Quick Summary:

Date Tested: 02/23/2022

In this review, I test the Sport Performance SPF100 from Banana Boat. Full disclosure though, this sunscreen was lost and forgotten sitting around in my closet for several years before I found it just recently. It is most likely a very expired bottle of sunscreen (since the copyright date says 2010), but I cant find any real expiration date. A quick google search shows that it has since been replaced by a similar product by Banana Boat with a “Sport Ultra” designator. Either way, I was intrigued by the label which touted that it protects 99% of “Burning Rays” (I assume they mean UVB rays since UVA rays are typically blamed for aging). Thats a big claim!

It is a chemical based sunscreen which uses the typical trifecta of chemical blockers, Avobenzone 2.5%, Octocrylene 8%, and Oxybenzone 3.5% (other formulations will use slightly different percentages however).

Part of me thought I should just toss the sunscreen into the trash because it was a discontinued product and not available anymore, but another part of me wanted to see if the claim of being 99% effective at blocking UV held true…even after being expired. So I prepared the sample and ran a 2 hour test. The results did not disappoint! This particular sunscreen has an SPF 100 rating and despite being over 10 years old was still able to block out 99% UVI.

This Banana Boat Sport Performance sunscreen reduced the UVI by 99.71%, reduced UVA by 99.79%, and reduced UVB intensity by 98.36% (being just .64% from 99 is negligible in my opinion). Given that the sunscreen is 12 years old, this result is fantastic!

Banana Boat Sport Performance SPF100 characteristics at a glance:

• Wont run into eyes
• Organic (chemical) sunscreen classification
• States that it “Protects from 99% of Burning Rays”
• Very sweat and water resistant
• Viscosity is good.

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Banana Boat Sport Performance SPF 100 UV blocking test results

Ultraviolet light quick reference:

UVA: The Ultraviolet wavelength from 315nm – 400nm. The “Aging UV light” – Causes wrinkles.
UVB: The Ultraviolet wavelength from 280nm – 315nm. The “Bad UV light” – Causes skin cancer.
UVI: The global sun UV index. The more a sunscreen can reduce the level of UVI, the better.

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Banana Boat Sport with Active Max Protect test results:

Ultraviolet sensor readings:

Want to know more about how I test sunscreen? Head here to read about the details.

Testing notes:

The Banana Boat Sport Performance with Active Max Protect Broad Spectrum SPF100 performed exceptionally well despite being around 12 years old. Its formulation implements a chemical approach to blocking ultraviolet light and still provides strong broad spectrum protection (UVA and UVB). The formulation consistency is good and is geared towards a more water saturated or sweat producing environment where high activity is expected. I am unsure if this would be a good daily use sunscreen but for those days out at the beach, this sunscreen passes the test. I am actually very impressed with this sunscreen. Ill need to test more Banana Boat branded sunscreen to see if the rest of their product lineup performs just as well.