richardglyon@att.net
2013-10-21 20:41:42 UTC
Dear Mystery Monitor -
Here's my Initial Report. HTML version is in the Tests folder at https://tinyurl.com/lc8tgnn
Looking forward to your edits.
Richard
____________________________
GODDESS GARDEN ORGANICS SUNNY BODY NATURAL SUNSCREEN
Test Report by Richard Lyon
Initial Report October 21, 2013
Long Term Report expected February 2014
PERSONAL DETAILS AND BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Male, 67 years old
Height: 6' 4" (1.93 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
Email address: Montana DOT angler AT gmail DOT com
Home: Bozeman, Montana USA
I'm in my fifth decade of backpacking, undertaken mostly in the Northern Rockies, where I now live. I do a weeklong trip every summer, and often take three-day trips. I'm usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13000 ft (1500-4000 m). I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp. I'm always seeking ways to reduce my pack load, but still usually choose a bit more weight over foregoing camp conveniences I've come to expect. Winter outings are often on telemark or touring skis.
Particularly pertinent to this Test Series, I'll add that as a fair-skinned former redhead I am particularly attuned to sunburn prevention. Doctors' orders for many years have included religious use of long-sleeve shirts, wide-brimmed hats, and especially sunscreen. As I consider any minor discomfort preferable to melanoma I've followed those instructions dutifully. Spraying or swabbing on sunscreen is virtually second nature when I'm expected to be outside for more than a few minutes.
THE PRODUCT
Sunny Body is politically correct sunscreen - "Biodegradable, Reef-Safe, Gluten-Free, Cruelty Free, Vegan & Non-GMO," and 94% (per the website) or 92% (per the tube) organic. The active ingredients are titanium dioxide (6.4%) and zinc oxide (6%). This latter item brings back memories of my lifeguarding days fifty years ago, when I'd supplement a sunscreen with zinc oxide from a tube on my nose, a white badge that was part of my uniform. At any rate zinc oxide has been used to block ultraviolet (UV) rays for a long time.
Sunny Body includes a raft of inactive ingredients, each given pharmaceutical and common name on the tube. (Example: Helianus Annuus - Sunflower.) Those that are certified organic are marked with an asterisk. The tube also includes instructions for use, discussed below, and warnings that I've found to be relatively standard for all sunscreens - external use only, keep out of the eyes, consult a doctor if a rash occurs, consult a poison center if swallowed.
Product: Sunny Body Natural Sunscreen
Manufacturer: Goddess Garden, Boulder, Colorado USA, www.goddessgarden.com
Size furnished: Two tubes, each said to contain 3.4 fluid ounces/100 ml. Each tube is 5.25 x 3 in (133 x 76 mm) with a cap 2 inches (51 mm) in diameter and before opening weighs 4.75 oz (135 g). This is called "Airline size," presumably because it meets U.S. federal guidelines for cosmetics that may be carried in cabin baggage. Shown in the photo next to a standard size tube of toothpaste.
Also available: 6 fl oz [177 ml] tube or continuous spray and 8 fl oz [237 ml] spray bottle.
SPF rating: 30
TRYING IT OUT
At the Summer Outdoor Retailer this past August I was fortunate enough to have received several samples of Sunny Body. These were in single-use foil packets, which I stashed in my car for use when dayhiking or fishing. The manufacturer's directions are simple enough: apply 15 minutes before sun exposure, and reapply (a) immediately after towel drying, (b) "at least every two hours," or (c) after 40 minutes' "swimming or sweating." I'd open a packet and apply to my face, neck, and backs of hands (and knees if wearing shorts) before setting out to the river or trailhead, but reapply only after towel drying or swimming or sometimes after lunch.
At first touch Sunny Body seems slightly greasy, a character trait I dislike in sunscreens or anything else applied to my skin. But after working the product into my skin the slickness and stickiness quickly vanish, leaving only a faint and very pleasant odor of lavandula angustifola (lavender flower to those of you who don't understand Latin). That odor disappears after perhaps half an hour. Sunny Body has thus passed my first sunscreen test - no serious grease.
I've had no sunburn issues when wearing Sunny Body, and I've used it under serious conditions, notably fishing, when reflection from the water can't be blocked by my headgear, and packrafting, when the same phenomenon applies and I'm constantly splashed with water. I'll detail these outings together with fall and winter usage in my Long Term Report, but early praise is definitely in order.
The sample packets were easy to carry but left sticky foil that had to be packed out. I like the tube, whose cap has a small aperture for little dabs or can be unscrewed completely for heavier doses. The top of the cap clicks firmly shut and the cap screws tight. The size is great for storing in the top pocket of my daypack, in the zipped pocket on my packrafting dry top, in a sunscreen-dedicated pocket on the back of my fishing vest, in the console of my car, or in a front or cargo pocket on my hiking shorts. It'll also fit neatly into the pouch pocket on the bibs I often wear when skiing. I see no reason and don't intend to repackage the Sunny Body into a smaller vial.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I'm looking forward to autumn hiking and backpacking, especially as Yellowstone National Park has reopened just as Montana's hunting season is about to start. You can bet that I'll have a Sunny Body with me at all times, at least until she - er, it - runs out. Check back early next year for field results in my Long Term Report. Many thanks to Goddess Garden and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this product.
