Review: Melan Sunscreen

Melan Sunscreen

As someone who hikes in the high altitudes and thin air in Colorado, sun protection is vitally important to my hiking kit. I also happen to have blonde hair, a red (with a bit salt mixed with the ginger) beard, and a light complexion. this means that I don’t really tan but instead go straight to the sunburn. The intense sun in the Colorado Mountains amplifies that even more. I was able to test out a new brand of sunscreen, Melan Sunscreen, that has one of the most incredible origin stories around, against he tough sun of Colorado. Here are my thoughts and review of Melan Sunscreen.

As a disclaimer we would like to mention that we were given this product so that we could write this review. This site uses affiliate marketing links. If you make a purchase from this page using a link, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions on this page are my own and based on my own experiences with this product. We are not compensated for the opinions on this review. Your experience with the product may be different.

The Story Behind Melan Sunscreen

The story behind Melan Sunscreen is one of my favorite stories to come out of an outdoor brand. The company was founded by a woman named Brandi. At 30, Brandi was diagnosed with Stage IIIC Melanoma and was able to beat it. As a Melanoma survivor, she searched for skincare products that provided clean, skin-friendly protection but wasn’t able to find many. So she decided to create her own.

I met Brandi at a trade show and was instantly enamored with her story. Where many people would hide away from what caused her pain, Brandi instead decided to fight back. She wasn’t going to stay inside all day but instead she found a way to give the community a better way to protect themselves!

Melan also gives 5% of all proceeds back to melanoma research in order to further the fight against the cancer. Brandi’s approach to the world is pretty amazing and I really enjoyed meeting her and hearing her story and let others know about her brand.

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From Melan Sunscreen

Before I get into my thoughts on this sunscreen, I wanted to see exactly what Melan is saying about their product. From their website they state, “Feel like a melan bucks with our non aerosol SPF 30 sunscreen spray that is packed with antioxidants. Let your skin revel in the benefits of green tea and aloe vera, providing a soothing and protective shield.”

Here are some more of the stats and details about Melan Sunscreen directly from their website.

Specs

Price*

$22 for Lotion

$24 for Spray

Sizes*

3.4oz for Lotion

6oz for Spray

Active Ingredients

Lotion: Avobenzone (3%), Homosalate (8%), Octisalate (5%)

Spray: Homosalate (7.5%), Octisalate (5%),Octocrylene (5%), Avobenzone (3%)

Features and Benefits

Lotion

• Rosemary & Basil Extracts
• Provides calming and soothing hydration to the skin.
• Natural Scent
• Basil, eucalyptus, orange, grapefruit, and watermelon for a refreshing scent.
• PEG & Silicone Free
• Natural soothing and hydration without the baggage of PEGs or silicones.

Spray

• Vitamin C
• Neutralizes and reduces effects of free radicals.
• Green Tea
• Provides nourishment and hydration for the skin.
• Natural Scent
• Spearmint, eucalyptus, orange, grapefruit, and watermelon for a refreshing scent.

All information from Melansunscare.com Check the website for full details and options.

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What I liked about Melan Sunscreen

There is a lot to like about Melan Sunscreen. For me, it all started with the story of how the company was founded and the founder, Brandi. Her story is very inspiring and I really appreciate the way she tackled her adversity and came out with the goal of creating a product that can help more people not have to go through what she went through.

From a product standpoint, I also liked the sun protection and smell and some of the ingredients. I am also enlisting my friend Brooke, who knows way more about skin care, sun care, and pretty much anything that has to do with protecting your skin, to chime in and help out on this review. Here is a bit more of what I liked about Melan Sunscreen.

The Smell!!

I have to tell you, I kind of hate the smell of most sunscreens. It has that chemical/coconut/horrible mixture. I always have to spray it on. Then cough a few seconds, and usually gag at least once and then I can proceed with my day. Melan Sunscreen is the complete opposite. I found that the smell is very pleasant. It is more citrusy with a few hints of melon and even some watermelon. It is way more enjoyable that all of the other smells that I have tried with the spray on sunscreens!

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Ingredients and Skin Nourishment

I have only tried out the spray version of Melan Sunscreen but I really like how they have added a few ingredients you don’t usually find in sunscreen. They have added Vitamin C and Green Tea into the spray version to help protect the skin and hydrate the skin. I find that it feels better on my skin. Almost like it is more of a moisturizer than a sunscreen. It also doesn’t feel as sticky or tacky as other sprays I have used.

