Suntan Lotion

I'm the odd duck here, but I don't wear any sunscreen when I ride, why you scream? Because my skin doesn't burn easily, and when riding your rarely facing the sun the same direction for hours, your constantly turning thus never showing the same side all the time. Another reason I don't is because when I lived the desert of California I discovered that I felt far hotter with sunscreen on then off. Now if your faired skin you may want to use sunscreen regardless if it feels hotter.

I do wear sunscreen when I fish since I'm sitting on a boat with water reflecting suns rays off the surface onto me basically doubling the intensity of the sun. When fishing I use Banana Boat Sport Performance 100. The sport stuff supposedly stays on longer when sweating thus won't run into your eyes which means it would work better riding a bike as well. I have yet to experience it running into my eyes when I sweat.

f1943r said:

What brand of suntan lotion do you use? How do you keep it from running into your eyes when you sweat?

I don't put it on my forehead. I wear a thin cap under my helmet that covers most of my forehead. Right now I'm using an SPF 40 flavor of Bullfrog, but I'm not beholden to any particular brand. I don't use sprays as I've found that they don't seem to cover/protect as well as lotions.

alienator said:

I don't put it on my forehead. I wear a thin cap under my helmet that covers most of my forehead. Right now I'm using an SPF 40 flavor of Bullfrog, but I'm not beholden to any particular brand. I don't use sprays as I've found that they don't seem to cover/protect as well as lotions.

That was a fast lesson that I learned when I started cycling. Most sun blocks will really sting the eyes and with a bit of sweat there is almost 100% chance of being nearly blinded or at least that has been my experience. I do not go north of the bottom of my sunglasses and use a skull cap that is rated 50 spf.

Being extremely fair skinned my preference has been Coppertone Sport SPF 30, but as alienator says that is just my personal preference. I just want to make sure that it is "ultra sweat proof" and the product that I use seems to hold up under a 4 hour ride with lots of sweating.

f1943r said:

What brand of suntan lotion do you use? How do you keep it from running into your eyes when you sweat?

Look for those brands that contain barrier blockers only. Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Neutrogena makes one and so do several others. These are akin to the white zinc oxide ointment we used to put on our noses years ago. The newer formulations are using micronized forms of these, so they are not nearly as thick and do not leave the white coloring behind. These will not sting your eyes at all. Make sure that the product you purchase does not have any chemical sunscreens in it, I think there are a few that use chemical and barrier in combination.

T.

For my face/forehead, I have had great luck with Coppertone Water Babies 55SPF Sunscreen Stick. It looks like a large tube of chapstick and does not run into my eyes at all. I sweat profusely from my head and other lotions would always make my eyes burn like fire. My family and I just spent a week at the beach and we all loved this stuff for face protection.

tjonz said:

Look for those brands that contain barrier blockers only. Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Neutrogena makes one and so do several others. These are akin to the white zinc oxide ointment we used to put on our noses years ago. The newer formulations are using micronized forms of these, so they are not nearly as thick and do not leave the white coloring behind. These will not sting your eyes at all. Make sure that the product you purchase does not have any chemical sunscreens in it, I think there are a few that use chemical and barrier in combination.

T.

Good Advice- thanks. If you think of skin as being like a sponge, not a barrier, then generally, any [censored] ingredients are going right into us, probably more quickly when we're exerting ourselves and sweating.

Some suncreens use nanotechology, which is scary when you think that nobody knows whether they are safe in the long run (here's an interesting link: Sunscreen • Health and Fitness • Nanotechnology Project - check out the sporting goods section too- don't be licking your BMC frame if it cracks!)

David Suzuki's site has a good article about sunscreens: Choose a sunscreen that is better for you and the earth | What you can do | David Suzuki Foundation

The one I use is relatively 'natural', but goes on like tar and makes me look like a ghost. I hate it......

Ooooooo! Scary nanotechnology! 🙄