I was sent some Block Island Organics Sunblock for testing/review purposes. As always, forever and ever, opinions on this site are mine mine mine.

Unless you are a hardcore treadmill fan, runners spend so much time outside that we definitely need to take precautions to protect our skin. I try to be diligent in putting on sunblock before going out to run, but I confess to some bad habits. I never remember to put it on my legs! And sometimes I forget my arms! But I always have sunblock on my face/neck/ears while running and my regular day-to-day moisturizer and BB Cream contain sun protection too.

When I was doing marathon training years ago, I discovered that many of the traditional sport sunblocks would not be as waterproof or sweat resistant as they claimed. And then they would run into my eyes… and it was excruciating! I still wore contacts at that time and that really intensified the pain. So I switched to mineral-based sunscreen and never looked back.

Block Island Organics sunscreens are non-toxic mineral based (zinc and titanium) products and come in a variety of SPF levels (15, 30, 40 and a Baby version, zinc-only). The products are non-comedogenic, vegan formulated, paraben-free, phthalate-free, nano particle-free, artificial fragrance-free, non-eye irritating, not tested on animals, made in the USA and highly rated by the Environmental Working Group.

I liked the way it felt while putting it on, it didn’t feel too thick or pasty like some I’ve tried and it rubs on easily. And even though I didn’t have the special baby formula, I slathered some of it on my toddler’s arms way easier than the fancy organic sunblock I bought for her when she was 6-months old but hate putting on her because it feels like I’m trying to rub runny silly putty all over.

Like most mineral-based sunscreens it can give you a little bit of a ghosty appearance, mainly because the minerals are an actual physical barrier between your skin and the sun. Like the lifeguard look from the 80’s with their colored noses?

After running and sweating in the sunblock, I did have some white streaks in my elbow pits (totally the technical term there) but that was no big deal. When I wiped sweat off my face with my shirt, it left traces of white residue behind as well.

The business started out of an eco spa on Block Island, Rhode Island called Koru Eco Spa. Their philosophy is to actively enjoy the outdoors with the motto “Play Smart. Play Safe. Non-Toxic Suncare.” They strive to make safe, effective sun care products and educate the public on sun care issues but don’t believe in avoiding the sun altogether.

Overall, I really like this sunscreen! The main downsides: it costs $25.99-29.99 a bottle and the only way to get it is to order it online. No running to chain drugstore down the street to pick some more up if I run out. HOWEVER… the bottle is a 6 oz. bottle as opposed to a 3-4 oz. bottle like many mineral sunblocks, so it works out to being comparable or cheaper than most mineral products on the market.

GET 20% off your order by using the code JillWillRun20 on the Block Island site!