Sawyer Products SP1132 SPF 30 Stay-Put System 1 Sunblock Lotion Dispensing Jug, 32-Ounce, White

Sawyer Stay Put is one of the very few sunscreens with dermal-bonding formulation. This is what sets it apart. Most sunscreens fall into one of three categories: (1) Dermal bond (Sawyer; older SolRx): UVB absorbers bond to the lower layers of the skin. (2) Film-based (Coppertone, Neutrogena, Banana Boat): UV filters sit on top of the skin. (3) Wax-based (Bullfrog; ChapStick): Heavy, occlusive formulas that coat the surface. The key advantage of a dermal-bonding sunscreen is that the UVB absorber stays in place even during heavy sweating or long immersion in water. Because the actives sit within the skin rather than on top of it, they are far less susceptible to wash-off. Performance: When applied correctly (see regimen below), I reliably get 6+ hours of UVB protection with a single morning application—even in high UV index conditions, during long snorkel or scuba sessions, or on strenuous, sweaty hikes. I’m fair-skinned and burn easily, yet I don’t burn with Sawyer when I apply it properly. For me, this is a true “one and done” sunscreen. Caveats: Optimal performance requires proper skin prep, which can be difficult in humid conditions, when kids are impatient, or when your skin is already burned. On oily or wet skin, Sawyer behaves more like a film-based sunscreen, meaning you may need to reapply after heavy sweating or extended immersion. A few people in our group experienced irritation when applying it to already sunburned areas. In those situations, a zinc-based mineral sunscreen is gentler and blocks both UVA and UVB through physical reflection rather than absorption. Important note on UVA protection: This is not a broad-spectrum sunscreen. It provides strong UVB protection but does not contain avobenzone (Parsol 1789), which the FDA requires for a “broad spectrum” label. Sawyer argues that avobenzone is unstable, bonds poorly to skin, degrades within hours, and destabilizes otherwise stable UVB filters. Their choice to omit UVA protection is intentional: they prefer long-lasting UVB durability over short-lived UVA coverage. I agree with that trade-off, given the use cases. ⸻ How I Maximize Dermal Bonding—My Field Proven Method After years of trial and error, this routine gives me true all-day protection from a single application: 1. Start with very clean, dry, and oil-free skin. Wash with Ivory soap and a washcloth. Avoid moisturizers beforehand and afterward—they prevent proper bonding and will absolutely reduce protection. 2. Apply generously. Your skin should appear white with lotion at first. Sawyer recommends at least 1.25 ounces for full-body coverage. 3. Wait 20 minutes before sweating or immersing in water. This is very important. This allows sufficient time for the UVB absorbers to move into the lower skin layers. 4. After 20 minutes, gently blot away the surface sheen with a paper towel. A dry paper towel works well. Because this is a dermal-bonding formula, the surface oil isn’t doing the work—the UVB absorber is already where it needs to be. Removing the oily layer prevents staining and leaves a clean, matte finish. With these steps, I routinely get 6+ hours of reliable UVB protection—even in saltwater, during all-day snorkeling, or with heavy perspiration. ⸻ Bottom line: Sawyer Stay Put is one of the most effective long-wear UVB sunscreens available. When applied correctly, it outperforms almost every film-based product I’ve tried. Excellent for snorkeling, diving, beach days, endurance sports, and high UV environments. Highly recommended. Practical Packing Tip: For travel, transfer Sawyer into either a 3 oz bottle for TSA carry-on or a 6 oz bottle for checked luggage. The Humangear GoToob bottles work especially well with this sunscreen—no leakage, no pressure burping, and no mess. Because the GoToob bottles are soft silicone, you can easily squeeze out nearly all of the sunscreen—far more than with rigid travel bottles.

Awesome sunscreen. Goes on like lotion and stays on all day. Great value for the amount you get.

Sawyer sunscreen is simply the best. It has a creamy texture that rubs on our skin easily with a pleasant smell. It lasts longer than any other sunscreen due to its unique bonding formula - it doesn't sweat off and lasts for hours. Also, this company is very charitable in global poverty, so I love supporting them.

Truly stays put all day. All other sunscreens i’ve tried have faded and i end up different level of burnt. I bike at 9000ft where sun is brutal and this stuff always comes through. Takes soap and warm water to get it off. works well for swimming too. Smell is chemically, standard sunscreen smell, but happy to pay the price. Never had breakouts despite my oily skin. Been using this for 20y, only stuff I trust. Happy to find it in large dispenser which stays primed well to dispense into smaller bottles.

This sunscreen is by far the best I've ever used, and that is saying something. I have used so many different sunscreens and this goes on like a moisturizer and feels amazing. I haven't used it on my face so I can't attest to that since I have super sensitive skin but for the rest of my body, I will never use another.

*Update* 5/26/22: I’m quite light skinned and burn easily. Spent a full day in the hot New York sun in Central Park. One application to clean exposed skin after shower in the morning and I’m impressed! No burn or uncomfortable skin to speak of. Only limitation of this test was it wasn’t a workout or run/super sweat fest or swim day, but it was a hard test for effectiveness under some prolonged sun exposure. Now I think there should certainly be a caveat that no one should recommend going without the recommended regular reapplication of product, but this was effective for me for far longer than 4 hours today. — Just arrived intact with good packaging and secure, no spills. Main thing I’m impressed with is the light texture. Really spreads well and no strong scent. If this stuff performs as well as past reviews indicate with excellent water and sweat resistance as well as long duration of effectiveness, I will be very happy. Someone on questions was asking about reef safety and it is unfortunately not and the question was answered incorrectly. It does have oxybenzone which is banned in Hawaii. Also a review says something about not being UVA or B effective, also false; this is effective against both. Seems dermatology literature is semi controversial on this ingredient. Evidently it is very effective and concentrations required for reef toxicity are much higher than is produced by human wear and use (I’m all for reef and ocean life health, so I’d happily use an alternative when diving or doing other ocean activity, so not trying to be a contrarian here). Also evidence of human toxicity has not been demonstrated in people but only at extremely high concentrations in a rat model. FWIW. Hopefully this will be an effective sunscreen for the Colorado spring and summer running and hiking (should be good for ski season also). If it is, Sawyer might have a new fanboy. Price is also a huge plus. Protect your skin and the earth folks!

This is absolutely a five star product. It is the best sunscreen I have ever used for durability. It does not cause irritation in my eyes even during intense perspiration (e.g. summer cycling). I just wish it was still available in the 8 oz tube.

I highly recommend this product! Living in the Caribbean I need a sunscreen I can trust to protect my skin, and this is it! It blends into my skin smoothly with no white cast and it actually stays put. Most importantly, I've never got a sunburn wearing this product. I highly recommend