Reviews > Health & Safety > Sunscreens > Coppertone Sport Sunblock > Owner Review by Kelli Wise

Personal biographical information
Name: Kelli Wise
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 0" (152 cm)
Weight: 140 lb (64 kg)
Complexion: Very Fair
Email: ciyd@comcast.net
Location: Western Washington, USA
Date: July 2, 2004

Backpacking background: I've been car camping and hiking for 20 years and sport climbing for 10 years, but am new to backpacking. My backpacking style is lightweight but not ultralight. I am striving for a suitable compromise between safety and comfort. The majority of my hiking experience is in Western Washington so I get a lot of wet weather experience.

Field information: Western Washington, coastal, lowlands and alpine hiking below 3000’ (915 m).

Style: Lightweight but not ultralight. Striving for a suitable compromise between safety and comfort.

Product Information
Manufacturer: Coppertone
Model: Sport Sunblock Lotion
SPF: 48
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: www.coppertone.com

Size: 8 fl oz (237 ml) bottle

Features as described on the product’s website:

• High-performance UVA/UVB protection for the active adult


• Ultra sweatproof formula that bonds to the skin so it won't run in your eyes causing stinging


• No Slip Grip formula does not leave a greasy residue which could adversely affect your grip


• Waterproof


• Oil free


• Available in: SPF 48, 30 & 15, 4 oz (118 ml) & 8 oz (237 ml) sizes

Detailed Report:
I am very fair-skinned and sunburn easily. Having lived on the Gulf of Mexico for 5 years and spending lots of time on the beach, I’ve become somewhat of a connoisseur of sunblocks. I’ve tried them all - the fancy name brands, the generics, scented and not. Most of them do a pretty good job of protecting the skin, but not all of them are fun to use. They are greasy, wash off easily, smell bad, and run into my eyes. Sunblock also has a shelf life and should be replaced when the expiration date comes around. This means that I buy a new bottle of sunscreen every spring for my summer use and this year was no exception. Standing at the kiosk in the skin care section of my local shop, I was faced with almost 2 dozen brands and a range of protection levels, known as SPF, from 5 to 48. Many of them had been purchased in years past but I spotted a newcomer to the shelf from one of the best known suncare manufacturers in the US - Coppertone. This bright blue bottle, marked Coppertone Sport, promised to be sweatproof, oil free, with a “No Slip Grip” formula and came in both SPF 30 and SPF 48. Since I can now buy my suntan in a lotion, I opted for the SPF 48.

Since my purchase, I have had the opportunity to use the product while working in the yard and while hiking and backpacking, about 2 to 4 days a week for about 2 months. Despite the reputation for continuously grey skies, the maritime Northwest does experience quite a bit of sunshine in the summer, so protection is critical. The lotion is somewhat thick and white in color and spreads easily and evenly on my skin. It smells faintly of sunblock and the scent fades quickly as the product dries. My doctor recommends that sunscreen be reapplied every 2 hours, but I have gone 5 hours with one application of this product.

The “No Slip Grip” formula was one of the big selling points for me. I really dislike having slimy hands when I’ve applied sunscreen in the field, far from a faucet. My experience with the product bears out the claim that the product does not cause a slippery feeling on my hands. Even when my hands start to sweat, the sunscreen does not get slippery and my grip on hiking poles is not affected.

The product is also claimed to be waterproof and sweatproof. I have not tested the waterproofness of the product in any real manner. This feature is intended for people who are active in the water, either swimming, boating, or waterskiing, and I have not participated in any of these activities. I did, however, stop and rinse mud and sand off of my feet and legs, getting my hands, arms, feet and legs very wet and I did not experience any pigment change in these areas despite having another 2 hours of sun exposure. I have been able to assess the sweatproof claims. Even after 5 hours of wear with my face actively sweating, the product did not wash off and I did not have any pigment change where I was sweating. I also noticed that the product did not run into my eyes while I was sweating therefore sparing me from the stinging sensation I normally associate with sunscreens. I could even wipe my face with the back of my hand, which was covered in sunscreen, without getting the product into my eyes.

On one hike, I even applied a spray bug repellent over the sunblock with no adverse effect on the sunblock’s performance.

Summary:
I am quite pleased with the Coppertone Sport SPF 48 sunblock lotion and will continue to use it throughout the summer. The product provides excellent protection from the sun even when I am active and it doesn’t have all of the unpleasant characteristics of some sunblocks.

As someone who has lived in sunny locales, I would remind everyone active in the outdoors to use sunscreen every time you go outdoors and to remember those normally forgotten spots: the tips of your ears, part of your hair, tops of your feet, and lips. Melanoma is a killer and sun exposure leads to premature aging of the skin. Be safe, get your tan from a can.

Read more reviews of Coppertone gear
Read more gear reviews by Kelli Wise

Reviews > Health & Safety > Sunscreens > Coppertone Sport Sunblock > Owner Review by Kelli Wise