Sunscreen That Stays Put? I’m In! Sawyer Sunscreen Product Review

Disclaimer: I received a tube of Sawyer Stay-Put SPR 30 Sunscreen to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!


What do you think of when you think sunscreen?

Me? I think greasy, slimy, smelly and runs-in-my-eye-oh-god-it-burns.

BUT I have to wear it. I’m actually very pro-sunscreen if there is such a thing. I wear it religiously and am constantly telling others to put it on as well (like my cross country kiddos that seem to think they are immune to the sun’s damaging rays). Sun protection is very important to me for the obvious reasons like preventing skin cancer but also because I’m prone to getting sunburnt very easily with my ginger-like skin (I call myself a half-ginger since my hair is red-tinted, I have fair skin, and I have a TON of freckles/moles). Even though I am a regular sunscreen wearer, I do HATE putting it on and dread the moment I start sweating for fear that it will drip in my eyes and sting!

Sunscreen is notorious for feeling gross on your skin, sweating off and running into your eyes when you sweat – i.e. not good for runners. I’ve tried multiple brands with the marketer’s promise of “dry feel” or “non-runny” but usually, I just go with the cheapest on the market knowing they all are the same and none of them work.

Until now!

Thanks to BibRave, I got the chance to try Sawyer’s Stay-Put SPF 30 Sunscreen and put it to the test. I’m was pretty impressed after just one day of wearing it and now I have it with me anytime I’ll be out in the sun. It’s been a staple item as I go to cross country practices and meets, working as a race director, and hiking with my family. Its light-weight, nongreasy feel, technology developed formula, and stay-put solution has made this the best sunscreen product I’ve ever tried.

The company Sawyer as been around since 1984 but I hadn’t really heard about them, or so I thought. After looking at their website and other products, I definitely recognized a ton of things! They also make bug sprays, water filtration products, and first aid kits – their main mission being they are “dedicated to eliminating two of the biggest causes of death in the world: bad water and mosquito bites.”  I don’t know how long their sunscreen has been on the market, but I’m glad I got to try it out!

Sawyer uses a special technology to bond the sunray absorbing agents deeper into the skin whereas other sunscreens hold their lotions in the top two layers of skin. With Sawyer, sweat and water pass over the deeply absorbed compounds without flushing the protective sunscreen away (this means the product lasts longer without reapplication; it “stays put”). They have also developed this sunscreen to use the same amount of product to cover more skin area which makes it feel lighter and more breathable on your skin (and non-greasy feeling). It’s called their “breathable matrix!”

From the first time I put on the Sawyer Sunscreen, I noticed a difference. It does go on feeling light and not greasy at all! This is a huge plus for me since I wear sunscreen almost every day.

After learning more about the product from their video (below), I learned they’ve developed this product to work well and better than the other products on the market. The way this sunscreen bonds with the skin and the ingredients they use to make it, it lasts longer without reapplication – which I did (accidentally) test as I wore it for eight hours without reapplying and came home un-burnt after working a race.

Lastly, and probably the biggest factor concerning runners, this sunscreen does STAY PUT.  I tested this through hours of sweat and not once did it run in my eyes! I am super grateful for this, especially since a lot of my running hours are while I’m coaching and I’d rather not have any distractions!

With the price point being the same as other sunscreens, this product is definitely worth it! I highly recommend it for any active, outdoorsy person or anyone that just hates the feel of other sunscreens!


See what the other BibRave Pros have to say:

fitfulfocus | Run with Ken | Alastair | Brenda Runs | Road Back to Boston | With Purpose and Kindness |


More info.

Pick some up: On Amazon for $15.66

5 thoughts on “Sunscreen That Stays Put? I’m In! Sawyer Sunscreen Product Review

  1. Pingback: Runner Skincare and my Sawyer SPF 30 StayPut Sunscreen – A Girl on a Search for Adventure

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  3. Pingback: #SawyerBR – You asked for the Bill…

  4. Pingback: Sawyer Stay-Put® SPF 30 | Review – livinglovingrunner

  5. Pingback: Essentials for the Start of Cross Country Season – 7 Tips For Managing A Busy Season | Racing & Wandering

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