I tried it: Why this sunscreen was my favorite purchase of the year

At GOLF.com, we stumble across all sorts of goodies. Here, we unveil some of our favorites from the past year.

Why this sunscreen is the best I’ve ever used

I feel a little embarrassed admitting this, but — gulp — I don’t always wear sunscreen when I play golf.

I know, I know! I’m ashamed. But I really hate it, and I have my reasons! For one thing, sunscreen is so annoying. It’s greasy, slippery and sticky all at once, it ruins makeup and its remnants can stay caked on the skin for days.

While I’m guilty of being lax about putting on my own sunscreen, I’m absolutely militant about putting it on my kids. Here in Arizona, it’s a must. So I’ve always been on the lookout for a sunscreen that ticks all the boxes. Baby sunscreen with SPF 50 was my former go-to, for both myself and my kids, but while it did the job — no burns! — the consistency was like paint. It stayed put through showers and swims, and dried out our skin to a reptilian consistency. My car door actually still has streaks from parking-lot kid applications from last summer. That stuff just won’t come off!

Then, as if the universe was responding to my sunscreen despair, I received a bottle of Supergoop! PLAY (SPF 50) as part of a gift basket I won at a school auction. The name was intriguing, and the kids were just about to start summer camp, so I decided to give it a go. Well, spoiler alert: It’s been an absolute game-changer.

Supergoop! PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50

$36

A fast-absorbing, non-greasy sunscreen face & body lotion that hydrates skin & is water- and sweat-resistant for 80 minutes.

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Supergoop!’s consistency is like lotion, not paint. (It’s right there in the name!) The sunscreen glides on smoothly and is thin enough to be easily distributed and rubbed in with ease. It smells nice too, and promises sweat-proof protection for 80 minutes.

Incredibly, my kids, both of whom have fair, easily-burned skin, made it through an entire month of outdoor camp in Phoenix without a burn. No dry skin either. I was absolutely amazed, and when the small bottle I started with ran out, I sprang for the 32-ounce pump bottle, which saw the whole family through the rest of the summer.

Other bestselling products from Supergoop! include “Unseen Sunscreen” and “Glow Screen” which are also lightweight, invisible and geared for people like me, who don’t like sunscreen. I haven’t tried those yet, but certainly intend to.

Ultimately, I’m thrilled to have found a product that works for both me and my kids. And while I’m still not 100 percent consistent about remembering to apply my own sunscreen, when I do, there’s only one bottle I’m reaching for.