Too much sun while touring. - CycleBlaze

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Too much sun while touring.

Kelly Iniguez

This is the sort of pondering I do on a day off while touring. Or, while out in the middle of nowhere when riding and my mind can dwell on odd subjects. 

I discovered sheer face lotion while in Tucson this winter. I don’t care the cost, the feel (or non feel) on my face is worth it. I used the same 3 ounce bottle all of my Tucson trip in February and was still using it in June when we left for this trip. It lasts a long time and is a good value. 

I thought I had found the product that would keep me from getting tan lines. I spent major time outside daily in Tucson. No lines. Look at me here after two weeks of touring!

I will confess, I typically do not reapply during the day. Perhaps I have been exerting myself so much this tour, and sweating off my sunscreen, that I do need to reapply. The instructions say to apply every two hours. I ignored those instructions in Tucson also. But, I didn’t sweat much there. 

I’m rambling. This is an unsolicited plug for a great product. I’m going to try reapplying. Maybe that will help. Skin health becomes more of an issue as we age. 

We have been on the road for two weeks. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail for the first time today and was surprised to see how defined my tan lines are.
This Neutrogena lotion is gold. It doesn’t make my skin sticky feeling after application. I used it in Tucson this winter and did not come home with tan lines, despite riding 1,600 miles in five weeks. a friend said the sheer product from CVS had an equally good skin feel. I decided there could only be so many sunscreen factories in the world, and might be relabeling their product. I tried the WalMart sheer 100. It was not at all the same. It doesn’t feel sticky, but any sweat at all turns the lotion into a slick, gooey mess that requires much face wiping.
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1 year ago
Wayne EstesTo Kelly Iniguez

I think it's entertaining to see how people react to my chin strap tan lines.
To quote David Crosby: Let Your Freak Flag Fly.
He was talking about long hair, not tan lines. But the sentiment still applies.

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1 year ago
Keith AdamsTo Kelly Iniguez

"... any sweat at all turns the lotion into a slick, gooey mess that requires much face wiping"

The same is true of the Cera Ve mineral sunscreen I've been using.  Maybe I'll switch to the Neutrogena product and see how that goes.

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1 year ago
George HallTo Kelly Iniguez

There are other solutions - just sayin'.  I either wear a skull cap with a neck drape, or a complete facial cover made for desert usage;   

I Cover Up to Avoid Frying in the Sun

I also wear sun leggings on days when the exposure will be brutal.  I figure the Arabs know something about desert wear, and they cover themselves completely. 

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1 year ago
Kelly IniguezTo George Hall

my grandpa was a crusty old guy. He wore long Johns year round. He said what will keep you warm will keep you cool. 

I tried one of those skull caps with a neck drape in 2020 on our border to border trip. I about roasted to death. I was disappointed not to agree with grandpa. 

From the 2020 trip. I always wear long sleeves and often wear light colored leggings. The head cover felt too hot for me. I soon abandoned it.
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1 year ago
George HallTo Kelly Iniguez

I had that exact skull cap on my 2015 Transam - and it is definitely hot, especially that stretchy black part. Here's a link to something that I think is better; Solumbra Helmet Drape . It's mostly made of a lightweight nylon, with a polyester mesh on part of the head.  You can cover as much or as little of your face as you want.  I wore it on my 2017 Western Express and on last year's Northern Tier ride - that's what I'm wearing in the picture.

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1 year ago
Keith AdamsTo George Hall

Agreed about the "other solutions", although one that I have tried did NOT work for me: a lightweight neck gaiter that can also be pulled up over my head or simply over my lower face.  

It turned out to be just a bit too constrictive on my throat - especially my windpipe - for me.  I am very, very sensitive to / touchy about anything that impinges on my breathing, no matter how seemingly trivial or slight it is.  I do not even like snug-fitting turtleneck shirts.

What I have adopted, and which I like very much so far, are lightweight sun sleeves instead of lathering up my forearms with sunblock.  The ones I have include a "yoke" that connects them across the top of my shoulders.  they don't rise far enough to cover the nape of my neck, and of course do nothing to protect my face or bald pate, but they seem to do well on my arms.

I've not gone searching for sun screen / UV blocking leggings.  For the moment at least I'll live with repeated applications of SFP 500 gazillion sunblock and hope for the best.

To protect my scalp I wear a bandana, folded in half diagonally to make a triangle and worn beneath my helmet.  It also absorbs sweat- up to a point- and gives me something I can periodically soak with water to get a little "swamp cooling" effect.

I tried the DaBrim product but ultimately found it put too much stress on my neck and shoulders, even at the snail's pace I ride, and it also made my helmet slide around unacceptably.  So it's on the shelf and off my equipment list, though I did find it quite nice and reasonably effective at shading my face and the nape of my neck.

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1 year ago
Bob DistelbergTo Keith Adams

I've been trying sun sleeves for the first time this season (not for touring, just day riding). I admit I was skeptical at first, since I've tried wearing lightweight long sleeve shirts in the summer and always felt really hot and uncomfortable. But somehow, the sun sleeves really do make you feel cooler, especially if you squirt a little water on them once in awhile.

I started wearing a neck gaiter in 2020, and it did feel a little uncomfortable at first, but I've since gotten used to it. You can sort of stretch them out a bit so they don't feel tight across the front of your neck, but still provide coverage in the back where needed.

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1 year ago
Tim McNamaraTo Bob Distelberg

I hate wearing sunscreen. The Neutrogena sunscreen mentioned above is the least objectionable that I have found. Last summer I bought a tube of mineral based sunscreen, thinking that might be a little bit better healthwise than all those chemicals that absorb into your body, but what a mess. I'm going back to the Neutrogena.

This year I have tried sun sleeves for the first time and have really quite liked those. Not having a substance on my skin blocking sweating and evaporative cooling seems to be more comfortable. I'm going to get some for the legs and give that a try. I got the cheap ones from Amazon, actually, and they're pretty good although I don't know how durable they will be. Pearl Izumi and other manufacturers make them as well; I have always had very good results with Pearl Izumi products and will probably replace my cheap ones with those eventually.  I've been wondering about something similar for the head although the comments thus far in this thread about those products are not encouraging.  I might still be stuck with sunscreen on my hands and neck and face, which would at least be an overall reduction.

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1 year ago
Bob DistelbergTo Tim McNamara

The Pearl Izumi sleeves are what I have and they are indeed good. Managed to get mine on sale at REI so they weren’t very expensive either.

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1 year ago