Lush Sunblock bar
This summer I've been using the Lush solid Sunblock. It wasn't actually what I went in looking for (I was much more interested in the idea of their powdered sunscreen, since I hate the greasy feel of your average suntan lotion), but it was the only high-SPF product they had; I don't sunbathe for fun, and my general idea is not to tan at all, though by the end of the summer I generally end up with a noticeable and somewhat ludicrous difference between weathered face and hands and pale body.
(I'm someone who has received the astonished comment -- from a Ghanian -- of "so that's why they call you white people" when she caught sight of my midriff!)
For some reason the Sunblock is marketed as a shower-on product, though I really don't understand how that is supposed to work on something that appears to be basically a non-water-soluble cocoa-butter base, and would surely make a nasty greasy mess of the towels. Also, I prefer to wash after going out in the sun and getting all sweaty and hot, not before.
But the sales assistant advised me simply to use this product like one of their massage bars -- run it over the skin until it melts at body temperature, then rub in the resulting oils -- and this seems to be what everybody who reviewed it on the Internet ended up doing. Frankly, the idea of trying to use it as soap seems a bit ridiculous, not to mention very extravagant; it's advertised as being for three full-body washes only.
Since I don't sunbathe and normally cover up as much as possible, I've been using it basically as roll-on sunscreen for cycling purposes, i.e. occasions when I'm forced to be out of doors in bright sunlight for prolonged periods and unable to wear loose clothing or a wide-brimmed hat. I was a bit sceptical as to how much effect it was having, but it did make the sun feel different -- after stopping to apply it I could still feel the heat on my skin, but I couldn't feel the painful intensity that warned me I was about to burn, which was an interesting comparison.
And today I was out at midday and didn't bother to stop and apply sunblock when the hazy sun suddenly came out halfway through a 30-minute ride; this evening, my arms have a distinct pink tinge to them for the first time this summer, after a mere quarter of an hour of unblocked exposure. (Yes, I burn easily. I may be dark-haired, but my ancestors on both sides were redheads.)
So I have unsought proof that the product not only feels protective, but actually does work!
When only used on face and arms rather than as a whole-body shower gel, a single Sunblock bar will last all summer. I split off one-third of mine and put it in a little tin to carry around with me for re-application before a return journey, and that small bar is now beginning to show signs of shrinkage; the two-thirds that I keep at home and use before going out for the day has barely gone down at all. I don't know how long the protection lasts in practice, since I haven't used it for exposures of more than about three-quarters of an hour and always reapply before the start of a journey.
It smells nice -- not sweet or floral like some Lush products, but a sort of clean medicated-soap smell. I reckon that when I can't smell it on my forearms any more that's probably a sign that it has worn off, and sniffing it to see is no hardship!
It is oily, and it does bring me out in spots and make greasy marks on my clothes. But then so do all other suntan lotions (which is why I dislike using them, and prefer hats where possible). It might be less oily if you actually obeyed the instructions and tried showering it off afterwards -- I don't know.
As with other Lush products, the 'solid' concept is very compact and convenient, although the little bar being carried around in a tin during the full heat of the day did melt and get jammed in the bottom of the tin on one occasion. The melting-point is clearly really sensitive; under normal temperatures I can pick the bar up, but when the temperature goes up to around eighty degrees like today it goes greasy even under my finger-tips. I imagine that in hot countries this could prove a problem.
I've been pretty pleased with this product, which doesn't apply to all Lush's bright ideas. It smells good, it keeps me from burning (although I've managed to acquire a dense outbreak of freckles up my arms despite the protection!) and I find it less messy and revolting to apply than my normal heavy-duty suntan lotion. My main objection is that, like any other sun product, it rubs off on everything you touch and stains the edges of your clothing; you can't go to bed without washing it off thoroughly, which is a pain when you're tired and really don't want to soap your head and neck before touching the pillow.
