Beach Essentials, sand bucket, tumbler and sunscreen!

I’ve talked about the importance of sunscreen and my favourite formulas in my past posts. I’ve showed you my top higher-end lotion from Vichy and my mid-range from L’Oreal, but today it’s all about the Banana Boat Sunscreen Collection Review. It’s an affordable solution that is available at mass retailers across Canada. Now we have no excuses not to stay protected this season.

It’s important to have broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, as it protects against harmful rays that can cause skin cancer along with wrinkles, dark spots and sun spots. Banana Boat offers both UVA and UVB protect along with a wide range of SPF, from 30 all the way up to 50. If you can tolerate the sun’s rays for 10 minutes without burning, SPF 15 will provide you with 15 times that (150 minutes of protection) without burning. You just need to figure out how long you’ll be in the sun, how quickly you burn and then choose the appropriate SPF level for you. A safe bet is to always apply SPF30 or higher. It’s also very important to apply your sunscreen at least 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors, use at least 30ml of sunscreen to cover your entire body and reapply every 2 hours or after each swim, towel drying or excessive sweating. Try to limit your exposure to the sun in between the hours of 10AM and 4Pm when the sun is at its strongest or at least try to get as much shade as you possibly can during those times.

 New this year is Banana Boat Sport Performance CoolZone Sunscreen Lotion in both SPF 30 and SPF 50 that has a cooling effect on skin while keeping you protected from those harmful rays. It’s enriched with aloe to leave skin feeling cool and refreshed, features a fast absorbing formula so you can get back to your daily activities quickly and has a crisp, clean scent that stimulates your senses and leaves you feeling invigorated and fresh throughout the day. Its lightweight texture blends into the skin with ease, without a white overcast or feeling sticky, heavy or greasy. Its broad spectrum UVA and UVB formula is sweat resistant and water resistant for up to 80 minutes, perfect for athletes and people on the go. It also keeps skin hydrated and moisturized throughout the day, even in the dry heat. It retails for $10.99 to $11.99 along with a spray form for $10.99 to $11.99.

 Returning to the collection is Banana Boat Natural Reflect Sunscreen Lotion formulated with active ingredients sourced from 100% natural minerals offered in SPF 50 in Kids, Babies and General Protection. It’s gentle on the skin, protects against sunburns for long-term skin damage and is water resistant and oil free. It too contains broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection and also got voted number one Kids Tear-Free sunscreen in Canada.
Banana Boat Natural Reflect Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 is dermatologist- test and gentle enough even on the most sensitive of skin. It has a thicker formula that stays put, no need to worry about it running down your leg before you get the chance to rub it in. It does take an extra few minutes to absorb and blend into the skin because of its heavier formula, but I feel that you get extra protection that way? It doesn’t feel greasy, sticky or too heavy on the skin and its oil-free formula doesn’t clog skin or cause breakouts. It does an excellent job at keeping skin hydrated and although not completely unscented, it doesn’t have that strong traditional sunscreen smell. It retails for $11.99.

Banana Boat Natural Reflect Kids Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 and Banana Boat Natural Reflect Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 are both pediatrician-tested, are both tear-free and sting-free, and are almost as mild as water. Both have a thicker formula that gives you lots of time to blend and rub into your child’s body, even if they take off and it absorbs into the skin fairly quickly. I’m not going to lie, I’ve been applying both formulas to my face these past few weeks. I figure if I sweat/ and or get wet, at least it won’t sting my eyes. Even though it has a richer, creamier, heavier texture, it still feels lightweight on the skin and doesn’t feel sticky or greasy. My makeup applies beautifully over it without it looking shiny or oily. Both retail for $11.99 each.