Sun Protection

One thing that was a little different about using Melan was that it was only an SPF30. I usually use SPF50 sunscreens so I was worried that I would get a bit burnt. Instead I found that it did a good job of protecting me from the sun. I hike in higher alpine area’s, between 10-13,000 feet a lot so the sun is very intense. Plus, the air is thinner at these elevations, so the sun really doesn’t have much to stop it until your skin. I have been using the Melan 30 and have had good results. No noticeable sunburns for me. I do have to reapply a little bit more often but I talk about that a little bit later.

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Spray Coverage

I was a little concerned when I saw that there were no aerosols in the spray package. I don’t really know how all of that stuff works but assumed it was needed for sprays but apparently I was incorrect. The spray comes out in a very even and wide distribution. It even did well against the mountain winds that can be 20-40 miles an hour at times.

I have a bad arm with limited mobility and range of motion so it is really important to me to have a sunscreen that provides complete and even coverage. Since I am not able to rub it in to all locations, due to my lack of mobility, if the spray stream is off I would end up with weird spotting or lines that the spray missed. I haven’t had any issues with that with the Melan Sunscreen. Each time I have applied it, the spray fully covered everywhere it was pointed and provided excellent coverage.

I know it is a little thing but it is super important to someone like me that has some physical issues. I am sure this is important to parents trying to get coverage on several children at once who all just want to jump in the lake or pool and don’t want to stand still. These little things add up to a really nice product.

Woman Founded and Woman Owned

One thing about me is I really like to support small businesses when I can. Melan is founded and owned by a woman as well as a small business. That makes it really easy to get behind it is a brand and a company. Brandi and her team have put together a really nice product that, as of this writing, has just launched and been on market for a few months. It is great to see and support businesses that really appreciate the business and know the sweat it takes to make each sale. Melan is an easy one to get behind.

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My Friend Brooke

I like to get other peoples perspective on some of these products, especially on something that I don’t know as much about like sunscreen. I asked my friend Brooke to lend her voice as well. Here are her thoughts on Melan Sunscreen.

From Brooke

I was delighted to be asked to try out the Melan SPF 30 lotion and spray. As a recovered tan-a-holic/ sun and tanning bed enthusiast, I’m so extremely mindful these days when I step outside in the sun. I used to practically bathe in tanning oil and never paid any attention to what I put onto my skin. My only concern was getting tan and getting tan as fast as humanly possible.

I knew I had to change my sun products in my 30’s to cater to my outdoor lifestyle, being in the modeling industry, and having a family history of skin cancer. I always struggled finding products for sensitive, acneic skin that wouldn’t irritate it, yet properly protected my skin from the sun. While there were a few sunscreens that worked, a lot of them were full of chemicals and extremely thick. What I liked about using Melan was the nice, soothing consistency of the lotion and how it did not irritate my skin whatsoever. It is so easy to apply and doesn’t feel sticky or heavy or leave a white cast. The fact that it doesn’t have an endless ingredient list of chemicals too is just the icing on the cake!

What I didn’t Like

Thanks Brooke! While there is a lot to like about Melan Sunscreen, they will take away my blogger card if I don’t find something I didn’t like. This one took me a while to figure out but the one thing I will mention is how it works with a lot of exercise and sweating.

I use sunscreen mostly when I am super active and hiking in the mountains. I get a great workout and that causes me to sweat a bit. Hey, I am called the Fatman after all! I felt that the more active and sweaty I got the more I had to reapply the Melan. Having to reapply is common but in the past I have used a lot of “sport” sunscreens that advertised sweat resistance so I think I got used to those. I just had to be a bit more mindful and reapply the Melan when I needed it.

I think this might have something to do with Melan having less chemicals in it. It is a bit scary to think about how those “sport” sunscreens work where I can sweat for hours straight and they are still somehow in my skin. So in the long run, having to reapply the sunscreen more often is probably a better idea. It is just going to take some getting used to and better practices on my end.

Video Review of the Melan Sunscreen

I have put together a quick video review of Melan Sunscreen for those of you who like to videos. If you enjoy the video make sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel. It is free and you will get updated for all of my outdoor content.

Wrap Up of Melan Sunscreen

Honestly, I was a little nervous to review Melan Sunscreen. After meeting the founder, Brandi, at the trade show and hearing about the wonderful story I was worried I wouldn’t like the product. I mean she is a cancer survivor who gives money back to cancer research. It would be hard not to like that!

Because of the wonderful story of Melan, I feel so much better being able to say that I actually really liked the sunscreen! It was comfortable on my skin, smelled great and worked against the intense rays of the Colorado Mountains! It is great when a good story is backed up with a great product and that is how I feel about Melan Sunscreen!

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More from the Fatman

For a list of other products that I have reviewed you can check my Product Review page here. If you have any products you would like me to review or any comments you can email me at fatmanlittletrails@gmail.com or you can follow me on any of the below social media platforms. Happy Hiking!