Lately it seems as if the hot summer months have arrived early this year. Not quite the three-digit temperatures that often highlight a Texas summer but when the high temperatures are only two or three degrees lower it is still hot. The sun shines bright and for the health conscious that means it is time to start applying sun screen to prevent sun burn and possible cancer. I was reading a newsletter called “Nutrition Action” on ‘What to Look For in a Sunscreen.’ After reading the article and looking at my varied collection of sunscreens, the choice of selecting a sunscreen is a little more complicated than grabbing the first tube of sunscreen off the shelf.
The first thing most runners look for is the SPF (sun protection factor) to see the number on the label. The range is from 15 to over 70. The number is telling the runner how much of the sun’s UVB rays are being blocked. Dermatologists recommend a minimum of at least 30.
There are some sunscreens that also block the UVA rays as well. When a sunscreen blocks both the UVB and the UVA rays it is labeled a ‘broad spectrum sunscreen.’ It means that the sunscreen is also blocking some of the UVA rays but does not necessarily tell you how much is being blocked For runners one of the more important factors in buying a sunscreen is ‘water resistant’ and ‘sweat resistant’ on the label. The time that the sunscreen will protect the runner will vary from 40 minutes to 80 minutes and the label will mention which time this brand will last. Depending on the brand of sunscreen you buy, one of the necessary items I like to see is “won’t run into the eyes.” I have had a few instances where during a run on a hot day the sweat starts to get heavy and will run into your eyes. My experience with this situation is that the sun screen really burns the eyes when it runs into them. Before the manufacturers came out with not running into the eyes brand, I put a line of Vaseline across my eye brows to direct the sweat off the side of my face. It worked well for me.
I had several brands that I used when I used sunscreen. The Banana Boat Sport performance sunscreen had a catchy title that for a runner is a good buy. It had a 30 rating and had ‘very water/ sweat resistant’ on the label that attracted me. The Bull Frog brand had a ‘Super Block lotion that had a 45 rating and was also water/sweat proof for runners. It is also protected from both UVA and UVB rays. The second Bull Frog brand had a rating of 50 which was appealing. The point that made this sunscreen different was that it was sprayed on with a fine mist that dried instantly. That made putting it on so much easier than putting a lotion on the skin and rubbing it on. The name of this Bull Frog brand was ‘Water Armor Sport.’ And it had all the different qualities to make it a good buy. The “best” sunscreen according to the points listed on the label was Neutrogena Sport Face oil free lotion and had a score of 70+ for 80 minutes and was a broad spectrum sunscreen. It resisted the water/ sweat factor and added that it wouldn’t clog the pores. The deciding factor on the label was that this sunscreen was the “#1 dermatologist recommended skin care.” I forget how much this particular brand cost but with all those credentials it was probably the most expensive.
While all of these sunscreens worked for the health-conscious runner there are two points that are brought to mind. One is to wear a hi-tech quick dry tee shirt to protect you from the sun and only put lotion on the arms and face. The mesh fabric wicks the sweat from the skin onto the shirt and the air wicks it away with a cooling effect. The other point is do you put sunscreen on every run? Is the time to apply lotion worth the hassle it takes to rub it on.
