Reviews > Health & Safety > Sunscreens > KINeSYS Sunscreen Products > Jamie J. DeBenedetto > Field Report

KINeSYS Performance SUNSCREEN

Field Report - October 25th, 2005

Reviewer's Information

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Product Information and Description

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Is KINeSYS Candian for "this stuff rocks"?

Well I think so! Over the last few months my whole family and I have used the four different KINeSYS Performance Sunscreens and for the most part they have really worked well. We have used them while swimming, day hiking, on a few backpacking trips, at the splash park, while kayaking and during my son's soccer practices. Conditions have primarily been sunny, with day-time temperatures ranging from as high as 106 °F (41 °C) to around 65 °F (18 °C) and night-time temperatures as low as 38 °F (3 °C). Both the Facial Moisturizer Lotion and the Spray with Parsol were used in as much as 75% humidity but unfortunately, no other weather conditions were experienced.

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My Findings

Since KINeSYS sent four different products in five containers for the test, I think it will be most beneficial and less confusing if I go through them each separately, so here goes.

The Fragrance-free SPF 30+ Sunscreen Spray with Parsol® 1789 was primarily used for everyday zooming around. In addition to myself I used it on both my 3.5 yr old and my 17 month old children with very positive results. The Microspray applicator is very easy to use, even with wet or cold hands. It does a nice job of dispensing the product without any clogging or oozing, even when used after altitude changes. The spray itself is light and silky feeling. It dries very quickly, I'd say within a minute of application, faster outdoors. It doesn't leave a greasy feeling or visible residue on my skin and, as the name suggests, does not have a noticeable odor. I did not use the spray during any outings associated with water but I did experience plenty of perspiration while wearing it. One application worked well for me up to as long as four hours of hiking. So despite not following the manufacturer's suggestion of reapplying every two hours I don't believe the sun protection properties where lessened even with the increase in moisture on my skin.

I used the travel size for all of my backpacking and day hiking trips over the last few months. This was about fifteen days worth. The container size was just about right although I could have easily used a smaller one since I'm only on trail for a few days at a time and never came close to using the whole 1 fl oz (30 ml) bottle on any given outing. While on trail, I found the spray on option to be far more favorable than cream or lotion type sunscreens that need to be rubbed on to the skin. Not only was the application process quicker, which incidentally made me more inclined to apply the block on a regular basis, it was also less messy and felt cleaner. This was a true benefit while backpacking. Generally I feel grimy and smelly after a long day hiking and it isn't just because of sweating. It's the other sunblocks I have used. They seem to attract dirt and the sunblock smell sticks with me for the whole day. This was absolutely not the case with the KINeSYS spray. As I mentioned above, it's not smelly and I never had that gritty dirty feeling after wearing it. Additionally, because it's a spray I didn't have to worry about saving a little water to wash my hands after putting it on.

I have two somewhat negative issues with the spray, however, both relating to the actual application process. The first area of concern is the amount of over spray. It's quite obvious when applying the sunscreen to a thinner area of my body, like my arms, that a good portion of it does not land on my skin. I tried holding the bottle at different angles and at different distances away from my skin to improve coverage and lessen the over spray but I never really found a happy medium. I find this wasteful and impractical in an indoor setting. I resolved to only apply the spray outside. The other matter only occurred when I was outside, creating a conundrum of sorts about where to go to safely put the sunscreen on. Fortunately the problem only came up when I was trying to apply the spray during breezy conditions. Even the slightest wind could redirect the delicate spray and affect the coverage area.

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The SPF 30+ Sunscreen Cream with Titanium Dioxide was largely used when I was playing in water (kayaking, swimming, etc.) or when I knew I would be outside for a large percentage of the day. Although thicker in consistency than some sunscreens I have used in the past the cream came out of the flip top applicator cap easily and spread well with only a little work. Once "soaked in" it didn't leave my skin with a greasy feeling or prolonged offensive scent. The Titanium Dioxide Cream is not listed as fragrance free in the KINeSYS literature but even so I only noticed a very slight odor and usually only right at the moment of application. This faded as I wore the product so I never found it overbearing or unpleasant. I chose this product for water activities based on the manufacture's literature, which stated it would be a better choice in "highly reflective environments like sand, snow or water". Both my husband and I used it during long bouts of sun exposure with good results. On one occasion we both donned the cream only about five minutes prior to swimming. We were both completely protected even after about five hours of pool time and only the original application. I did experience some white residue on my skin while in the pool but this was localized to only a few areas where I must not have spent enough time rubbing it in. It really wasn't a big deal and it certainly didn't detract from my water fun or the cream's ability to shield me from the sun's rays.

