Quick Summary:

Date Tested: 06/10/2022

What do you get when you combine Albert Einstein and Michael Jordan? Who knows… What do you get when you have a sunscreen marketed towards individuals who are both environmentally conscientious and live an active lifestyle? Thinksport. Ok I get it, that was bad. Terrible even. What isn’t terrible however is the performance of this product being a physical based sunscreen (as they typically tend to score slightly lower than ones that are chemical based). Even better is the very reasonable price this sunscreen is sold for. In this sense, Thinksport SPF50+ is my new go to outdoor sunscreen (more on this later).

So what makes this product special? To tell you the truth, since I’ve started testing sunscreen I really haven’t been impressed with any mineral or physical-only (inorganic) based sunscreen formula using Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide. Most scored somewhat weakly or just proved too inconsistent on the prepared test slide to give me enough motivation to try them out in real life. The formulas were often greasy or thick on application (but provided good protection), or easily spread (but provided weak protection). From the physical sunscreen selection I’ve tested thus far, there wasn’t really anything which hit both “feels good and works good” targets.

This changed after testing the Thinksport SPF 50+ lotion. Thinksport is a physical based Zinc Oxide 20% formulation which showed a good consistent distribution when the microscope slide sample was prepared and also scored quite well after 2 hours of testing. Just being able to do those two things in a controlled environment while being a physical only sunscreen made me consider this product for further real world evaluation (trying it myself).

I liked that the formula was:

• Organic (not to be confused with the inorganic/physical classification of sunscreen)
• BPA free
• Non-Aerosol & Biodegradable
• Reef Safe
• Non-Toxic
• Dermatologist tested

And had the additional benefits of being/providing/having:

• SPF50 Broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection
• Water resistance (80 minutes)
• Non-aerosol formulation
• Applies and absorbs easily. Non-oily feel.
• For face and body
• Made in the USA
• Top Rated on EWG’s Skin Deep with a “1” rating since 2010
• Daily use sunscreen
• Protects immediately upon application
• Free of biologically harmful chemicals. No PABA, parabens, phthalates, BPA, oxybenzone, avobenzone, petroleum, gluten, dairy, or toxic chemicals. No animal by-products or testing.
• No animal by-products or testing

There were many good marketing points to like about this product, and when I checked Amazon for how much it cost…I liked it even more! At the time of writing, this sunscreen only cost ~$12-$14. Kudos to this company for making a human safe, environmentally safe, and cost accessible product for the masses.

So on to the test results…The Thinksport Safe SPF 50+ reduced the UVI by 97.07%, reduced UVA by 97.21%, and reduced UVB intensity by 94.50%. Did it get the near perfect score like the Banana Boat SPF100? No, but neither is it an SPF100, nor is it a chemical based formula, nor is it iffy when it comes to being reef safe. So honestly, the small difference in sun protection was to me well, negligible.

Thinksport sunscreen characteristics at a glance:

• See bullet points listed above
• Viscosity is good. After using it in person I can say it does seem to leave a tiny amount on the skin after showering, which is really what you want since it is for use with water activity.

---

Thinksport 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.

---

Thinksport UV test results:

Ultraviolet sensor readings:

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

Testing notes:

The Thinksport SPF50+ tube says it is “The Standard for Safe Sunscreen.” Honestly, given all the great characteristics of the product, I would have to agree. It performs very well, is priced right, and hits all the targets for individuals who are health and environmentally conscientious. I would call it the Toyota Prius of the sunscreen world.

Using the Thinksport SPF50 sunscreen myself:

I did get a chance to use this sunscreen while boating for two days straight in 90F sunny weather. This product did a great job keeping me from burning while in direct exposure to very bright sun, and didn’t feel as bad as I expected a strong sunscreen to feel (it did have a “there’s sunscreen on my skin” feel though). It did have a slight residue left over on my skin after taking a shower at the end of the day, but that’s to be expected for a water resistant sunscreen. If an “active” sunscreen washes off too easily when in contact with water, well…that’s not really what you want.

I recommend this sunscreen for Water/Outdoor Activity, or for when you expect to be sweating heavily in high temperatures.