Sunscreen

[Sean Passanisi]

Which sunscreen do you use? I've been using Banana Boat but I have heard good things about Neutrogena.

[Andrew U]

I work outside for a living during the summer. Cant say I've ever really noticed a difference between any brands, as long as its a sport lotion that can stand sweating. I've been using the target brand up & up sport spf 50 for the last couple years. Cheap and effective. Also, always lotion, never spray.

[Max Dilthey]

I wear long sleeves. That being said, I dated a girl with sensitive skin so I got her Aveeno 70SPF. She said it saved her life, but that may have been flirting.

[jscott]

Neutrogena gets good reviews but it doesn't have zinc and/or titanium. From what I've read, zinc or titanium are excellent–the best–for sun protection. They're also awful in the sense that they leave a white residue on your face that takes a while to disappear, if ever.

Badger zinc/titanium block is just bomber. It stays on for hours; hard to sweat it off. Very high percentage minerals. Looks awful.

CVS zinc block isn't too expensive and looks better than most blocks, imo. A pretty high percentage of zinc.

(I can never remember if these mineral blocks contain zinc, titanium or both, so I'm just writing Zinc to refer to "some kind of mineral content".)

I believe that consumer reports gives Neutrogena high marks, so their formula must be pretty good as well.

[Jerry Adams]

ewg.org has a sunscreen guide http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/9-surprising-facts-about-sunscreen/

The say that sunscreens are better at filtering UVB which causes sunburn which is a good thing, but don't filter out UVA very good which causes skin cancer and skin ageing.

Best is staying indoors, in the shade, or wearing long pants, sleeves, and hat with brim on all sides.

Zinc and Titanium oxides are good, but they stay on skin surface so come off easily, like there's this white stuff that gets on your clothes. They usually make it into nano-particles, so it's less visible, but then there are some questions about whether it will turn into dust, get into your lungs, and cause lung cancer

Avobenzone works some. It quickly breaks down so you have to re-apply. There's something (homosalate?, octocrylene, and octisalate) that makes it last a little longer before breaking down so you don't have to re-apply as often.

Oxybenzone, 4-MBC, and octinoxate may mimic hormones that interfere with normal development.

Vitamin A can cause skin cancer when applied to sun exposed to sunlight – exactly what you're trying to prevent.

[Jerry Adams]

Coppertone Sport High Performance has avobenzone, all three stabilizers, and no oxybenzone, vitamin A, or the other bad ones.

Of course they often reformulate and change products so you really have to look at the label.

[spelt with a t]

all terrain terrasport in cream and stick, and blue lizard sensitive.

http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens/498786/All_Terrain_TerraSport_Lotion%2C_SPF_30_/

http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens//498918/All_Terrain_TerraSport_Face_Stick%2C_SPF_28/

http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens//499242/Blue_Lizard_Australian_Sunscreen%2C_Sensitive%2C_SPF_30%2B/

[Anonymous]

" From what I've read, zinc or titanium are excellent–the best–for sun protection. They're also awful in the sense that they leave a white residue on your face that takes a while to disappear, if ever."

+1 Cover up as much as you can and for the rest use something with a lot of zinc or titanium oxide. My favorite: Boudreaux's Butt Paste Maximum Strength. It's intended use is for diaper rash, but it is also an excellent sun block with 40% zinc oxide. It looks like the dickens, but where I go we're not entering any beauty contests anyway.

[Desert Dweller]

I've been using the Neutrogena since spring and its working well. Doesn't clog my pores and seems to dry quickly. I reapply every few hours if I'm sweating hard. Here we dress completely covered (if yer smart) so the burn we may get is from reflection off the ground and rocks.

[Eric N.]

I've been happy with Banana Boat 50, as far as suncreens go. But the best investment I've made in sun protection is a Sun Day Afternoons Sport Hat: http://www.rei.com/product/751204/sunday-afternoons-sport-hat

It's just excellent shade on your face, ears, and back of neck. Does a nice job of shedding rain too. And it packs flat. There's a velcro tab on the neck cape so you can pin it up when you don't want it.

[jscott]

+1 to Sun Day Afternoons hat. Like a sun umbrella, only better.

