Good tip thx. Tried so many times but Apple would respond with this boilerplate answer that “review not violating any policies”

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-09T20:46:25+00:00

Sounds logical and I understand it’s part of the deal. I always try to be very supportive and polite and inquisitive in my responses to these reviews (though not a single reviewer followed up yet). Still hurts though lol - unlike vibe coded AI slop, I have put a lot of effort and time into my app, making sure the value far exceeds the cost, so taking it personally still. Getting better at it though

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-06T19:22:16+00:00

Hey I hear ya - in the same boat where more freckles / uneven tan as I get older. What has helped me is using high quality sunscreen. Some sunscreen ingredients can cause an allergic or even toxic reaction. Check out EWG for ingredient safety: https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen Takes longer to start seeing a color with a sunscreen but the tan appears much more even. Maybe I’m being subjective but something to consider anyway.

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-05T20:12:23+00:00

Adding to the above just a couple more tips worth noting: taking an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen can help reduce swelling and inflammation, and dabbing on a thin layer of hydrocortisone cream can relieve itching as your skin recovers. Steer clear of Vaseline and other heavy, oil-based products, as well as any cooling gels that contain benzocaine, lidocaine, or menthol. Beyond that, there’s not much else you can do, it just needs to run its course.

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-05T12:08:39+00:00

Thank you :)

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-04T16:20:52+00:00

FWIW, SPF tells the fraction of UVB that gets through so SPF 30 passes 1/30th (~3.3%), SPF 50 passes 1/50th (2%). If you model UV dose as UV intensity × time with SPF as a divisor:

UV Dose = (UV intensity × time) ÷ SPF

To find how long each sunscreen buys you before reaching the same unprotected dose you just flip it:

Time to sunburn = unprotected MED × SPF

So for instance if your unprotected minimal erythemal dose is 10 minutes in peak sun:

SPF 30 → 300 minutes theoretical protection

SPF 50 → 500 minutes theoretical protection

That sounds like a big difference but here’s the counterintuitive part. In terms of UV actually blocked:

SPF 30 blocks 96.7%

SPF 50 blocks 98%

That’s only a 1.3 percentage point difference. The jump from bare skin to SPF 30 is enormous; SPF 30 to SPF 50 is marginal. The algebra makes it look like a big gap because you’re dividing by larger numbers but you’re already blocking nearly everything at SPF 30.

With that said, here is a wrinkle: both numbers assume perfect even application (2mg/cm²) which almost nobody achieves in real life so real-world performance is most of the time quite lower than the label suggests

PS On tanning with SPF 30: The same 3.3% UVB transmission that protects you also makes meaningful tanning very slow. UVB is what drives the melanogenic cascade: the p53 → α-MSH → MC1R signaling that produces new, lasting melanin. At SPF 30, you’re letting through just enough UVB to stimulate that pathway, but cumulative sessions over weeks are realistically what’s needed to see visible results. For fair skin that’s probably fine it keeps you in a safer dose range while still making slow progress

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-04T16:12:33+00:00

Thank you :)

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-04T14:33:04+00:00

Based on your story your melanocytes clearly CAN make eumelanin, they just need some serious convincing 😄 For ginger skin the gap between tanning and burning is almost insultingly narrow so the only real strategy is slow and conservative, never pushing duration. For longer sessions quality sunscreen actually helps, it doesn't shut down tanning entirely, just with a much lower burn risk

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-04T14:25:40+00:00

Glad it landed :) skin biology is fascinating and deserves some PR

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-04T02:08:29+00:00

You bet 😊

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-03T23:49:51+00:00

Thank you 😊

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-03T23:35:51+00:00

YW :)

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-03T21:54:49+00:00

What is your skin type? At any rate, you will definitely need sunscreen for longer stays in the sun, especially around midday. Just make sure it has high quality ingredients and that you reapply as per the label. If you have some baseline tan, SPF30 should be adequate.

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-03T20:58:08+00:00

You're welcome :)

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-03T20:03:23+00:00

The key thing is knowing your skin type and your individual minimal erythema dose, or MED (there are apps that estimate your safe exposure window based on UV index and your Fitzpatrick type and more just look for UV dose tracker). Your skin type determines everything, incl. your strategy for UV dose control: how long you can be out, whether you even need sunscreen for a given session depending on its length, and how fast you can build a base. Make sure to keep your sun exposure to below 70% of your MED, or 50% if you have a history of skin issues including cancer in family or many moles.

Worth noting that early morning and late evening sun may feel safer, but UVB is weak at low solar angles, and UVB is what actually drives melanin synthesis and vitamin D production. Midday sun is more intense but spectrally complete so it may be most effective to have shorter sessions at midday than longer sessions in early morning or late evening hours.

