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I have had good luck with Banana Boat sport spf 50. I need to get a new tube as my tube is getting older and just about gone. Its 2 years old and still works well. I've never burned thru it and it doesn't seem to break my face out-I don't need any addtional help with that problem.
From what I understand (and please correct me if I'm wrong), the SPF applies only to UVB rays -- these are the rays that cause burning. UVA rays are the ones that cause wrinkles, cancer, etc. and the SPF does not apply to these rays. I THINK that some of the sunscreens reported as ineffective don't have enough UVA protection in them. We go through life thinking we've been effectively protecting our skin 'cause we don't burn, blissfully unaware that the UVA rays are silently doing their below-the-surface damage . . . :eek:
As a Floridian who is outdoors A LOT and does not necessarily AVOID the sun. (yes, go ahead and tell me all the bad skin cancer stories) I just thought the BEST thing about this thread is that everyone IS trying to protect their skin. Being athletic and outdoor a lot it is important to use a product that works for you...that keeps you from "burning". Reading up and using what makes you feel best (chemical vs non-chemical) is again what matters. I have become "better" with my sunscreen use. I admit, not as good as I should, but better. So if coppertone protects you--fine. I did not check the list...I doubt my fave sunscreen/block is on the list. But it works for me. To me that is what is important, my experience w/ a product. Maybe I should "read more"--but I just am not sure I want to be "scared" about the product that seems to work well for me.
So for my next ride...I'll be sure to apply! (However, I do hate how much more it makes me sweat when I apply it!)
Michellem & Katluvr --
I think what is concerning is that, as I understand it (and I could have this wrong), UVB rays are responsible for sunburns. UVA rays, on the other hand, are responsible for a lot of deeper damage that doesn't necessarily cause obvious immediate symptoms like sunburns, but leads to premature aging and possibly skin cancer.
So, if your sunblock doesn't have adequate UVA protection but DOES have adequate UVB protection, you could be protected from burns (and thus think you are just fine), but still get that other, more insidious damage. You can't assess whether or not your sunscreen protects you from UVA based on whether or not you burn.
But even the EWG report (which I still think is WAY overblown) says something like 7 or 15 percent of sunblocks DON'T protect against UVA -- which means between 85-93 per cent of drugstore sunscreens DO protect against UVA, and it's pretty easy to verify which ones do by looking at the ingredient list.
I believe in Europe sunscreens are given two ratings, one that is like SPF (which measure UVB protection) and one that addresses UVA protection... we should probably do that here too...
I like the Blue Lizard sunscreen, but it's very greasy and I tend to have greasy skin anyway. Could anyone recommend a non-chemical sunscreen that's a little lighter?