Summer is the perfect season for outdoor adventure. It’s the time of year that’s great for picnics, hiking, surfing or simply sunbathing on the beach. But such adventures come with a price – agonizing sunburns that can leave kids and adults alike in stinging pain and sheer discomfort.
Thanks to sun blocks and sunscreens out there, vacationists can fare better and enjoy the summer unscathed. Now the question is which sun protection line can really protect the skin.
Banana Boat is among many sunscreen brands that appear to garner both rave reviews and negative feedbacks. Read on and find out what users have to say about this popular product.
Banana Boat and its Many Variants
The manufacturers of Banana Boat are thoughtful and considerate of the entire family, showcasing variants that cater to the specific needs and demands of each user, considering age and gender. The brand has something unique to offer to each user, whether male or female, an athlete or a mere child. Its product line is reviewed below.
The Banana Boat Triple Defense Sunscreen for Men
This product has a formulation made especially for men, helping them to not only keep burns at bay but also to combat body odor and hydrate sun-exposed skin. Other features include:
- SPF 30
- Availability is either in lotion or clear spray form (which also comes in a handy, easy-grip and portable size for travel)
- Full-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays (UVA rays trigger signs of premature aging such as sun spots, wrinkles and sagging skin while UVB rays cause sunburns)
- Water/sweat resistance reaching 80 minutes
- Aloe and Vitamin E content to keep skin hydrated
- Masculine Scent
- Easy spread and quick absorption
- Alcohol/sting-free
The Banana Boat SunComfort, Clear UltraMist Sunscreens
This one is said to be very convenient for that much-desired non-greasy feel on the skin. Aside from its sun protection and moisturizing properties, its non-greasy texture on the skin can also make the brushing-off of sand very easy.
This makes beach and sand adventures less sticky, less uncomfortable and more fun. It also prides on easy application, quick absorption and freedom from sting.
The Kids, Free, Clear UltraMist Sunscreen SPF 50+
Children have more tender and sensitive skin than adults. Thus they tend to burn more easily and react more sensitively to topical applications. Banana Boat has a specially formulated sunscreen for kids. Below are its other features:
- Also has water resistance for a maximum of 80 minutes long.
- Tested by pediatricians (it is hypoallergenic as well as alcohol-, sting and tear free, for the sensitive skin and eyes of both kids and adults).
- Spreads easily and covers evenly.
- Virtually invisible (a ‘barely there’ look) after application.
It comes in a handy spray bottle, which is a great feature since kids tend to become overly excited and squirmy on the beach and give their moms a hard time in applying sun protection.
On the other hand, this variant has mixed reviews. While some mothers say that it did keep their children from getting sunburns, there were also some who claim that it wasn’t as effective as advertised.
As a concession, however, the latter did say that its spray-on feature was indeed very practical and convenient.
The Kids Tear Free, No Sting, Continuous Spray Sunscreen SPF 50+
This one has the same features as the previous one. It comes in a 6-ounce lotion spray that is capless. This ‘twist ‘n lock’ feature is quite practical since losing caps is a constant problem whether at home or traveling with kids.
While the general customer feedback on this particular variant is okay, a few parents are not at all happy about it. They claim that their children still ended up with painful sunburns and blisters even after an hourly reapplication of the product.
However, they too have conceded that its spray-on property is very handy for parents who find a hard time applying sunscreen on their squirmy kids.
The Sport Quik Dri Scalp Spray Sunscreen SPF 30
It is non-greasy and not at all runny, which is a common problem with other scalp sunscreen sprays. In addition, it is unscented so that users will not have to bear with unpleasantly strong fragrances.
This specific variant can be used to protect the scalp of young children who have thin hair and who usually fuss about wearing hats. Aging men and women who have thinning hair can also benefit from this product. Its spray-on feature also makes application easier.
There’s no need to go through the hassle of spreading sun lotion through hair and onto the scalp, which can be quite a challenge especially in the case of fidgety children.
The Sport Performance Sunscreen Stick SPF 50 and Faces Clear Zinc Product
Like the others before it, this product shares the same features except that it is in stick form. It is also specially formulated for the sensitive parts of the face, such as the lips, nose and ears.
Portability is the game of this small stick. Formulated and packaged ideally for the face area, athletes and beach-goers can easily rub it on with as little time as possible.
Available in portable 2-ounce jars, the clear zinc product has a hypoallergenic, non-greasy and non-comedogenic formula that protects skin from both UVA and UVB rays. Furthermore, it looks barely there after application so that the user’s facial color will not have to appear out of sync with the other parts of the body.
The Banana Boat Kids Tear-Free, Sting-Free Lotion Sunscreens SPF 50
While sharing basically the same features with other Banana Boats Kids Sunscreen, this one is not at all clear. One mom was quite impressed by its effectiveness on her kids, although she did have to give extra effort in rubbing it on the skin evenly, otherwise her kids would have appeared pasty white.
While some users say that the product impressively did not trigger allergic reactions, there are also some who claim the opposite.
One adult tried using it for its hypoallergenic properties yet was appalled by its effect on her skin, breaking out in contact dermatitis that was so irritating and more uncomfortable than sunburn. Another mom claimed that her 6-year old daughter got really bad sunburns even after applying and reapplying the product as recommended by the manufacturer.
Is Banana Boat Sunscreen Safe?
While this product line is backed by the Skin Cancer Foundation due to the absence of oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate in its ingredients, potential users have the right to know that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) enlisted Banana Boat among its “Hall of Shamers.” It is also note-worthy that the user feedbacks stated above are based on real testimonies.