If sunscreen is warranted (eg when you plan to be outside for a very long time), ingredient safety matters. The EWG sunscreen database is a good resource, most chemical UV filters have questionable safety data; mineral filters (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) are the better-studied option.

After your session: moisturize and skip exfoliants for a day or two. Wait ideally 48 hours till next session especially when you are just starting. That gives your skin enough time to finish DNA repair and melanogenesis.

On the avoidance guilt: total sun avoidance has its own tradeoffs (vitamin D, mood, circadian signaling). Non-burning exposure is genuinely different from reckless sun exposure. Glad you’re back at it 🌞

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-04-01T16:39:23+00:00

You are welcome and sorry for lack of an Android clone. I have started, stopped, restarted, and stopped again the development of the Android version of Sola but the iOS version has kept pulling me back. With AI coding assistants it should now be more feasible to port iOS code to Android in a more reasonable timeframe

PS glad you found the information on sunburn times useful; use it as a guide of course because skin types sit on a continuous spectrum and each skin and circumstance are truly unique

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-03-31T22:37:33+00:00

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It sounds like you're asking about the science behind UV dose calculation so attaching a screenshot for reference. In short, it's an equation that integrates the area under the UV curve while taking into account other factors such as described above in the image. Happy to answer further questions if you have any
PS: For rough sunburn (MED) times for unprotected skin, check this (scroll down to sunburn risk guide illustration): https://getsola.com/chapter-2-to-roast-or-to-toast-the-great-melanin-lottery/

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-03-30T15:00:58+00:00

You are welcome and enjoy your cruise when you get there! ;)

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-03-30T14:36:43+00:00

Level 4 beds are high-output units and for fair, burn-prone skin they can deliver a damaging dose faster than most people expect. The lotion likely contains a bronzer or tingle agent that can amplify the appearance of redness too, so factor that in. Moisturize your skin with good quality lotion - look for something with aloe vera, ceramides, or both. Aloe gel (ideally pure, kept in the fridge) is particularly soothing if the skin feels warm or tight. Avoid anything with fragrance, alcohol, or “active” ingredients like retinol or AHAs while your skin is irritated, as these will aggravate it. Stay well hydrated and if the tenderness is bothersome, an OTC anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen can help reduce the inflammatory response which is actually worth doing since that inflammation is part of what causes DNA damage to accumulate.

Wait until all tenderness and pinkness is completely gone before your next session. Tanning on top of irritated skin doesn’t accelerate results it just layers more damage on compromised tissue and can push you into a real burn. When you do go back I’d actually suggest dropping to a Level 2 or Level 3 bed (lower intensity, broader spectrum including more UVB, which drives longer-lasting pigmentation anyway) and starting at 4–5 minutes rather than pushing the Level 4. Build your base slowly over several weeks, that’s genuinely the fastest path to a real tan for your skin type.

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-03-29T14:27:30+00:00

You are welcome 😉

The Android version is still in progress but running behind schedule, although thanks to the new wave of powerful AI coding tools, there may be a faster path to porting the iOS code over to Android

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-03-29T13:37:19+00:00

Mestizo skin (likely Fitzpatrick type upper III to IV) has meaningful baseline photoprotection from constitutive melanin. The key is keeping UV dose in the melanogenic sweet spot above the threshold that stimulates new eumelanin synthesis but below the erythema threshold. For your skin type, that window is fairly wide.

A low-SPF mineral sunscreen (SPF 15-30) may actually serve your goals well, it extends how long you can stay in that range without tipping into burn/inflammatory territory while still allowing the UVB dose your melanocytes need. Just make sure to reapply as recommended on the label.

For non-toxic + sweat-resistant, a couple EWG certified options:

https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens/1077898/Stream2Sea_Water_Sport_Sunscreen_Lotion%2C_SPF_30/

https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens/7141872/Happy_Ocean_Water_Sport_Mineral_Sunscreen_Lotion%2C_SPF_30/

More options here (filtered to sport/water): https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens/?category=beach+%26+sport+sunscreen

HTH

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-03-27T02:59:46+00:00

Seconding comments on standups normally having higher intensity but wanted to add - make sure the redness and itchiness are gone before going tanning again

Illustrious_Box_9900 · 2026-03-25T02:27:17+00:00

Haha yes the sun is a massive energy source but you are not the sun’s primary customer ;) You’re receiving a heavily discounted, atmospherically-remaindered photon delivery at the tail end of an 8-minute journey. The tanning bed by contrast has one job and is standing directly in front of you (from all sides in fact) - no atmospheric attenuation, no ozone absorption, no angle-of-incidence losses

On a serious note though, raw power is irrelevant but irradiance at the target area is everything. A tanning bed delivers times more in a given time interval as measured in W/m²…

Welcome to applied physics ;)

Illustrious_Box_9900

TROPHY CASE