Super Waterproof Total Sunblock Gel 40+

 

Waterproof Sun Block

Waterproof sunblock gel, SPF 40.

Features

This product is advertized as a waterproof gel which blocks UVA and UVB, and since it's PABA free won't sting eyes.

I bought it recently from REI because they no longer seem to carry Dermatone's SPF 40+ gel, which I like a lot but which now seems hard to find.

Notes

The product is more like a petroleum jelly than a gel; it feels very greasy when you apply it. Unlike alcohol-based gels which go on wet and dry into a film, this product remains on your skin pretty much as it comes out of the tube. If you apply it thinly it and rub it in the greasy sensation isn't very noticable, at least in my experience.

It does seem to be water and sweatproof, as I have worn it both scuba diving and while hiking in rain, and it kept me from getting burned (I'm fair skinned so burn easily).

A significant problem I discovered with the product is that (unlike alchohol based gels) it thickens when cold. I tried to apply it in the morning on a recent backpacking trip when the overnight temp was below freezing, and it was nearly impossible to squeeze the gel out of the tube, even after putting it inside my clothes to warm it up. It seems like a good product for warm weather use but may not be a good choice for winter and/or summer alpine use.