What's new

Help Sunblock/lotion

bloaker

Sincerely A Dick
Nov 14, 2011
3,643
5,770
I did a search and read some threads and it appears no consensus has been made on the idea sunblock.

I hate the greasy feeling of almost every lotion I have tried.
The crap my wife tried to get me to use feels like I am rubbing wheel bearing grease on my face.
Over the past week - I have fried my arms and nose. My legs have survived without issue... but I am sure it is only a matter of time, summer is not here yet.

Right Now - Rule 7 is in full effect.

I don't mind keeping it in effect however direct sun is causing me to quickly overheat with the current burn. Back in Virginia, I would night ride to avoid the hottest days of summer and I loved it. However I now start work at 5am - So the option to night ride does not exist.

Can anyone offer up brands of sunblock or any other solution that has worked for them?

Thanks!
 
You'll have seen this thread already.

I use Rohto SunPlay Superblock http://www.rohto.co.jp/uv/sunplay/ - the red-capped one. Seems expensive but spreads well and one bottle lasts a good while.

Waterproof - meets the FDA 80-minute test. Doesn't run. Isn't sticky. SPF:Blanket.

The Chuck Norris* of sunblocks.

sp_prod01.jpg


*As we all know, Chuck Norris doesn't wear sunblock. The sun wears Chucknorrisblock.
 
'Faces' for sensitive skin, or the Banana Boat spray type for sports. Another great one is Blue Lizard. I get mine sent from Australia by my friends there. Worst case was snagging some cream at a conbini and within 10min was nearly blistering from ectopic eczema. If you can get Neutrogena it's pretty good - but expensive. Heard good things about Shiseido Perfect 50+ ,also quite expensive.
 
Half-Fast Mike- I will check the fit care depot across the street... going out of business, so stuff is marked down.

@GSAstuto- 'Faces' would this be just for my face or a good option to cover arms and legs?
I have access to most everything in the USA - so off brands Japan does not have, I may still be able to get.

I am not sure which is worse... the greasy feeling of sunblock or the dry skin burning sensation after...

----------
For reference... can you not tag two people in one response?
 
I walked into a giant pharmacy in outer suburban Maebashi and just told the assistant that I wanted the most efficacious stuff there was and didn't mind if it was greasy or was otherwise unpopular for everyday use by ladies toting parasols. She told me that a big "SPF" number was good and lots of plusses after "PA" was good. So I bought "Shiseido Anessa perfect UV sunscreen SPF50+ PA++++". Classic cosmetics packaging: 25 measly millilitres in an impressive bottle with a giant cap. Hard to believe that it's the best value for money, but anyway it doesn't seem greasy or otherwise irritate me.
 
I use arm covers all summer much cooler than nothing and no need to worry about sun block.
I also use a small hat under my helmet that largely takes care of my face. So just a bit on my knees.
i use sunblock I buy in Aus. It is kind of thicker than the local watery types and seems to last longer.
 
I don't easily sunburn but I wear my sunscreen for obvious health reasons. I find that most sunscreens/blocks in Japan cause my skin to blister so I generally stick to stuff I can pick up in Canada. I find that Neutrogena Ultimate Sport series sunscreens work quite well, are easy on my skin and are not greasy. When I was researching sunscreen studies a few years ago Neutrogena came up as a fairly safe commercial brand to use. It can be a little bit more pricy than some other brands, though.
 
I use arm covers all summer much cooler than nothing and no need to worry about sun block.
Any preference on brand or thread count or something?

The $$ is not really an issue if I will use it.
I have wasted tons on use it once and never touch it again due to hating how it felt.
I assume I will just have to get over it... but hopefully I can find something not too bad.
 
I grabbed some pearl Izumi white ones from balding friend. They work well, got some dhb ones they are a bit lose. But let's face it I'm a skinny armed cyclist. If you are packin some guns the pearls might be a bit tight.
 
I'm a big fan of arm covers, too. Most Lycra comes in at SPF 30 or above, by the way. This can be increased by special treatments or simply higher thread count. So - you can use ANY arm cover and it will work just fine! I personally like the ones that are made from a semi-wicking fabric that accelerates evaporation from the skin. This actually cools the skin more effectively than no cover or water spray. FWWI my Haute Route kit has slightly longer leg and combined with arm covers I had zero sun burn issues during 7 days in very intense climate. It uses the same Italian fabrics as the TCC kit, btw - so I can vouch for it! I just use sunblock on my neck, ears and other exposed skin areas. I have a dual-fabric jersey that is cooler on the back - however it allows more UV penetration. I found that out the hard way -- wore it a ride in the blistering sun and got sun burned on my back!

