As some of you may know, I am a bit obsessed with sunscreen since I have rotten, non-tanning skin and like to swim long distances. To date, Bullfrog has made the best, most waterproof sunscreen that I have been able to find.
First of all, let me say that it appears that Bullfrog has made their sunscreen (the Superblock 50) even more waterproof than it was. It works very well. However, even with that improvement, they just slipped to #2 on the Jansen Totally Subject Sunscreen Scale.
I just remortgaged the house, cashed in all my 401k's and bought a bottle of Waterman's SPF 55. I had heard that this was amazingly durable in the water. Durable isn't the word. I'm not even sure what the word is, but it works astoundingly well. I spent 2.5 hours swimming in the direct sun this weekend and don't even have the slightest sign of red. Even the improved Bullfrog doesn't hold up that well. Apparently Waterman's decided to skip using things like waxes and oils to make their sunscreen waterproof and just mixed it with marine epoxy instead.
That's the good news. The bad news is that it is EXPENSIVE - I paid about $20 for a 3.4 ounce bottle (3-ish applications) at www.swimoutlet.com. Apparently the sunblock and epoxy is mixed with gold and unicorn sweat or some other exotic stuff that necessitates the price. The really bad news is that it is almost impossible to wash off. Even after being in the water for hours, I had to soap down 5 times (I tried Ivory, Dove, Dr. Bronner's, some generic soap and a soap that I make myself that is usually very good at removing sunscreen) and use an exfoliating scrub to get it to the point that I thought I had most of it off. Maybe you have to pay them another $20 for the secret of getting it off without using a barbecue grill brush, a belt sander and trichlorethane.
OK. I'm sold. This stuff is great. It definately goes in the bag for races and long workouts. Now I just need a second job and a waterproof belt sander.
-LBJ
This is funny. While I was reading this thread I noticed that one of the Google ads at the top of the page was for Dawn Detergent.
The local Dollar Tree store has a crappy shaving gel called On The Go For Men. It absolutely rips sunscreen off your body, even better than Dawn detergent. I found this out when I decided to shave right after a workout and before showering. Some of the gel dripped off my chin and onto my chest. In one second the sunscreen on my chest was gone.
Sounds like the "On The Go For Men" marketing people have an opportunity to target an entirely different audience than the shaving crowd...
Leonard,
Do you think tis stuff is adequate for 3 -4 hours in the ocean? Or do I need to get all greased up with zinc like Ripple suggests?
Although I haven't tried it in the ocean, I am guessing that it would. The reason is that it definitely holds up for more than 2 hours in the pool and my experience is that the pool chemicals seem to strip off sunscreen faster than fresh or salt water. I have used Bullfrog for 4 hours in the ocean - and that was the older variant of it - without big problems. The Waterman's is better than both the old and the new, improved Bullfrog, so the guess is yes.
Just remember to bring your Dawn dishwashing detergent with you.
-LBJ
Thanks for the thread and info Jansen. This is an important topic, we are swimming both pool and OW in South Florida outdoors year-round. Sunscreen is crucial. I also am new to this climate from Canada and have very white skin that is not, as of yet, sundamaged, like many others down here.
Yesterday we did a 3000y OWS, the swim plus beach time was about 2 hours in the direct afternoon sun. I wore Banana Boat Sport SPF 30 all over my body and Neutrogena SPF 70 Age Shield on my face. I didn't burn at all but got the startings of a "killer" tan - damage.
I am going to try the BullFrog Superblock 50 and the Waterman 55.
Thanks again.
T
I used the Waterman's this weekend at the BLS. It worked pretty well, and much better than anything else I have tried in the ocean, but it was definitely mostly gone after 3 hours. I think the hunt for the perfect sunscreen continues, though I'll repeat that the Waterman's is by far the best I have tried.