The SPF 15 Performance Moisturizer with Parsol® 1789 is intended as a facial product and I used it as such. I have dry skin and my face tends to show the affects of wind, sun, and cold when I've been in the outdoors for any length of time. A moisturizer and sunblock combo is a fantastic idea in my opinion. I absolutely love the facial moisturizer lotion. It feels smooth and silky and I swear I can feel the hydrating properties right away. It's a bit greasier to the touch than the Titanium Dioxide Cream and the Parsol Spray but once on my face for just a few minutes the greasy feeling disappeared and I couldn't even tell I had the stuff on. As with the cream, I did not experience any problems with the flip top applicator even after changes in altitude. The travel size proved to be a most convenient size and I coveted the little bottle as one of my few on trail luxury items. It protected my face wonderfully, while using it I never had my usual chapped, wind beaten feeling.

The SPF 30 Sun Protection Stick with Titanium Dioxide is the only KINeSYS item I just didn't mesh with. Having a convenient way to protect the delicate areas of my skin that really take a beating in the elements sounded like a great idea to me when I first read about the product. Unfortunately, the Stick fell a little short of this "job" description in my opinion. Let me preface my comments by saying it did work well to protect me from the sun when I was able to apply it to my skin. With that out on the table let me elaborate as to why the Stick didn't work for me.

First, due to the solid state of the Stick, I found it a bit too rigid to apply to two of the very areas KINeSYS suggests it should be used, the ears and nose. Although I tried using the contents of the Stick on these areas on a few different occasions it proved to be a more tedious task than I had the patience for. I usually ended up referring back to either the Facial Lotion or the Spray, whichever I had with me at the time to double coat the area so I was sure it was protected. Is this a bit lazy on my part? Yes, but given the choice to carry a piece of gear that is quick and convenient to use while on trail and one that is not, I will always choose the former.

Secondly, the lack of hydration properties in the Sun Protection Stick is a hurdle I could not overcome. I'm not overly concerned with moisturizing my ears or nose but for my lips, it's a must. The climate in Arizona is extremely dry and I find if I don't use a lib balm with some moisturizing qualities during the night I will wake up with painfully cracked lips. Since the KINeSYS stick doesn't provide this I was forced to bring along an extra container of lip balm just for this purpose. As someone who believes less is more, I just do not find it practical to carry two items with similar functions and had it not been for the testing I would have left the KINeSYS stick at home.

Finally, and this is the least of my negative comments regarding the Sun Protection Stick, I am not fond of the container in which the solid comes. Simply put, it's more bulky than I like and the roller that pushes the solid out of the container is too loose. I found it too wide for a pants pocket because it stuck out more than I was happy with. Additionally, in more than one instance I opened the container after it had been in my pants pocket for a few miles only to find the solid had been rolled too far out of the case and had rubbed up against the top of the container's cap leaving sunscreen collected there. This was messy and a waste of sunscreen.

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In Conclusion

KINeSYS is marketing this line of products as something people with an active lifestyle can use everyday. I could not agree with that statement more. With the variety of products they sent me, I felt my family and I were covered in any outdoor situation. The fact that all the items are oil, alcohol, and PABA free, hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic are a big plus in my mind as well. It's really nice to be able to quickly spray on or rub in the sunblock, zoom out the door and know I'm protected for a good portion of the day without paying for it by feeling grimy and smelly the whole time. With the exception of the Sunscreen Stick, I really enjoyed the KINeSYS Performance Suncreen products and I will definitely use them again and again.

Jamie J. DeBenedetto
October 25th, 2005

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Reviews > Health & Safety > Sunscreens > KINeSYS Sunscreen Products > Jamie J. DeBenedetto > Field Report