Waxhead Tinted Reef Safe Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Stick Face SPF 30 Big 3.7oz

How am I the first review on this page?! I run a wildlife conservation photography studio (Salt + Noelle) so I am constantly in the ocean for hours at a time. Finding reef safe sunscreen that actually holds up is a big deal for me. I bought this stick and the lotion and I am honestly obsessed. It is a thick zinc, but not in a gross or annoying way. It actually feels great on my skin, even on my face, which is rare for a stick format. It stays put the entire time I am swimming and working. I am dying to try the tinted version next!

Minimal ingredients that are not toxic make this a 5 star product. You have to rub it into your skin. It won’t apply like deodorant. Don’t expect it to look like make-up with the tint in it. The tint simply minimizes the stark white of the zinc. You will look pale when it’s on. But if you don’t care what others think, you will be just fine. We use it for lake boating and skiing. It stays one well. Life is not a fashion show for us, so this product is just fine to wear on our face. It smells good, like slightly sweetened cocoa. It is hard to wash off in the shower at the end of the day. Does it block sunburn when we use it? Yes it does. Do we need to reapply it throughout the day? No we don’t.

After numerous times of regular sunscreens leaving my fair-skinned child's face sunburned, I found this zinc oxide stick! It goes on thick enough to give good coverage, rubs in well so you don't look like a ghost, and doesn't feel greasy. I used it primarily on the child's face, under the eyes and on the nose- too spots that just seemed to burn no matter how often others were applied. I reapplied after a lengthy time in the water and had success for a burn-free day. Because I use a rash guard I didn't apply it to other areas but I have no doubt it would work great for your hard to keep burn-free areas. I would try one of their other products for full-body coverage if I needed it. I will definitely be buying this product again. Did I mention it's non-toxic and none of the ingredients sound scary either? The cost is more than other options BUT so worth it as it goes a long ways and actually gets the job done! Totally satisfied customer. I'm living near the equator so getting the job done is especially important.

This sunscreen is effective and smells like cocoa! Not a bad thing at all. The tinting helps hide the zinc caste and also serves as good indicator of coverage. The only negative is that it is thick and can be hard to spread if it's cold. Warming it in the sun before use helps. The ingredients are simple and my skin tolerates it much better than chemical sunscreens. Washing off takes a bit of scrubbing, but that's expected for any water-resistant sunscreen.

Fantastic, natural, love the peace of mind knowing that I could accidentally ingest some of this product without harm. I’ve used this surfing multiple 3 hour sessions in the most extreme summer SoCal UV with perfect protection, without reapplication. And yes, it will make your face a bit white but it can be easily removed after. Just wish this product was available back in the day. The only sunblock I trust for kids, and the stick lasts forever. Can get a bit gooey in a hot car, just keep it in a plastic bag. Money well spent.

I almost never leave reviews, but if a product performs this poorly, people should know. I surf several times a week and wanted a "healthier" alternative to the traditional sunscreens I've used over the years, which led me to this product. For starters, it's super thick and pasty, which makes it challenging to apply evenly. Still, I took the time to put on a generous, visible layer before paddling out. The result? I got a significant sunburn on my face. I've spent countless hours in the water over time and have never had this happen with other sunscreens. I'm fine with a product that's difficult to apply if it actually protects my skin. Unfortunately, this one didn't. Won't be buying it again.

As long as you understand what this is, it may be a good fit for you. It is basically zinc oxide embedded in wax. This can be good and bad. If the temperature below about 72 F, it will spread like a hard wax. Above 72 F it will start to melt and soften. In the summer when I bought this, I made a complete mess trying to apply this at 80 F; it just clumps, squishes and comes off in globs. Below this temperature (in the winter for me) it's more manageable and you can roll it on as expected. If you're doing activities in relatively cold water (below mid-70s F), it is very water resistant and doesn't run. Most other lotion type zinc oxide sunscreens I've used run in hot or cold water so this has been nice. However in warm water it will melt and come off more easily. Even in warmer waters of 75 F, it still ran less than most other liquid sunscreens I've used. When you apply this sunscreen in hot or cold, you have to smooth it out by applying water. Since it's waxed based, it's hard to get an even layer so usually when you try to spread it evenly, you'll get a lot of white coloring. Don't buy this sunscreen if you don't want your face to look at least a little white. If you try really hard and spend a lot of time spreading it, you get it thin enough to not be noticeable but it's a lot of work. Usually I wear this while surfing in cold water where I need long lasting protection and don't care if my face looks white. I bought this during the summer and the first time I tried to apply it, it was a total mess; I almost threw it away. As the winter came, I suddenly realized why this wax is useful. This is my go-to wax for winter surfing in southern California. In summer above 72 F, forget it.

Where to start… I came across this product a few years ago to use on my two boys who are competitive swimmers and they’re scanned. The product is amazing as it stays put and last through several hours of swimming even in chlorinated water. This summer I had a question about the product and was looking here to see if someone had answered it before. The owner, Shannon Kenner, had actually put his name and phone number in an answer to another persons review so I decided to call him. I expected to get someone in customer service or a recording that Shannon actually answered the phone. The man is brilliant and so well spoken about the fairly technical topic of sunscreens both natural like his and the chemical based options, I was blown away. I’m an attorney and can tell pretty quick if someone is spinning information and unable to answer questions an informed consumer would ask. Not only could he answer questions but he provided information I’d never knew about despite being fairly well- informed about natural products and the dangers of chemicals used in the “safe” sunscreens. He also explained that “nano” zinc oxide is a different species from the non-nano ingredients warhead uses and doesn’t provide the same level of coverage. Who knew. I use their tinted skin nourishing sunscreen as foundation everyday as does my ninth grader. He has some trouble with acne and the tretinoin (retain-a) makes his skin extremely sun sensitve and a tad pink. The tinted product counteracts that and doesn’t irritate his skin or exacerbate breakouts. He wears it to school and switches to the stick formula before his two hour swim practice. His skin looks great and the pinkness has lessened likely because some of it was due to sun exposure during practice. It’s rare to find a product that goes beyond what it promises and even rarer to find one with a founder so passionate and brilliant on the science underlying their product. The stick lasts forever and if it melts you can refrigerate it to restore its form. We had one of our sticks melt in the car in 102 degree heat wave and I decided to put some in a metal tin and refrigerate the stick and the product I took from the stick. Both came back to prior texture and I love the small size to carry around. Anyway, definitely give this product a try. I’m sue if you have any issues or questions, Shannon himself will help you. :)