Coppertone Spectra3 SPF 50 compared to Banana Boat Sport SPF 50

[tiggersmom2]

Originally posted by slitman
Thanks for all the great information; think I have decide to go with the Coppertone Spectra3 SPF 50 as it sounds like the same amount of zinc oxide and ingredients as the Waterbabies.

So for the face, will this work just fine or go with something like Just Faces?

I am extremely fair and have sensitive skin. The spectra was fine on my body but hurt my face so bad at Typhoon Lagoon that I had to leave My face felt like it was on fire. The Banana boat didn't do that.

BTW - The spectra was for babies spf 50

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by mep319
The only problem w/ the Spectra is it can be difficult to rub in, it is very thick.

I'm a Bannana boat fan myself....rubs in easily. I bought the Spectra stuff this summer and we all hate it because it is so hard to apply, kind of like rubbing on paste! I compared the ingredients of several brands while at the store and they are all very similar...I think they'll all protect at about the same level so I'd go with the one you like best. For us that's Bannana Boat.

Bullfrog applies very easily by the way but you go thru those bottles very quickly and it ain't cheap.

 

[slitman]

So tiggersmom2, so any suggestions for the face? Did you use Banana Boat for that? What kind?

Originally posted by tiggersmom2
I am extremely fair and have sensitive skin. The spectra was fine on my body but hurt my face so bad at Typhoon Lagoon that I had to leave My face felt like it was on fire. The Banana boat didn't do that.

BTW - The spectra was for babies spf 50

 

[slitman]

Hi cruisnfamily, so which product of the Banana Boat is comparable to the Coppertone Spectra3?

Originally posted by cruisnfamily
I'm a Bannana boat fan myself....rubs in easily. I bought the Spectra stuff this summer and we all hate it because it is so hard to apply, kind of like rubbing on paste! I compared the ingredients of several brands while at the store and they are all very similar...I think they'll all protect at about the same level so I'd go with the one you like best. For us that's Bannana Boat.

Bullfrog applies very easily by the way but you go thru those bottles very quickly and it ain't cheap.

 

[DaisyDebbie]

I don't find the Spectra pasty. It's a little thicker than some others. So far it seems to be the only lotion that I don't have to reapply to my kids at the beach. And no sunburns.

Don't us it on our faces though, we use the zinc in the little round container. No AD brand, works good

 

[Dan Murphy]

As skin types are so different and the sunscreen seems like it will be the focal point of the trip, if I were you (just a suggestion) I would go to Walmart, Walgreens or the like, buy each and try them both out before you leave, some trial runs. It would be less than 20 bucks total for both, and use the one you prefer. And you are going to use one, so only half the money is wasted, and even then, maybe another family member or friend could use the other effectively. If you base your decision only on what we say, (and you can see we differ in our opinions of the same products), I do think the trip might be a washout if you choose the sunscreen incorrectly. And let us know which you prefer. Just a thought.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by slitman
Hi cruisnfamily, so which product of the Banana Boat is comparable to the Coppertone Spectra3?

I buy the Bananna Boat 50SPF, either the sport or the regular. I also compared the ingredients between sport and regular and there were very minor differences so I just pick up one or the other. I don't know if they are technically "comparable"(the coppertone and the bannana boat that is) but we're happy with the protection we get from the Bannana boat.
It's also thick compared to say the No-Ad brand or Bullfrog or something like that but it's not too thick or hard to apply which we found to be the case with the Spectra. I'm surprised that some of you say it's not hard to apply. Maybe because we go to the beach once or twice a week and I have to apply to myself and two kids that the difference becomes noticeable. Perhaps if it was just me every once in a while I wouldn't care either...but with the frequency that we use sunsceen, I want it to be easy to apply and give good protection.

By the way, we definitely still tan. We apply before heading out to the beach and then reapply in about 2 hours and we still have tans....my kids look like little brown berries now. A tan is not our goal, fun at the beach is, but some of you asked whether you still tan and I can attest to the fact that we do. Were some of you saying with the Spectra you wouldn't get a tan at all? If that's the case then it probably does provide better protection than what we're using but I find it hard to believe.

 

[mep319]

No with Spectra you do not tan at all...if you apply it properly, 30 mins before going out. A good layer and rub it in. Not at all.

As far as faces...as I said before both Banana boat and Cooperton provide a faces only product that are very good...If you concerned at all about burning or breaking out get the stuff made for "faces only"!

 

[slitman]

mep319, you think the "for faces only" products are better than just zinc oxide?

Originally posted by mep319
No with Spectra you do not tan at all...if you apply it properly, 30 mins before going out. A good layer and rub it in. Not at all.

As far as faces...as I said before both Banana boat and Cooperton provide a faces only product that are very good...If you concerned at all about burning or breaking out get the stuff made for "faces only"!

 

[LuvN~Travel]

We used the Banana Boat 50 yesterday at Six Flags, and even with all of the sweating and water splash rides, we didn't get burned, just a mite tanned in some areas. Great stuff for us!
Kim

 

[tiggersmom2]

Originally posted by slitman
So tiggersmom2, so any suggestions for the face? Did you use Banana Boat for that? What kind?

