ISO a leave-in with an SPF

Now that the summer is approaching, I've been searching for a leave-in product (either a conditioner or a gel) with a sun protection factor. There seem to be lots of shampoos and rinse-away conditioners that claim to have UV filters, but what good are those if they are rinsed out? I am looking for a leave-in product to wear to the park, pool and beach. I have a couple of hats but those aren't good for those times when I want the hair-down sexy look.

As someone recently pointed out in another thread, even the Redken Sun Care line is not true SPF.

Does anyone know of a leave-in product with true sun protection? I have thick, wavy hair that tends to become dry easily, so I really need sun protection. Thanks!

Elissa

ok.. I've found something that actually has SPF in it. Take a look at Banana Boat Hair and Scalp Spray. I haven't tried it myself, but it has an SPF!

I'm going to look into the banana boat. Rxpalace.com has it for a reasonable price4 + reasonable shipping.

From what I understand sunscreen in haircare products is still largely an unknown. Jennifer, as you know from reading Paula's work the FDA doesn't regulate the wording manufacturers use on hair products with sunscreen. Skin products use the SPF rating but there is no such system for hair, mostly because sunscreen's effects and resiliency on hair are not determined. (The Banana Boat product uses an SPF number because it's also designated for the scalp.)

Apparently some studies show that sunscreen does in fact have a protective effect on hair, but these are lab tests in which single strands are entirely coated with a particular chemical. Unfortunately that does not necessarily translate into real life all that well--we can't soak our hair in product or sit still the whole day without losing some of this protective layer. Yes, you can look for products containing sunscreens (most compounds with the prefix "octyl," cinnamidopropyltrimonium chloride and benzophenone are the most common.)

However, as it stands today you have no way of knowing whether these additives are actually protecting your hair or are present in large enough quantities to impact your hair, since it is still unregulated. A manufacturer can legally print "Contains Sunscreen!" on the bottle but there may only be a minute amount of benzophenone-3 in it, making the product virtually useless against the sun. What manufacturers CAN'T do is use an SPF number since the FDA has yet to set those standards for haircare.

Until science devises an SPF-system for such products and holds all manufacturers to the same standards, your best protection from the sun is a cute hat. :-)