But then I'm one of those weird people who likes to halve washing by making clothes do more than one day's wear if possible, which implies doing my best not to sweat into them or rub grease all round the inside of the sleeves :-(
This entry was originally posted at http://igenlode.dreamwidth.org/84538.html, where there are
comments.
(I'm someone who has received the astonished comment -- from a Ghanian -- of "so that's why they call you white people" when she caught sight of my midriff!)
For some reason the Sunblock is marketed as a shower-on product, though I really don't understand how that is supposed to work on something that appears to be basically a non-water-soluble cocoa-butter base, and would surely make a nasty greasy mess of the towels. Also, I prefer to wash after going out in the sun and getting all sweaty and hot, not before.
But the sales assistant advised me simply to use this product like one of their massage bars -- run it over the skin until it melts at body temperature, then rub in the resulting oils -- and this seems to be what everybody who reviewed it on the Internet ended up doing. Frankly, the idea of trying to use it as soap seems a bit ridiculous, not to mention very extravagant; it's advertised as being for three full-body washes only.
Since I don't sunbathe and normally cover up as much as possible, I've been using it basically as roll-on sunscreen for cycling purposes, i.e. occasions when I'm forced to be out of doors in bright sunlight for prolonged periods and unable to wear loose clothing or a wide-brimmed hat. I was a bit sceptical as to how much effect it was having, but it did make the sun feel different -- after stopping to apply it I could still feel the heat on my skin, but I couldn't feel the painful intensity that warned me I was about to burn, which was an interesting comparison.
And today I was out at midday and didn't bother to stop and apply sunblock when the hazy sun suddenly came out halfway through a 30-minute ride; this evening, my arms have a distinct pink tinge to them for the first time this summer, after a mere quarter of an hour of unblocked exposure. (Yes, I burn easily. I may be dark-haired, but my ancestors on both sides were redheads.)
So I have unsought proof that the product not only feels protective, but actually does work!
When only used on face and arms rather than as a whole-body shower gel, a single Sunblock bar will last all summer. I split off one-third of mine and put it in a little tin to carry around with me for re-application before a return journey, and that small bar is now beginning to show signs of shrinkage; the two-thirds that I keep at home and use before going out for the day has barely gone down at all. I don't know how long the protection lasts in practice, since I haven't used it for exposures of more than about three-quarters of an hour and always reapply before the start of a journey.
It smells nice -- not sweet or floral like some Lush products, but a sort of clean medicated-soap smell. I reckon that when I can't smell it on my forearms any more that's probably a sign that it has worn off, and sniffing it to see is no hardship!
It is oily, and it does bring me out in spots and make greasy marks on my clothes. But then so do all other suntan lotions (which is why I dislike using them, and prefer hats where possible). It might be less oily if you actually obeyed the instructions and tried showering it off afterwards -- I don't know.
As with other Lush products, the 'solid' concept is very compact and convenient, although the little bar being carried around in a tin during the full heat of the day did melt and get jammed in the bottom of the tin on one occasion. The melting-point is clearly really sensitive; under normal temperatures I can pick the bar up, but when the temperature goes up to around eighty degrees like today it goes greasy even under my finger-tips. I imagine that in hot countries this could prove a problem.
I've been pretty pleased with this product, which doesn't apply to all Lush's bright ideas. It smells good, it keeps me from burning (although I've managed to acquire a dense outbreak of freckles up my arms despite the protection!) and I find it less messy and revolting to apply than my normal heavy-duty suntan lotion. My main objection is that, like any other sun product, it rubs off on everything you touch and stains the edges of your clothing; you can't go to bed without washing it off thoroughly, which is a pain when you're tired and really don't want to soap your head and neck before touching the pillow.
But then I'm one of those weird people who likes to halve washing by making clothes do more than one day's wear if possible, which implies doing my best not to sweat into them or rub grease all round the inside of the sleeves :-(
This entry was originally posted at http://igenlode.dreamwidth.org/84538.html, where there are
comments.