jsdavis

I've been using TerraSport SPF30 the past year but it is no longer sold at the store where I bought it from and it's not mainstream so I cannot find it at Target, Safeway, Walgreens, Trader Joes, etc. It seems very water resistance since sweat and water tends to bead up on my skin and takes a bit of washing to make covered areas not feel slimy. It does leave a bit of a sticky/tacky feel on my skin so that is a bit of a downer.

It worked like it should -- haven't got a sunburn with it applied yet, but I tend to tan before burning.

Suggestions for anything similar welcome, but they must be at least SPF30, otherwise they won't be covered under FSA. Additional requirements: must be sweat resistant and provide good UVA and UVB coverage. Prefer something natural like the Terrasport stuff I was using.

bkaapcke

One of the things that ticks me off no end is the fact that sunscreen brands come and go every season. No sooner do I get to liking one than it's gone.
WTF is with that? bk

GrandaddyBiker

About a year ago I watched a TV program about sunscreens (this was not a commercial). This doctor on the show, who was a skin cancer specialist, said that you should never use any sunscreen that is less than SPF50. Then he said not to use last year’s sunscreen. He said that if your sunscreen is more than 3 months old, throw it away and buy fresh sunscreen. However, I have never seen an expiration date on a bottle/tube of sunscreen. I have asked several druggists about that and they all said they didn’t know of any sunscreen having an expiration date. Still, I personally will not use sunscreen that is more than a year old or less than SPF50. I bought some SPF70 a few weeks ago at Wal-Mart and I notice they also had SPF 100 but it was twice the price. I figured the 70 would work because I only use it on my arms and face. Everything else is covered when I am riding; it’s not like going to the beach.

david58

I found some coppertone in a tube like chapstick - perfect for me. My nose about sloughs off when it gets sunburned - waay too much time out on the water in the sun as a teenager (my family owned a marina). I was just getting ready to move to the zinc oxide when I found this (its SPF 50 and easy to carry).

sevenmag

I use whatever store brand 30 spf is available when I go in a store. As long as it's sweat and waterproof. I work outside a good deal of the time and in the Lower Alabama sunshine I use a ton of it and trust me, I've been through dozens of brands and even more off brand stuff. There's not one minutes difference between any of them.

prathmann

Sounds like a good marketing plan for sunscreen makers.

According to the FDA, sunscreens that have a shelf life of less than 3 years are required to indicate that on their label. But most sunscreens on the market are certified to have a shelf life at least that long and are therefore exempt from this labeling requirement:
https://cancer.about.com/od/skincance...as-Expired.htm

And insisting on a particularly high SPF also seems questionable. The SPF is an indication of how much the sun's UV is reduced by the application of the sunscreen. I.e. an SPF of 30 says that you only get 1/30th of the UV exposure if you have properly applied the sunscreen. So if you'd normally be ok with going outside without sunscreen for 20 minutes then you should be ok with being outside for 10 hours (basically all day) with the SPF30 sunscreen.

But in practice I think we all notice that using sunscreen doesn't seem to be as effective as the SPF rating indicates. That's largely because 1) we don't apply it thickly enough, and 2) it washes off over time especially with activities like cycling which involve lots of sweating. More important than a super high SPF rating is to use a product that resists washing off as you cycle and sweat - and to reapply it if it does.

009jim

Don't use sunscreen. If you do a bit of research you will find that the purpose of sunscreen is to give you the confidence to go in the sun longer than you should. All it does is stop burning and pain but rays that cause cancer still get through. Best solution is to cover up with thicker drill cotton long sleeve clothing.

Think about it. Imagine the chaos if doctors proclaimed that people should not work in the sun or go out in the sun. No - that would be a disaster for the economy. So sunscreen was invented. You'll feel safe for about 30 years until you're my age and then you'll be covered in skin cancers.

Wolfvegas

Im pretty dumb, first season riding (I never burn) so I am just really brown right now. I need to invest in sun screen

Machka 

I use Neutrogena's Dry Touch 30spf (higher ratings aren't really necessary). A little dab goes a long way, and it goes on dry.

I also wear long sleeves in the morning when I'm on an all-day ride. I have discovered I tend to burn between 10 am and noon, more than any other time of day.

I use sunglasses and a helmet with a visor to provide some extra shade and protection to my face.

jsdavis

All sunscreen I've used has some kind of date stamp on the container. The stuff I've bought in the past comes in a squeeze tube like toothpaste and there is a date of manufacture or expiration date stamped there. I called one company once that said they stuff is good for 5 years past the manufacturing date for that particular brand.

jsdavis

I've tried several brands and my conclusion is there is a huge difference. For example, I once found a brand that would dry as a sheet on my skin and it would peel off in patches after abrasion like doing push ups in the sand. Imagine you rubbed Elmer's glue on your skin, let it dry, and then peel it off. It was like that, but the patches that came off would generally be about the size of a quarter or smaller. That was some weird stuff.

Doug5150

The Environmental Working Group does sunscreen testing every year of pretty much any brand that they can get a sample of:
https://breakingnews.ewg.org/2012sunscreen/

......problem is, I have noticed two things with their rankings:
1--they place a HEAVY emphasis on 'natural' ingredients over conventional chemistries, and because of that-
2--the ones that do the "best" are always the most-expensive ($15-$20 for a SMALL bottle) and are almost impossible to find.

I use Bullfrog Gel myself, it is the most sweat-resistant I have found,,, but any sunscreen put on your forehead will eventually run into your eyes.

SkippyX

I bought some SPF-50 at Walmart. I was hoping it would be the next best thing to riding in a burkha.

jsdavis

I'm not too concerned about my forehead or any location covered by my helmet or glasses. I usually only apply to exposed areas. While I'm sure there will be some incidental exposure when I take them off, I'm not a vampire and a few minutes exposure won't do me harm compared to my arms, ears, nose, etc that will be exposed for several hours.

Price isn't a huge deal because I have a bunch of money in my FSA and I have to use that one way or another within the next 6 months otherwise I lose it. My FSA will pay for sunscreen, but only SPF 30 or higher.

jsdavis

No Walmarts here. Closest one is like 20 miles away.

fietsbob

On the NW Coast, there is more of an issue of shelf life of the product
remaining effective, between sunny days.

a1penguin

Don't forget SPF lip balm! I don't like sunscreen on my forehead/face when I ride. I sweat and the sun screen ends up in my eyes and mouth. Ick. My arms, top of my legs and back of my neck get most of the sun. Done. I don't use any on my 30 minute commutes, just the longer rides on the weekend. Note to self: Buy a small tube since just to be safe, replace every three years. I bet if I search the house, I can find half dozen containers of sunscreen. The idea of natural ingredients appeals to me but no animal testing is imperative.