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Travel Himalaya Nepal
Eyes & Sun

Sunscreen & Lip Care

The reapplication is what people get wrong.

About the links on this page.Some go to Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend: every card here also says who the item is not for, and a few things we think you should simply rent in Kathmandu or Pokhara instead, which earns us nothing.

Neutrogena Sport Face SPF 70+ — The one that stays on when you sweat and does not sting
Best overall

The one that stays on when you sweat and does not sting

Neutrogena Sport Face SPF 70+

SPF 70+, sweat-resistant, small tube

Survives an eight-hour uphill without running into your eyes, which almost no cheap sunscreen does; it is a chemical filter, so it needs twenty minutes before you set off.

Does not migrate into eyes on a sweaty climb

Small enough to live in a hip pocket and actually get reapplied

Non-greasy under a buff

Chemical filter, so not reef-safe

Needs reapplying every two hours whatever the label says

Small tube runs out on a long trek — take two

Not for you if: Sensitive or reactive skin. Take a mineral zinc stick instead and test it at home first.

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Sun Bum Mineral Face Stick SPF 50 — The physical block for the bits that always burnBest for nose and ears

The physical block for the bits that always burn

Sun Bum Mineral Face Stick SPF 50

A stick goes on thick where a lotion goes on thin, which is exactly what a nose at 5,000 m needs — it leaves a visible white cast that no amount of rubbing removes.

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Burt's Bees All Weather SPF 15 Lip Balm — The thing people forget and then think about all weekBest lip protection

The thing people forget and then think about all week

Burt's Bees All Weather SPF 15 Lip Balm

Cracked lips at altitude hurt more than they have any right to and take a fortnight to heal; SPF 15 is on the low side, so it needs applying often rather than well.

Check price on Amazon