Reviews > Health & Safety > Sunscreens and Skin Protection > All Terrain Winter Sport Sunscreen > Test Report by Paul Schilke

ALL TERRAIN WINTERSPORT SKIN SUNSCREEN
TEST SERIES BY PAUL SCHILKE
LONG-TERM REPORT

INITIAL REPORT - January 15, 2010
LONG TERM REPORT - May 08, 2010

TESTER INFORMATION

I have been a genuine backpacker since 2002 and enjoy lightweight camping. Nowadays, I prefer using water filters to chemical treatments. I have camped under a tarp, but have also spent several sleep-deprived nights buzz-bombed by rodents at popular backcountry campsites. Although I have spent up to 7 months backpacking, I am lucky to get out for 3 to 5 days. I have almost no use of my left arm. I snowshoe and cross-country ski in the winter. My wife and I have a two-year old daughter who enjoys hiking and camping with us.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: All Terrain Company
Year of Manufacture: 2009
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.allterrainco.com
MSRP: US $12.99

Listed Volume: 3 oz (90 ml)
Listed Weight: N/A
Measured Weight: 3.7 oz (105 g)

Other details:

Active Ingredients:
1% Dimethicone - Skin Protectant
7.2% Octinate - Sunscreen
6% Oxybenzone - Sunscreen
3.5% Titanium Dioxide
3% Zinc Oxide (Z-Cote®) - Sunscreen

Inactive Ingredients:
Aloe Vera Gel, Bladderwrack Extract, Borage Seed Oil, Calendula Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-21, Cucumber Extract, d-alpha Tocopherol, Glycerin, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Jojoba Pol, Lavender Oil, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sea Kelp Extract, Water, Xanthan Gum.

Front Side of Packaging
Paraben Free, Water / Sweat Resistant, Skin Protectant / Sun Screen with SPF 30, UVA / UVB Protectant, Helps Prevent Chafed, Chapped or Cracked Skin

Backside of Packaging - drug facts
Uses: Temporarily protects chapped skin; helps protect from the drying effects of the sun, wind and cold weather; helps prevent sunburn, higher SPF (sun protection factor) gives more sunburn protection, retains SPF after 40 minutes of activity

Warnings: For external use only, keep out of eyes - rinse with water to remove, stop use and ask a doctor if irritation or rash develops and lasts, keep out of reach of children - if swallowed get medical help or call poison control center right away.

Directions: Apply liberally 20 to 30 minutes before sun exposure and as needed - children under 6 months: ask a doctor.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The first thing I noticed about the packaging was that it was not sealed. That is not a big issue, however, I cannot remember the last time that I purchased a sunscreen without a seal.

Also mentioned on the packaging: the brand name of the zinc oxide sunscreen, company contact info and the parent company, Rosement Ventures. A brief web search indicates that Rosemount Ventures is also the parent company of Neostrata, another producer of skin care products. That was somewhat surprising because my first impression of the All Terrain Website left me with the impression that the All Terrain Company is a small "mom and pop shop".

The website gives a lot of good information about products which I might be interested to purchase. However, I would be more likely to buy some of these things at the last minute on my way to the trailhead than to order them from the website.

There is a lot of information listed on the tiny tube. The WinterSport Skin Protectant / Sunscreen contains a lot of interesting inactive ingredients which can be purchased for skin care from a homeopathic apothecary, herbalist or natural foods store . For example, calendula is the primary ingredient in one of my baby's diaper creams.

According to the packaging this product both prevents and protects chapped hands, which is a useful dual purpose use.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

My first thought when reading the packaging was to duration of desired effects. The product will last for 40 minutes of activity. To achieve maximum results, I should apply the WinterSport Skin Protectant / Sun Screen 20 to 30 minutes before I go begin my winter activity. In an average situation, I might not remember to put the product on that far in advance of my activity. I might skip the pre-activity wait, thinking that a little bit of unprotected time in the sun and wind is good for the soul.

TRYING IT OUT

The WinterSport Skin Protectant / Sunscreen smells like licorice. My wife claims that it smells like lavender. My skin was somewhat dry before I put the product on and the product was rapidly absorbed. My hands and face feel moisturized and not greasy.

SUMMARY

I liked the product. It made my hands and face feel good and my nose happy and stimulated. If I were purchasing this in a store, I might think twice about buying it because there is no seal on either tube. I look forward to testing it in the snow this week, the desert next week and all points in between throughout the rest of the test period.

LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

In Arizona, I have used All Terrain Wintersport Sunscreen in the White Mountains, the Superstition Wilderness and the Four Peaks Wilderness. In New Mexico, I have used the product in Sandia Mountain Wilderness. I have used the product eight times at altitudes ranging from 4100 feet to 10678 feet (1250 m to 3255 m). My tests ranged in duration from a couple of hours to all day long. The product was used in temperatures ranging from 20° F (14° C) to 60° F (33° C), in snowy, cloudy or sunny conditions. I used the product during cross-country skiing and hiking activities.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

The All Terrain Wintersport Sunscreen has been one of the most interesting products I have tested for Backpack Gear Test. In my initial report, I reported that I liked the smell of the sunscreen, that the product was not greasy and that I might not wait the suggested time before use. In one of the first tests, the product gushed out of the tube so quickly that it left a white goopy mess on the ground.

In another field test, a fellow hiker reported that the sunscreen left my face looking white, almost like I had clown paint on. After that comment, I was reluctant to use the product. Later, I put the product on and took a good look at my face in the mirror. Sure enough, there were white vestiges of the sunscreen, more so than with any sunscreen I had previously used. Over time, I found that the product would soak in after the prescribed 20 to 30 minutes and that the white vestiges went away.

My skin did not burn while using the sunscreen. Also, I used the product twice after being out in the sun for a couple of hours and in the initial stages of sunburn. I applied the product to the burned areas and continued my outdoor activity. The burned skin was relieved and did not peel. I also applied some of the cream to my daughter's cheeks which had been sunburned several weeks before and were still red and chapped but would not peel. The cream took about 20 minutes to soak in, but after it did her skin looked like relief had been delivered.

One final note, one of the tubes seemed to have a grainy texture, but I guessed that the extra grit was from time spent riding around in my pack.

SUMMARY

In this long term trial, I found that the All Terrain Wintersport Sunscreen is a good sunscreen product, but I had to wait a little longer for the white pallor to go away than with a other sunscreens. I also found that the sunscreen works well to soothe the pain of a moderate sunburn. The sunscreen comes out the tube a little too easy as the ambient temperature rises.

CONTINUED USE

I enjoyed testing this product. I will continue to use the product and might purchase it if I were to need sunscreen just before going on a hike. This concludes my test of the All Terrain Wintersport Sunscreen.

Signature

Paul Schilke

Reviews > Health & Safety > Sunscreens and Skin Protection > All Terrain Winter Sport Sunscreen > Test Report by Paul Schilke