I use banana boat Baby Magic spf 50 for the face.

 

[mep319]

I've never used the zinc oxide only products...but my thoughts of that is the lifegaurd w/ the white nose and I'm not really interested in that look! The one problem I see with the zinc oxide products is that zinc oxide by itself blocks UVA & UVB spectrums of light....Up until the 80s UVB was thought to be the only spectrum of light that caused cancer and sunburns, (...hence the development of suntanning palors using the other spectrums of light, and totting them to be safe alternatives to tanning outdoors). We have since discovered that UVA is actually much more dangerour in causing cancer. I don't believe, and please remember I'm doing most of this from memeory so my UVs maybe mixed up, that zinc oxide blocks UVC....or at least the info seems to be mixed on this. So I try to use one that has "broad spectrum" sun block. Also the problem with zinc oxide "only" products is that it typically has to be mixed with something to be absorbed into the skin or it just sits on the surface as an opaque white goo...again not my favorite look!

 

[slitman]

mep319, so you think the pure zinc oxide is not as effective as say the Coppertone Spectra3?

Also, still trying to figure out if the Coppertone Spectra3 is a more "advanced" and possibly better protection than the Banana Boat Ultra Plus SPF 50 ?

I didn't notice that the Banana Boat Ultra Plus SPF 50 contained any zinc oxide which the Coppertone Spectra3 does and I would think that would be a good ingredient to have.

Originally posted by mep319
I've never used the zinc oxide only products...but my thoughts of that is the lifegaurd w/ the white nose and I'm not really interested in that look! The one problem I see with the zinc oxide products is that zinc oxide by itself blocks UVA & UVB spectrums of light....Up until the 80s UVB was thought to be the only spectrum of light that caused cancer and sunburns, (...hence the development of suntanning palors using the other spectrums of light, and totting them to be safe alternatives to tanning outdoors). We have since discovered that UVA is actually much more dangerour in causing cancer. I don't believe, and please remember I'm doing most of this from memeory so my UVs maybe mixed up, that zinc oxide blocks UVC....or at least the info seems to be mixed on this. So I try to use one that has "broad spectrum" sun block. Also the problem with zinc oxide "only" products is that it typically has to be mixed with something to be absorbed into the skin or it just sits on the surface as an opaque white goo...again not my favorite look!

 

[slitman]

I don't get the point then have Coppertone having both the white and pink container of the Spectra3 if they are the same thing so the white container really could be #1 pediatrician recommened too? Or maybe it is all just a marketing thing?

Originally posted by mep319
You know I have both...I just ran and got the bottles. Other than the pink bottle of the waterbabies and the #1 pediatrician recommendend...I don't know if there is really a difference...I kind of thought that anything over 45spf was a waterbabies brand but that maybe old info...at one time it was like that. It may just all be about name recognition...waterbabies was one of the 1st waterproof brands. I do not use them on my face. I actually usually use a "faces only" sunscreen, I have senitive skin. I've used the banana boat and coopertone "faces only" verisions with no problems. When at the parks, beach etc...I also carry one of those stick sunscreens. They are good to reapply to nose and cheecks and are very easy to carry.

 

[Dan Murphy]

It is a marketing thing, called shelf space. And -0- tanning with the Spectra, 3 days in the FL sun.

Give me your mailing address and I can send you a sample of the white and the pink Spectra, same stuff, different container.

 

[mep319]

tOO FUNNY..... Really I think you need to take Dan Murphy's advice and just go buy some. Zinc Oxide is the best suncreen ingredient out there...but again...needs to be an ingredient not the only thing in it or it doesn't absorb or block everything. Waterbabies was a line of Coopertone products at one time and was one of the first rub proof, waterproof sunblocks. But now Spectra 3 offeres the same thing and at this point I think it is around soley b/c of product recongition purposes. Moms and dads go in and just grab waterbabies...b/c it is what they have always used. I see no difference...this time a year you should be able to snag a bottle for about $6.00...regardless if it is waterbabies or spectra 3. Try a bottle you won't be disappointed.

 

[slitman]

Was looking at the "For Faces Only" over the weekend and most seem to only have an SPF 30; anyone found any higher?

 

[Dan Murphy]

50, non face.

 

[slitman]

Yeah Dan, that was the obvious, but really doesn't make since why Coppertone or Banana Boat do not make a 45 or 50 for Faces.

Originally posted by Dan Murphy
50, non face.

 

[slitman]

Found some more information which might explain why the Coppertone Spectra3 provides better protection:

<b>Sunscreens vs. Sunblocks</b>

Sunscreens are chemicals which absorb the ultraviolet (UV) rays. Sunscreens mostly protect against UV-B rays.

Sunblocks are physical blocks which absorb some rays and reflect back the rest. The most effective one, zinc oxide, is now available in finely micronized form, which makes it transparent on the skin.

Zinc oxide in particular blocks the full spectrum of rays all the way up to 400 nanometers (nm), covering very dangerous rays not stopped by sunscreens. Therefore, zinc oxide, is much more effective than chemical sunscreens in blocking UV-A rays and should be an important component of any sunblock.