Outdoorsy people spend a lot of time, well, outdoors, which means they also spend hours upon hours baking under the sun. For outdoorsy, fair skinned, red-headed ginger people like myself, this constant exposure to harmful UV rays is a huge concern. So in my gear bag, sunscreen is just as important as my climbing rope or avalanche beacon. Because I slather on the sunscreen like it’s going out of style, I’m pretty picky about what I wipe all over my face. So when I got some samples of sunscreen, lip balm, and after-sun moisturizer, I was excited to discover if it would become my new favorite.
First, a bit about Beyond Coastal. The company was started by Shawn Biega, a life-long skier and surfer. After many of his friends got skin cancer from too much sun exposure, Biega whipped up his own sunscreen, tested it on himself, and Beyond Coastal was born. Based right here in Salt Lake City, Beyond Coastal is now being tested on the ski slopes in the Wasatch Mountains, which is exactly where I tested it by doing the one thing I love most – backcountry ski touring.
Backcountry skiing is the ultimate sunscreen tester. Why? Because you have intense sun coming from above, then reflecting back at you off the snow below. Touring is also very aerobic, and therefore extremely sweaty, so sunscreen has to have good moisture resistance. I’ve been using Beyond Coastal products for the last few months of spring skiing, and below are my thoughts on each one.
Active Sunscreen:
Beyond Coastal’s Active Sunscreen is broad spectrum, SPF 34, with both UVA and UVB protection. It uses Avobenzone, Octinoxate, Octisalate, and Octocrylene as active ingredients to block the sun’s rays. I have no idea what those ingredients are, but I mention them to compare with the Natural Sunscreen. The “Active” version is the one I’ve used the most so far as I’ve kept a tube of it in my backcountry skiing pack. The lotion’s texture is thick, but it goes onto the skin smoothly. It doesn’t feel too greasy or light so I put this under the “just right” category. Through all my sun-filled, mountain travels, I haven’t gotten a sunburn while wearing this Active formula, which is water resistant for up to 80 minutes. It also has that classic sunscreen smell, which I say is the “smell of adventure.”
Natural Sunscreen:
So what’s the difference between active and natural? Beyond Coastal’s Natural Sunscreen uses Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide as its active ingredients. It too covers UVA and UVB rays for broad spectrum protection, but has a rating of SPF 30. So why use the “natural” version? According to the company, it’s hypoallergenic, fragrance free, gluten free, and safe for coral reefs if you use it in the ocean. On the skin, the Natural Sunscreen feels very greasy. It truly doesn’t smell like anything, as advertised. But the greasy texture has kept me from using it much, which is alright because we don’t have many reefs in the Wasatch anyway.
Active Face Stick:
Beyond Coastal’s Active Face Stick is a totally different way of applying sunscreen compared to your standard lotion. It’s a roll-on stick of SPF 30, sun-blocking goodness that comes out of a plastic tube, much like underarm deodorant. Unfortunately, I also felt that this form of sunscreen was really greasy, and didn’t like the way it felt on my face at all. What I did like, however, is that it’s good for cold winter days when you don’t want to get your fingers wet and cold while applying lotion. You can actually put this sunscreen on while wearing gloves.
Natural Lip & Face Screen:
The Natural Lip and Face Screen is made from 100% natural ingredients that protect from UVA rays with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. The SPF 31 blocks the sun while the aloe vera, shea butter, and vitamins C and E provide water resistance. Not as greasy as the other natural products from Beyond Coastal, this little tin of sunscreen has a bit of retro flavor as it leaves some white behind on your skin… like the zinc oxide of old. It takes a lot of rubbing to get the product to totally soak into the skin. The texture is also strange, like whipped marshmallows. Overall, I like it better than the Natural Sunscreen, but the Active Sunscreen is tops in my book.
Lip Balm:
Probably my favorite product from Beyond Coastal is their line of lip balms. The flavors I tried are the vanilla bean and citrus grove. Both taste really nice on the lips, have SPF 15 sun protection, and go onto my lips smooth and silky-like. Along with the active ingredients, there’s beeswax, Vitamin E, Yerba Mate’, and Shea Butter. I loved having these sticks of lip balm in my pocket on long tours on both sunny and blisteringly cold days.
After Sun Moisturizer:
Finally, after a long day outdoors, there’s the After Sun Moisturizer. Skin gets a lot of wear and tear under the elements, even if you do slather on the sunscreen, so some pampering is in order. Beyond Coastal says this moisturizing lotion “protects, nourishes, repairs and hydrates.” It’s all natural with Vitamin E, Botanical Antioxidants, Shea Butter, Jojoba Seed Oil, Cocoa Butter, Advanced Peptides, and Aloe Vera. It goes on nice, though like the other Beyond Coastal products, a bit greasy. The label says it’s fragrance free, but I detect an almost clay-like scent, very natural, but noticeable. I mostly used it on my face and hands, but it’s appropriate for the entire body if you’re sun bathing at the beach or spring skiing half-naked at Snowbird.
The Good: Natural, local Utah company, blocks sun like a champ (I never got sunburned or even a little red when using these products.)
The Bad: Greasy.
Final Word: If you’re big on all-natural products and have been shopping around for skin care products that won’t harm the Earth or your skin, Salt Lake’s own Beyond Coastal will be your new favorite for sun protection in the mountains and on the ocean.
For more, visit them at www.beyondcoastal.com