Sunscreen/bug repellent and cameras

Now that summer is here, I've been making a point of wearing sunscreen every day when I'm out. One thing I notice is that it can make a mess, get on your hands, and then eventually on your camera gear (worse once you start sweating). I currently use Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF45 on my face every day to keep my youthful good looks () and on long outings I use Coppertone Oil Free Broad Spectrum SPF45. The former can be kind of greasy, the latter is actually much better, but I can still feel it accumulate on my hands after a day of being out in the sun.

I've read that sunscreen, and bug spray, can be a nemesis of camera gear, especially the rubber.

How about a thread where people list what they find are camera friendly sunscreens and bug repellents?

drisley wrote in post #10555916
I've read that sunscreen, and bug spray, can be a nemesis of camera gear, especially the rubber.

First time I've heard anything like that.

I had 1/2 a tube of sunscreen go right through my camera bag - all over the flash, 1 body, lenses etc.

Just wiped it off, no probs.

It's probably no worse than anything else that's been thrown at my gear.

I'd be more concerned about bug repellent...DEET and plastic do not go well together.

DEET repellent breaks down all plastics components.

When I get ready to head out I first spray myself down with DEET before touching the camera gear, then I wipe off the palms of my hands trying to keep them DEET free.

I've never had a problem.

Ah ok there is the problem... the DEET!
I figured it was something in the oils or some other chemical that was bad.
Good to know!

drisley wrote in post #10560261
Ah ok there is the problem... the DEET!
I figured it was something in the oils or some other chemical that was bad.
Good to know!

The repellent that I was using had 40% DEET. I had an iPhone in the pocket of my cargo shorts, and the DEET was carried by sweat from my leg to the pocket. When I took the phone out, the plastic aftermarket case that it was in was pretty well eaten up, but not the phone itself. I guess a lot would also depend on the amount of DEET thats in the product (40% was of the highest that I had noticed), but I'd avoid it altogether around plastic and rubber.

My truck has a leather wrapped steering wheel and sunscreen has discolored some spots on the leather but sweaty, dirty hands do the same thing because the leather is too soft. I have never had sunscreen stain anything else. I have left my fingerprints etched into a pair of binoculars because I had DEET on my hands. Now when I use sunscreen or DEET I wash my hands with hand sanitizer to get the bad stuff off my palms and fingerstips. So far that has worked for me.

Holy crap I didn't know that about deet...

Dont know why bugs dont bother me. Must be still saturated in insecticides from doing pest control for 2 yrs.