[Randy Martin]

Honestly I wonder why there seems to be so much more skin cancer nowadays. I have concerns that sunscreen is only preventing burning but not other damage that can lead to cancer. There are so many good breathable thin fabrics now that I just go with long pants/long sleeves and a good hat (like the Outdoor Research Sun Runner).

[Steven McAllister]

Regarding zinc/titanium oxide ointments.

They may rub off and are greasy to certain extent, but they stay on better than most when wet. They also reduce skin drying better than other sunscreens.

This is one reason that the drug store unscented 20% zinc oxide ointments are so popular with people who do outdoor water activities.

I also like the fact that it has many other uses on the trail.

[spelt with a t]

Can it be used as antichafe without getting too smeary or ground into your clothes and socks? And can the generic stuff be spread thinly enough to not be TOO white and still give protection? It'd be an awful lot cheaper than the mineral sunscreens I currently use, which, re: greasy, I actually find to be drier than regular sunscreen and less prone to make me break out.

[David Thomas]

Randy: +1.

As a guy who has had 6 skin cancers carved off me (age 52) and with an MD wife: YES, we know bad burns correlate to skin cancer. We know sunscreen prevents bad burns. But we puzzle over why skin cancer rates are up while sunscreen use is up.

Sun burn is easy to study (<24 hour period). Skin cancer is hard (decades and multi-factorial – being a Celt with a Mediterrian (California) childhood doesn't help, but my bigger risk was probably a year of arsenic exposure via drinking water).

I go to a dermatologist who has his own strain of basal-cell mice. He says, "roof, hat/clothes, sunscreen". Most docs leave off "roof". I'm not willing to give up the outdoors, so I err towards more full-coverage clothing.

Our kids whine about sunscreen but have been receptive to Johnson & Johnson's "Purpose". Hard to find in my town, I google it thru on-line stores. I should stock up in case it stops being marketed. SPF 15 you wear is better than SPF 50 you don't.

[Daniel Pittman]

Hat and long sleeves. Never wears off, never runs out. Sawyer makes great sunscreen, though. Here's the page on their sunscreen technology: http://www.sawyer.com/tech-sun.html

[Steven McAllister]

Re: Spelt's questions,

Zinc oxide ointment can be greasy and does leave a white stain on clothing.

The white stain does wash out and the greasiness has never been an issue with me.

I could care less if I have white stains on my clothing when hiking or other activities. It's the price I pay. Other hiker related stains are usually more noticeable and so the zinc oxide stain is just part of the grungy hiker look.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

> Honestly I wonder why there seems to be so much more skin cancer nowadays.

People live longer. Other more deadly diseases receding.
Detection is much better.
Compliance (cover, SPF) is still modest at best.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

I need sunscreen for nose tip, ear tips and sometimes neck. Been looking for a lightweight no-mess option (no refilling).

I have been using the Coleman SPF 24 spray at 0.8 oz but worry it is a liquid and could leak/spill.

Recently got OraLabs SunFrog Stick at 0.6 oz. Looks feels and smells like chapstick but claims "oil free." SPF 50.

[Billy Ray]

I haven't looked into this for a couple of years, but when I did, I found that the sunscreens marketed for kids have less of the scary chemicals and more of the titanium and/or zinc. I surmise that they figure the kids are not concerned about any white sheen and the parents (if they read about this stuff) might want the safer stuff for their kids. But when it comes to adults, forget the white sheen left by titanium and/or zinc, adults want to look sexy, cancer be damned!!

billy

[Dan Magdoff]

I really like the Altitude Mountain Sport sunscreen by SOL Sunguard. it works really well and is good quality.

http://www.solsunguard.com/products.html

[Jerry Adams]

The titanium/zinc is more effective, but it wipes off and gets all over my clothes and stuff.

Long sleeves is the only thing that works for me.

[David Moreno]

I don't currently have a set sunscreen. I was using one of the less than desirables listed here, and am changing. This report was just on my local news station yesterday.

Consumer Reports Recommends 7 of 20 Sunscreens

May 20, 2014 — Only 2 of 20 sunscreens tested provide the promised level of SPF protection after being in water, according to Consumer Reports’ annual sunscreen test. Only seven of 20 products earned a recommendation.

