Reviews > Health & Safety > Sunscreens > Coppertone Sport Sunblock SPF 30 > Owner Review by Brigid Shaw

Biography:
Name: Brigid Shaw
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Height: 5’ 10" (1.8 m)
Weight: 145 lb (66 kg)
Email address: surel3@yahoo.com
City, State: Bethesda, MD
Backpacking Background:
I’m fairly new to the backpacking scene, although I have done my share of camping and day hikes. Although lightweight gear is nice, as a recent college graduate my top priority is cheap gear that works. I usually keep my pack under 25 lb (11 kg) not including food and water.

Product information:
Manufacturer: Coppertone
Year of manufacture: 2005
http://www.coppertone.com
Size: 7 fl oz (207 ml) of spray, plus a bonus 1.5 fl oz (44.4 ml) of lotion
SPF: 30

Product description:
This sunblock from Coppertone’s sport line came in a 7 fl oz (207 ml) spray bottle and also included a smaller “bonus” 1.5 fl oz (44.4 ml) bottle of lotion. Both the spray and the lotion are “ultra sweatproof” and “waterproof” with a “no slip grip ultra dry formula.” They offer SPF 30 protection against UVA and UVB.

I do not have particularly fair skin. I don’t burn easily, and when I do I generally burn once per summer, it peels off, and then I tan. However, I do use sunblock if I plan on being out in the sun for extended periods of time and I have no wish to get skin cancer.

Field Information:
I bought the bottle of Coppertone Sport sunscreen in preparation for a trip to Arizona during the summer less than a week before the trip. The bottle did not have an expiration date on it, and it should have been current stock. However, it is important to note that sunscreen deteriorates quicky after its expiration.

The temperature reached 90 F/26 C and elevations around 8000 ft/2500 m, and I used this product for around 4 days when I was in the direct sun 6 to 8 hours per day. The spray was easy to apply, the only hands-on application being to my face. The valve did not clog and neither of the bottles leaked. As I was in the field, I reapplied sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours, depending on how much sun there was and how much I had been sweating.

After an hour in the sun, I could feel my skin burning. I reapplied as often as I thought could possibly be necessary, but all of my skin not covered by clothing turned bright red. Unfortunately, we had no plans to visit civilization for another week, so I figured I would stick with it. I assumed, as usual, that after my first burn I would be fine. Instead, my sunburn only got worse. By the end of the fourth day the back of my neck and my shoulders had blistered and I finally gave up and convinced a friend to lend me some sunscreen until I could buy a different brand. I had no further problems with the new brand.

Summary:
I would not recommend this sunscreen to anyone, under any circumstances. It’s possible that SPF 30 was too little, at least in Coppertone’s line, but two other brands of sunscreen of the same SPF value worked fine for me in the same conditions. I tried both the spray and the lotion, and neither one of them seemed to have any effect.

Pros:
-easy to apply

Cons:
-as far as I can tell, does not work

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Reviews > Health & Safety > Sunscreens > Coppertone Sport Sunblock SPF 30 > Owner Review by Brigid Shaw