Beyond Coastal Active Sunscreen

Beyond Coastal makes some of the best sunscreens on the market. I have used it for years, and it not only works well to protect you from the sun, but the ingredients that are used are safe and don’t irritate the skin. Multiple agencies, press outlets, green related site and various Mom blogs all agree on this fantastic product. 

I spend a lot of time outdoors, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, working in the yard, watching outdoor concerts, etc. To keep the sun damage to a minimum, and just plain keep the hot sun from frying my body, I like to wear hats, sunglasses, long-sleeved jerseys and utilize sunscreen. I’ve had two small bouts with skin cancer, a Squamous Cell Carcinoma skin on my neck and a Basal Cell Carcinoma on my forearm, both of which I’ve had removed. While most skin cancers are almost always curable when detected and treated early, it is best to prevent them in the first place. Proper sun safety habits are paramount and include not getting a burn, using sunscreen, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, covering up with clothing and having regular professional skin exams.

Beyond Coastal’s Inception

Shawn Biega founded and built Beyond Coastal Suncare with one thought in mind, creating a better sunscreen and protecting people from getting skin cancer. He and his friends were all avid skiers and snowboarders, and they spent countless hours in the sun year-round with their skin always taking a beating. Although they wore sunscreen, too many friends were being diagnosed with skin cancer. Most sun care products on the market weren’t even offering proper broad spectrum protection, and unfortunately, many of them were also too greasy and contained nasty and dangerous chemicals. After many years of research and testing with a chemist friend, Shawn came out with a sunscreen product that was clean, healthy and safe for the entire family. The formulas are crafted to offer true broad-spectrum protection and are packed with moisturizing botanical antioxidants that nourish, repair and hydrate your skin.

Features

I was initially drawn to Beyond Coastal products due to the clean and safe ingredients they utilize in their sunscreens. Beyond Coastal is one of three companies to receive top ratings in both mineral and non-mineral sunscreens from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). EWG’s mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment with breakthrough research and education and help drive consumer choice and civic action.

I obviously want a sunscreen that protects my skin from the brunt of the sun’s dangerous rays, so it needs to be absorbed deeply into my the skin pores, but I don’t want it to leave me looking like a pale white ghost. Additionally, it shouldn’t drip into my eyes when I start to sweat, and it should stay on if I take a dip into the water, meaning it requires excellent water resistance.

The Active Sunscreen is their traditional sports sunscreen and provides protection from UVA rays by utilizing Avobenzone Octinoxate, Octisalate, and Octocrylene as active ingredients instead of the common nasty and dangerous Oxybenzone and Parabens chemicals. It’s SPF 34 rating means it effectively blocks 97% of UVB rays, which cause sunburn. This ultimate skin care product for the outdoor athlete is moisturizing, water resistant, and rubs in clear. The inactive ingredients nourish, repair, and hydrate your skin with aloe vera, shea butter, and vitamins C and E.

I have tried both Beyond Coastal’s Active Sunscreen and their Natural Sunscreen ( zinc oxide and titanium dioxide-based) and prefer the Active for its non-greasy feeling on the skin and the invisibility of the coating.

Impressions

The lotion’s texture is somewhat thick, but it goes onto the skin smoothly and flows deeply into the pores and recesses for excellent absorption, without leaving a white film behind when rubbed in properly. It doesn’t feel too greasy and is light on the face and skin and I didn’t have much trouble cleaning off any excess residue from my hands afterward. It doesn’t have any real scent other than a mild sunscreen smell and doesn’t leave any lingering chemical odor. Even after long days in the saddle and during profuse sweating I never had any issues with it stinging eyes or irritating my skin.

I have used all the different sizes of the Active product over the years, and prefer the newer 8oz Airless Pump. The Airless Pump is the easiest to use, the least wasteful and longest lasting, meaning the best price per ounce.

If I am going to be hiking or biking for longer than a few hours and need a re-application of the product, I’ll carry one of the smaller tubes., such as the 1oz or 2.5oz. They also make an Active Face Stick, which is a deodorant like roll-on of SPF 30 and although it had a greasier texture than the regular Active it was perfect for cold day application to the nose and face (especially skiing).

An application of the Active Sunscreen should give you around 80 minutes of sun protection before a re-application is required, though those with fairer skin and those not out in the sun much might want to do it more frequently.

The Beyond Coastal Active Sunscreen comes in four sizes: 1oz for $5.99, 2.5oz for $9.99, 4oz for $14.99 and the 8oz for $29.99. The Active Face Stick is .5oz for $6.99.

Specs

• Broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection stops 97% of UVB rays
• Non-greasy and quick-absorbing for a clean, light, dry feeling
• Nourishes your skin with green tea extract, yerba mate, and B5 panthenol
• Rubs in clear and smooth
• Water resistant
• Great sunscreen for keeping tattoos from fading
• Gluten Free, Cruelty-Free and Fragrance-Free
• Oxybenzone Free, Paraben Free

For further information refer to beyondcoastal.com