"Consumers just need to be careful when they buy sunscreen, that they are looking at the labels and questioning the information they are reading,” says Trisha Calvo, Consumer Reports deputy editor.

Shoppers should remember that ''only three claims are regulated by the FDA — SPF, broad spectrum, and water resistance,” Calvo says.

The report is published in the July issue of Consumer Reports.

2014 Top Sunscreens

"We tested popular sunscreens from top manufacturers as well as some from small manufacturers," Calvo says. All had to have an SPF claim of at least 30, be broad spectrum (protect against both UVA and UVB rays), and be water-resistant.

UVB rays can cause both sunburn and skin cancer. UVA rays are responsible for aging the skin, and they contribute to skin cancer, including the most deadly form known as melanoma. Experts measured the products' SPF (sun protection factor), or how well it guards against UVB rays, after the testers went in the water.

They also considered cost.

The seven sunscreens that earned recommendations are:
•Banana Boat's Ultra Defense Max Skin Protect SPF 110 spray, at $1.75 an ounce.
•BullFrog Water Armor Sport InstaCool SPF 50+ spray, at $1.67 an ounce. This was one of the two screens that lived up to its SPF claim.
•Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50, at $1.38 an ounce.
•Neutrogena Ultimate Sport SPF 70+ lotion, at $2.75 an ounce.
•Target's Up & Up Spray Sport SPF 50 spray, at $0.80 an ounce.
•Walgreens' Well Sport SPF 50 spray, at $1.58 an ounce
•Walmart's Equate Ultra Protection SPF 50, at $0.56 an ounce.

These 13 did not earn recommended ratings:
•Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sport SPF 45, at $2.75 an ounce.
•Banana Boat Kids SPF 50, at $1.25 an ounce.
•Banana Boat Sport Performance CoolZone SPF 30 spray, at $1.42 an ounce.
•Beyond Coastal Natural SPF 30, at $4 an ounce.
•California Baby Super Sensitive SPF 30+, at $6.90 an ounce.
•Coppertone Sensitive Skin SPF 50, at $1.67 an ounce. This sunscreen lived up to its SPF claim, but only earned a “fair” rating for UVA protection.
•Coppertone Sport High Performance SPF 30 spray, at $1.67 an ounce.
•Coppertone Water Babies Pure & Simple SPF 50, at $1.31 an ounce.
•CVS Sheer Mist SPF 30 spray, at $1.80 an ounce.
•Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist SPF 30 spray, at $1.90 an ounce.
•No-Ad Sport SPF 50, at $0.63 an ounce.
•Target's Up & Up Kids SPF 50, at $0.64 an ounce.
•Walgreens' Well Baby SPF 50, at $0.80 an ounce.

Where Products Fell Short

Many of the sunscreens came in at 4% to 40% below their SPF claims. But the report’s authors point out that they may still provide protection.

"Even an SPF 30 sunscreen that comes in, say, 40 percent below its claim gives you an SPF of 18," the authors write.

[James Couch]

I have used Bullfrog for years. Very sweat and water resistant in my experience. One thing that really helps with any sunscreen is to apply it well before you sweat or are exposed to water. I usually apply my sunscreen while I am getting dressed in the morning or before getting into the car to drive up to the hills. Seems to help a lot.

Jim

[Ian]

After receiving a couple sunburns this past year and losing a friend to skin cancer a few years ago, this topic is near and dear to my heart. Unfortunately I'm still trying to dial it in. I've ditched shorts for pants and T-shirts for long sleeve shirts. Tilley Hat is next on my list.

+1 on Bullfrog. That's one of the best sunscreens I've used over the years and the one I'm probably going back to. Seems to do the best job for days when I'm snorkeling and whatnot.

-1 on Neutrogena Sport. I've tried this one a few times and it falls short for me.

I recently purchased Aloe Gator and it seems to do a pretty good job although I've owned it for less than a month and have only used it a few times. My only gripe against it is that the lotion has the consistency of Neosporin and is pretty greasy. Wearing it on a dusty trail with any kind of breeze will surely leave the hiker looking like a sugar cookie.

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