The best sunscreens for athletes: if you play outdoor sports, protect your skin properly - Grand Goldman 2026

Hannah Palermo
The best sunscreens for athletes: if you play outdoor sports, protect your skin properly - Grand Goldman
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The most longed-for time of year to spend time outdoors has officially arrived, and that includes, of course, exercising. It's no surprise that in the coming months, many people will choose to spend their free time outdoors or get involved in sports and activities under the sun. 

The problem is that sun exposure not only helps us get a tan, but it also puts us at risk of sunburn, dehydration, and ultimately, skin damage. Therefore, if we're going to exercise outdoors, we must ensure we protect ourselves properly


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How to protect ourselves from the sun when exercising outdoors

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The main thing to avoid putting ourselves at risk is ensuring we protect and care for our skin properly. To do this, we can follow a series of steps. 

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  • Avoid the hours of highest sun intensity: if we're going out to exercise outdoors, we should try to do it at times when the sun's rays are less intense. That is, preferably before 12 noon and after 5 p.m. This way, we'll ensure we're not exposed to the sun when it can affect us the most. 
  • Use sunglasses and hats: the face, eyes, and head are also parts of our body that must be protected from the sun. Using sunglasses that are comfortable but effective against the sun is extremely important. Likewise, a cap, visor, hat, or sun hat can protect us from heatstroke or painful burns on the scalp - and their possible consequences -.
  • Wear appropriate clothing that protects us: it may seem crazy to go out running or exercising in summer with long clothing. However, if we want to avoid sunburn, the most recommended thing is to cover as much skin as possible. Currently, there are sports clothing items that incorporate sun protection factor and can be very useful in these cases. 
  • Apply a sunscreen suitable for sports practice: of course, anyone who is going to spend some time under the influence of the sun's rays should use sunscreen. In the case of athletes, this is equally important, but it's also important to make sure the chosen sunscreen is equally effective under the circumstances in which we'll use it: resistant to friction, sweat, etc. 

What are the best sunscreens for athletes

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Unfortunately, not all sunscreens we find on the market are able to withstand and remain effective while we exercise. Therefore, it's important that we know the most important things we need to look for

To begin with, it's important that it's a broad-spectrum cream, so that it protects us from all types of sun rays. Additionally, we must take into account the protection factor we'll need: the SPF indicates how many times longer that protector increases our skin's natural protection. 

That is, a sun protection factor of 30 will increase by 30 times the minutes it takes our skin, without any protection, to burn. Furthermore, it's recommended that the sunscreen we choose is resistant to sweat, so it doesn't lose effectiveness. 

ISDIN Fusion Gel Sport SPF 50 +

Fusiongelsport Thumbnails01

Fortunately, many brands have already developed specific sunscreens for sun protection during sports practice. That's the case with ISDIN, with its Fusion Gel Sport SPF 50+ sunscreen. One of the advantages of this sunscreen is that it can be applied to hairy areas and, even on the scalp.

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Additionally, it's resistant to water and sweat. As a bonus, it can be applied to wet skin without leaving residue or patches, so we can reapply it without any problem, even if we're sweating. It also has a refreshing effect on the skin, which is much appreciated.

ISDIN FUSION GEL 50+ SPORT WET SKIN SUNSCREEN 100ML

ISDIN FUSION GEL 50+ SPORT WET SKIN SUNSCREEN 100ML

La Roche- Posay Anthelios Ultra SPF50+ Sunscreen Cream  Fragrance-Free

Anthelios Ultra Cream Fragrance-Free Spf50plus La Roche Posay 50ml 151795 3337875588560 1

Although the Anthelios Ultra SPF50+ sunscreen is not a specific sunscreen for sports, it is one of the most recommended. That's no surprise, considering that, in addition to having broad-spectrum protection and sweat resistance, it also prevents eye stinging if a little product gets into them. Which is not uncommon when we sweat.

LA ROCHE POSAY Anthelios XL Ultra-Light Fluid, SPF 50, 50ML

LA ROCHE POSAY Anthelios XL Ultra-Light Fluid, SPF 50, 50ML

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Avene Fluido Sport +50

Eau Thermale Avene Suncare Brand Website Fluid Sport 50 Very High Protection 100ml Skin Protect Ocean Respect Pa 44109

In this case, Avene has indeed developed a specific sunscreen for sports. Its Fluido Sport +50 is created to withstand all types of sports, including the most intense ones, and, furthermore, it can be used on both the face and body.

In this case, it contains four different sun filters, is resistant to sweat and also water-resistant. Additionally, its texture seems to be breathable.

Avene Avene Fluido Sport Spf 50+ Very High Protection 100 g

Avene Avene Fluido Sport Spf 50+ Very High Protection 100 g

Neutrogena Cool Dry Sport SPF 30

neutrogena

In Neutrogena's case, they have developed two specific sunscreens for sports. The Cool Dry Sport is designed for the body, while the face one is designed for the face. The downside is that they are not sold in Spain; the upside is that we can purchase them through their website.

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Both are made as broad-spectrum, breathable sunscreens with resistance to sweat and water for up to 80 minutes. One of the advantages of the specific one for the face is that we can find it with SPF +70 and, in addition, it's non-comedogenic.

Neutrogena Cooldry Sport Sunstech cream Lotion, SPF 70 (147 ml) Sunscreen Lotion – from the United States

Neutrogena Cooldry Sport Sunstech cream Lotion, SPF 70 (147 ml) Sunscreen Lotion – from the United States

Hawaiian Tropic Island Sport SPF 50

Hawaiian Tropic

Another brand that has jumped on board to create specific sunscreens for sports is Hawaiian Tropic, and it seems to have done so successfully. Its Island Sport sunscreen has everything we should look for in a sunscreen of this type: broad-spectrum protection, breathability, resistance to sweat and water for 80 minutes, and a light formula.

Hawaiian Tropic Island Sport SPF 30 - Sports Sunscreen Spray with Continuous Vaporization High Protection, Ultra-Light Texture for Sports, 220 ml

Hawaiian Tropic Island Sport SPF 30 - Sports Sunscreen Spray with Continuous Vaporization High Protection, Ultra-Light Texture for Sports, 220 ml

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HELIOCARE 360º Airgel SPF 50

Ifc Heliocare 360 Airgel 03

Although Heliocare 360º doesn't have a specific sunscreen for sports, with the Airgel SPF 50 it gives us everything we need. To begin with, it contains broad-spectrum protection that protects against UVB, UVA, visible, and infrared rays.

Furthermore, it's non-comedogenic, light in its application, and we can find it in a version for the body and a version for the face.

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Hannah Palermo

Author

Hannah Palermo

With over a decade in fashion editing and product reviews, Hannah is a seasoned expert in travel accessories and luggage. She's a fashion buff who's traveled America and Asia, and has a taste for finding items made to last. Her keen style sense and fresh perspective help readers to find the perfect gear for home & travel.


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