For the jam-econo riders, just get some obasan arm covers at the local 100y store. They also work great! And since they are already small - they fit very snug on larger armed cyclists. I have a few sets and honestly - no difference between them and the high performance cycling specific versions.
 
On Sunday I rode in a long sleeve jersey and gloves, but due to a 1 cm gap in between, I ended up with red wrist bands that are gradually turning brown now :(

Didn't even put any sun screen on my face and neck because it was a night time start and I couldn't be bothered to stop, dig for it in my saddle bag and apply it in the morning when the sun came up.

My GS Astuto jersey is long sleeved, as will be my HFC jersey and the next TCC one. A good jersey feels cooler than naked skin because it wicks sweat to where it can evaporate, without letting the sun directly heat the skin.

I'm also not much of a fan of the oily sunscreens, as I naturally sweat a lot and water and oil don't mix well. Still, better than skin cancer!
 
I think some clinical tests are in order.

Let's find someone pasty. (Perhaps even Scottish?) Stake them to the ground and test the various brands by dousing parts of their limbs, pouring them into their eyes, and asking them how greasy they feel.

Also some remedial kanji classes, as I suspect knownone has been buying bleach by mistake.
 
I definitely had the same issue as knownone regarding the domestic sunscreen products. After my allergic reaction I went through the house and threw it all out. No issues at all with the Aussie stuff. before you commit to any of this stuff I'd try to get a sample to test. You never know...
 
I think some clinical tests are in order.

Let's find someone pasty. (Perhaps even Scottish?) Stake them to the ground and test the various brands by dousing parts of their limbs, pouring them into their eyes, and asking them how greasy they feel.

Also some remedial kanji classes, as I suspect knownone has been buying bleach by mistake.

Actually I had the same sort of blistering reaction with some sunscreen I picked up in Hawaii once as well, although that didn't cause blistering until I was in the sun. Finding a good 日焼け止め can be a tricky sometimes.
 
I've had very good luck/results with the hawaiian titanium dioxide stuff--still using an old tube. The banana boat version was once available via wiggle.
 
Yep I've risen to the bait I am that pasty skinned blue eyed blonde haired Scotsman up for that challenge ( just chuck in two weeks at the Tokyo Hilton and the the Dude's carbon framed Kuma Road bike and I'll be there) Nae Midges Nae bother sounds like a typical Scottish Summer riding experience!

Burnt my napper the last time I was over in your so called spring forgot to put the P20 lotion on which works every time for me total protection all day long ( South of France USA Italy and now Japan) all my fair skinned family swear by it.
 
I use Umbrella from Canada, it's SPF 45, sweat and water proof, and doesn't leave your skin all dry after use. If I don't mess with the areas that I applied the sunblock then it will last about 4 hours on a hot sweaty ride.

I also have senstive eyes and my hair is thinning so I was struggling with the uber bright sun and burning the top of my head, so this year I picked up some good sunglasses specifically for super bright light and an Assos Robofoil cap. The cap is super light soft material that you put your head under the helmet and it has SPF50.

So far I'm well regulated and feel fine.
 
thanks for the added input.
I am going to look for the stuff Mike posted first...as it may be the cheapest option and I can have it today!
I think arm covers sound appealing... so will look for those next.
 
I think this is a very underdeveloped market segment in Japan. Some 25 years ago, there was hardly anything available. The Rohto brand today offers many types and I like the one with ice cooling effect. I haven't figured out why they come in such tiny containers though. Use it twice and it's empty! Like last year, I'm having my brother bring over BIG bottles of waterproof sunscreen (NIVEA brand) when he visits this summer.
 
I think I have it figured out:

1. Japanese are smaller on average, so less skin area.
2. Selling less for high price yields more revenue for manufacturers. ;)
3. Consumers trust medicine-like flacons more than staple containers for their valuable skin
 
  • Like
Reactions: TOM
Back
Top Bottom