How to Choose a Good Sunscreen With Sweat Protection for Exercise
After years of training in the summer sun, I’ve become a sunscreen connoisseur. I use this face stick, this hand cream on short runs, this spray on long trail runs—not to mention a sun shirt to protect my upper body. The ingredients in every sunscreen matter, so let me tell you what to look for to be a discerning shopper.
Before we get started, I want to make it clear that almost any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen, so don’t feel like you have to put off your next workout until you find the perfect product. (And no, there are no health concerns associated with sunscreen that outweigh the well-documented risks of overexposure to the sun. Lifehacker’s Steven Johnson explains it here .)
Choose a texture you don’t hate.
The best sunscreen is the one you will use. When I look at sunscreen options, effectiveness and sweat protection are only part of the picture. If you don’t like the texture of a sunscreen and find excuses not to use it, it’s not protecting you at all.
Before I run, I apply a mineral sunscreen stick to my face. Personally, I make a rule: It’s the only sunscreen I apply to my forehead. The thing is, I’ve often gotten sweat and sunscreen in my eyes, and the stuff stung . (Some people have sensitive eyes to certain chemicals in sunscreen , and I suspect I’m one of them.) Regardless of the formula or texture, I usually do better when I apply a mineral sunscreen to my face—I like Blue Lizard’s pocket stick .
When it comes to cream sunscreens, there are a variety of options with different textures. Trader Joe’s has a silicone-based sunscreen that many people like; it’s supposedly a knockoff of the Supergoop brand. I like Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch creams , which feel like they’re applied to the skin. They come in waterproof and high SPF.
All I’ve noted so far is a pretty expensive sunscreen (though it’s cheaper in person at TJ’s than the link). I save money by only using expensive sunscreens on areas of my skin where I notice texture the most, like my face and hands. I don’t really care what I have on my legs when I go for a run, so I use whatever spray or cream is in the family pack. Which, yes, may mean I use three different sunscreens when I’m getting ready for a run. You don’t have to be like me. But you could be if you wanted to.
Look for “40 minutes” or “80 minutes” on the label.
Technically, no sunscreen is “sweat-resistant,” since any sunscreen will wear off over time if exposed to enough moisture. (Similarly, the FDA does not allow sunscreens to advertise themselves as “water-resistant” or call themselves “sunscreens.”) But water-resistant and therefore sweat-resistant sunscreens do exist, and a glance at the label can help you tell the difference.
Sunscreens that are sweat- or swim-resistant will be labeled “water-resistant,” and you’ll see this on the front of the package. Most sunscreens with “sport” in the name are water-resistant, but be sure to pay attention to the fine print.
According to FDA guidelines, sunscreens that claim to be water-resistant must state on their label whether they have passed a 40-minute or 80-minute test. For sunscreens that best withstand sweat, look for the label “water-resistant (80 minutes).”
Make sure the product lasts as long as you need it to (and always reapply)
If you’re going to be out for a few hours, you can’t just slather on sunscreen and forget about it. Calculate how long you’ll be out in the sun and compare it to the sun protection rating.
All sunscreens should be reapplied after two hours, even if you haven’t sweated. During that time, you’ve probably touched your face, rubbed your sleeves against your arms, and so on. There’s no guarantee that you’ll have enough sunscreen left to protect you, so feel free to reapply to be safe. And if you towel off, be sure to reapply afterward.
If you sweat (or swim or otherwise get exposed to water), pay attention to the water resistance rating. If you’re going on a 90-minute run, sunscreen with 80-minute protection won’t get you to the finish line. You’ll likely need to stop for water or a snack at some point, so bring sunscreen and reapply when you have a spare minute. You can even buy small packets of sunscreen for convenience.
So keep that in mind when choosing your sunscreen. What’s easy to take with you and not too difficult to reapply? That’s why I prefer sprays, even if I initially used a cream or stick at home. Spray it on, check your reflection in the car window to make sure your skin is evenly radiant, and then rub it in if possible.
Choose a product with a high SPF and broad spectrum protection.
It used to be that high SPF sunscreens only provided slightly more protection than low SPF sunscreens. And technically, mathematically, that’s partly true. But in real life, high SPF makes perfect sense. The higher the SPF, the better protected you are from late or careless reapplication. There’s a great study on this : skiers applied SPF 50 to one side of their face and SPF 100 to the other, without knowing which bottle was which. The side with SPF 50 was more likely to get sunburned, even though the skiers applied the cream consistently throughout the day.
The minimum SPF should be 30, but it’s best to use a product with a higher SPF, within reason. (Price and texture will also play a role, of course, but all other things being equal, go with a higher SPF.) Also look for the words “broad spectrum,” which indicate that the product blocks UVA rays in addition to UVB .