------------------------------------
Here's my Initial Report. HTML version is in the Tests folder at https://tinyurl.com/lc8tgnn
Looking forward to your edits.
Richard
____________________________
GODDESS GARDEN ORGANICS SUNNY BODY NATURAL SUNSCREEN
Test Report by Richard Lyon
Initial Report October 21, 2013
Long Term Report expected February 2014
PERSONAL DETAILS AND BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Male, 67 years old
Height: 6' 4" (1.93 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
Email address: Montana DOT angler AT gmail DOT com
Home: Bozeman, Montana USA
I'm in my fifth decade of backpacking, undertaken mostly in the Northern Rockies, where I now live. I do a weeklong trip every summer, and often take three-day trips. I'm usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13000 ft (1500-4000 m). I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp. I'm always seeking ways to reduce my pack load, but still usually choose a bit more weight over foregoing camp conveniences I've come to expect. Winter outings are often on telemark or touring skis.
Particularly pertinent to this Test Series, I'll add that as a fair-skinned former redhead I am particularly attuned to sunburn prevention. Doctors' orders for many years have included religious use of long-sleeve shirts, wide-brimmed hats, and especially sunscreen. As I consider any minor discomfort preferable to melanoma I've followed those instructions dutifully. Spraying or swabbing on sunscreen is virtually second nature when I'm expected to be outside for more than a few minutes.
THE PRODUCT
Sunny Body is politically correct sunscreen - "Biodegradable, Reef-Safe, Gluten-Free, Cruelty Free, Vegan & Non-GMO," and 94% (per the website) or 92% (per the tube) organic. The active ingredients are titanium dioxide (6.4%) and zinc oxide (6%). This latter item brings back memories of my lifeguarding days fifty years ago, when I'd supplement a sunscreen with zinc oxide from a tube on my nose, a white badge that was part of my uniform. At any rate zinc oxide has been used to block ultraviolet (UV) rays for a long time.
Sunny Body includes a raft of inactive ingredients, each given pharmaceutical and common name on the tube. (Example: Helianus Annuus - Sunflower.) Those that are certified organic are marked with an asterisk. The tube also includes instructions for use, discussed below, and warnings that I've found to be relatively standard for all sunscreens - external use only, keep out of the eyes, consult a doctor if a rash occurs, consult a poison center if swallowed.
Product: Sunny Body Natural Sunscreen
Manufacturer: Goddess Garden, Boulder, Colorado USA, www.goddessgarden.com
Size furnished: Two tubes, each said to contain 3.4 fluid ounces/100 ml. Each tube is 5.25 x 3 in (133 x 76 mm) with a cap 2 inches (51 mm) in diameter and before opening weighs 4.75 oz (135 g). This is called "Airline size," presumably because it meets U.S. federal guidelines for cosmetics that may be carried in cabin baggage. Shown in the photo next to a standard size tube of toothpaste.
Also available: 6 fl oz [177 ml] tube or continuous spray and 8 fl oz [237 ml] spray bottle.
SPF rating: 30
TRYING IT OUT
At the Summer Outdoor Retailer this past August I was fortunate enough to have received several samples of Sunny Body. These were in single-use foil packets, which I stashed in my car for use when dayhiking or fishing. The manufacturer's directions are simple enough: apply 15 minutes before sun exposure, and reapply (a) immediately after towel drying, (b) "at least every two hours," or (c) after 40 minutes' "swimming or sweating." I'd open a packet and apply to my face, neck, and backs of hands (and knees if wearing shorts) before setting out to the river or trailhead, but reapply only after towel drying or swimming or sometimes after lunch.
At first touch Sunny Body seems slightly greasy, a character trait I dislike in sunscreens or anything else applied to my skin. But after working the product into my skin the slickness and stickiness quickly vanish, leaving only a faint and very pleasant odor of lavandula angustifola (lavender flower to those of you who don't understand Latin). That odor disappears after perhaps half an hour. Sunny Body has thus passed my first sunscreen test - no serious grease.
I've had no sunburn issues when wearing Sunny Body, and I've used it under serious conditions, notably fishing, when reflection from the water can't be blocked by my headgear, and packrafting, when the same phenomenon applies and I'm constantly splashed with water. I'll detail these outings together with fall and winter usage in my Long Term Report, but early praise is definitely in order.
The sample packets were easy to carry but left sticky foil that had to be packed out. I like the tube, whose cap has a small aperture for little dabs or can be unscrewed completely for heavier doses. The top of the cap clicks firmly shut and the cap screws tight. The size is great for storing in the top pocket of my daypack, in the zipped pocket on my packrafting dry top, in a sunscreen-dedicated pocket on the back of my fishing vest, in the console of my car, or in a front or cargo pocket on my hiking shorts. It'll also fit neatly into the pouch pocket on the bibs I often wear when skiing. I see no reason and don't intend to repackage the Sunny Body into a smaller vial.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I'm looking forward to autumn hiking and backpacking, especially as Yellowstone National Park has reopened just as Montana's hunting season is about to start. You can bet that I'll have a Sunny Body with me at all times, at least until she - er, it - runs out. Check back early next year for field results in my Long Term Report. Many thanks to Goddess Garden and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this product.
------------------------------------