Best kind of sunblock

[pretty_monster]

i buy the biggest bottle of the cheapest brand in the highest SPF that i can get and slather my entire body liberally twice a day. i even put that shit on my face. i would break out in a second if i did that in defaultia but it's so dry on the playa that my face doesn't' mind. i've never had a burn. (fair, blonde, and freckly)

[Elliot]

Consumer Reports, the fiercely independent consumer magazine with absolutely zero business ties, rated sunscreens in the July 2015 issue.

The information does not seem to be available online without a subscription, but I will give you some highlights. (And to heck with any rules against this – I feel feisty today. Let the penalties fall where they may.)

SPF ratings vary widely from the claimed number. To earn a Recommended rating, the product must match the claim.


The following products of at least 50 SPF were rated Recommended and Best Buys:

(Lotion) Equate (Walmart) Ultra Protection SPF 50.

(Lotion) No-Ad Sport SPF 50

(Lotion) Coppertone UltraGuard SPF 70+.



The following products of at least 50 SPF were rated Recommended:

(Lotion) Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50 (more expensive)

(Lotion) Vichy Capital Solei 50 Lightweight Foaming Lotion (very expensive)

(Spray) Banana Boat SunComfort Continuous Spray SPF 50+

(Spray) L’Oreal Quick Dry Sheer Finish 50+

(Lotion) La Roche-Posey Anthelios 60 Melt-in Sunscreen Milk (very expensive)

(Spray) Neutrogena Beach Defense Water+Sun Protection SPF 70

(Spray) Caribbean Breeze Continuous Tropical Mist SPF 70

[Zubeneschamali]

Slop it on, rub it in, repeat. Dance around naked, get covered with dust. Apply layer #2 over layer #1.

Continue for 1 week.

Bonus of spray on lotions: The alcohol will remove sharpy marker ink that may have been applied to your body while you were passed out. Works especially well on obscene comments and artwork.

[Elliot]

I have found that sprays work poorly, in the sense that with the common breezes in BRC they tend to blow away somewhere between the nozzle and my skin. Also, they tend to wind up in my respiratory system, which is very unpleasant and probably unhealthy.
The spray cans that work up-side-down can be useful for applying to my back, but much better to recruit somebody to rub a lotion on.

Don't forget nature's own sunburn protection: a gradual buildup of a tan.
Sure, all exposure to direct sun tends to speed the aging and wrinkling of the skin, but from what I have read over the years, sudden burning of pale skin is worse than gradual tanning and then no burning.

[pink]

I slather on sunscreen once a day; lotion on the face and the last two years I've used the spray on the rest of me. I'm pretty fair, have a bit of a tan from the music festival I just attended, but my boobs don't have any. Playa dust sticks to the sunscreen and imho provides another layer. I've never burned on the playa. Even on my tits. I usually use SPF 30 but once I ran out & used an ancient bottle of 15 (probably 10 years old) and still didn't burn.

[gaminwench]

YMMV:
I put on lotion sunscreen the first day.
Then I forget.
The playa dust seems to take over, for I've only once had a bad burn (4JuPlaya, minimal shade structure availability).
During BM, I'm blessed with a lovely, ongoing tan.
I tend to hang out in deep shade during the heat of the day; other than that, no care.
No burn during BM, 15 years and counting.

there's magic in that playa dust, MAGIC, I tell you!

[FaeTora]

i might be in the wrong sub group, but I wanna know the best kind of sunblock to bring. I'm thinking the spray stuff with at least a 50 SPF would do fine. Maybe something different for the face. Anybody have luck with something different?

I wear SPF 70 or above (creme style). I put it on after my shower. I then use a lip stain with SPF lip balm. But i'm very pale and Irish so i burst into flames when the sun touches me.

I find the sprays don't work well or me but I know others that love it on the playa. Just depends on your skin. If you burn easily, I recommend a creme to make sure you don't miss any spots.

[ygmir]

vaseline and playa dust. FTW! spf 10 gajillion.

[AntiM]

vaseline and playa dust. FTW!

Sunblock, not lube ....

[ygmir]

vaseline and playa dust. FTW!

Sunblock, not lube ....

widen those horizons......

[FIGJAM]

"prevents rust" not dust.

Nothing prevents DUST!!!

[TinBasher]

Ombrelle for sensitive skin
Solarcaine and Ibuprofin for fuck-ups

[Canoe]

...
Solarcaine and Ibuprofin for fuck-ups

Doesn't work that well for playa-baked red lobsters.

[Gusweaew]

Sunscreen is a must, so how do you think outdoor furniture needs to be prepared?

[Elliot]

Well, me, for what it may be worth; I build shade over my outdoor furniture, starting with the outdoor grand piano.

[lucky420]

Bring an umbrella.
I bring a couple of fancy ones

Fancy

[Canoe]

... starting with the outdoor grand piano.

If you get way in under it, you'd only have to worry about the UV reflecting in under the sides...

[Elliot]

You should try the Bonneville Salt Flats for a week in mid-August. Now, that is a reflective surface!

[Canoe]

You should try the Bonneville Salt Flats for a week in mid-August. Now, that is a reflective surface!

Driving past it was enough, thank you. Seemed worse than Etosha Pan in its summer.

[Elliot]

I remember Bonneville as less hot than the Black Rock Playa, which might, at least hypothetically, be because the almost-pure-white surface absorbs less energy than the appreciably darker Playa surface.

But the reflected rays can sure burn your normally-always-shaded body areas.

Regardless... standing in the middle of Bonneville is every bit as awe-inspiring as standing on the Playa.

And in one sense... the main difference between Bonneville Speed Week and Burning Man is that we are on the Salt only in daylight, sleeping in Wendover. The prevailing mood of the human spirit is similar.
Apologies for the thread drift.