SCAPE Athlete Sunblock

Whether you participate in outdoor sports on a competitive level, or for fun and fitness, safety gear should always play an important role in your activities. This equipment can be as obvious as perhaps a helmet or rock climbing harness, or less obvious, like gloves, sunglasses and proper footwear. But with the amount of time we spend outdoors, it’s critical to remember one of the single most important safety items – sunblock.

Protecting your  skin from the sun isn’t about avoiding embarrassing sunburns or awkward tan lines. It’s about preventing skin cancer and premature aging of your skin. That’s why SCAPE Athlete Sunblock was developed by Dr. Nic Martens. While his name may not be familiar, he holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry, and for thirteen years was the driving force behind some of Neutrogena skincare’s most exceptional products. Equally important, he shares a passion for the outdoors that includes summer and winter athletics as well as water sports. This combination of education and real world experience results in products that are both effective in their actual use, and groundbreaking in their development.

SCAPE has been clinically proven to be five times more waterproof than any other sunblock. It has the highest UVA and UVB (SPF 50+) available. Equally important, it won’t run into your eyes, it allows your skin to breathe and keeps your body temperature down by not clogging pores, and it has vitamin E as well as antioxidants, to protect and nourish skin. And it’s been tested in the real world by athletes like two-time Ironman World Champion, Craig Alexander.

With those kind of credentials, I almost felt under-qualified to give it a test. But I do have fair (and sensitive) skin, live in the high desert, and perspire when putting in a good effort. So before heading out for an afternoon of hiking, I applied some SCAPE to my face, neck, and arms. First thing I noticed was the scent – it’s more clinical than most fragrances, as if to say “This stuff is here to work for you, not make you smell pretty”. It’s not at all objectionable, but since many people do have sensitivities to certain fragrances added only for superficial reasons, it’s worth noting. The product itself went on smoothly, and didn’t leave me with that white “Hey, I’m a mime” look that some sunblocks do. That was the easy part. Hiking alongside a waterfall with loose dirt, loose rocks, and then wet rocks, I certainly broke a sweat as well as got more than my fair share of splashing. (See the Baffin Amazon review for more on that) As advertised, there were no issues with my sunblock running into my eyes, or washing off. The final test came later, when I got home and removed my shirt and glasses. No tell-tale lines to indicate a sunblock failure. As a bonus, I could still feel the moisturizing effects on my face, even though it had been several hours since application.  Which led me to this observation – it’s not easy to write a review of sunblock . As long as they don’t get washed off, any sunblock will provide protection. But I feel like SCAPE does seem to give you a little extra, with the confidence that it’s not going to run or wash off, at the same time providing nutrients for your skin. When my sample runs out, I’ll be sure to pick up some more, as well as try out the rest of the SCAPE line. You can also find an informative post on solutions for aging skin at Mom Curls.

– Brian