‘Survivor’: Do Castaways Get Sunscreen?

Survivor is undoubtedly one of the harshest reality competition shows on broadcast television. Contestants are dumped on a remote beach with little to no supplies (including food), have to build their shelter, compete in grueling physical challenges while dehydrated and malnourished, and on top of it all, play a good enough social game to win $1 million. But to make their lives a little bit easier, do producers at least give the Survivor castaways sunscreen?

‘Survivor’ castaways have access to a medical kit

While the Survivor castaways have other things to worry about, like rats, snakes, clean water, and food, they don’t have to stress over their skin getting burned.

According to Insider, Elaine Stott from Survivor: Island of the Idols told them that the show’s producers provide the players with a medical kit at their camp. The kit contains supplies like sunscreen, insect repellant, and other necessities.

Stott said, “If you needed any of that stuff, you could just go to the med box. They only allow one person at a time to go, so you’re not congregating back there.”

Stott’s Island of the Idols castmate Lauren-Ashley Beck added that fans at home don’t see the castaways dig into the kit “because they want to keep the illusion that it’s a reality show. We’re explicitly told that we’re not allowed to talk strategy if we’re helping each other put on sunscreen.”

Players can also submit a small toiletry bag, which can include anything from tampons to contact lenses. But, of course, the producers must approve everything in the bag. So it’s not like someone could sneak a granola bar onto the show.

‘Survivor’ rules reveal what items cast members can bring with them

Among the approved items that Survivor castaways can bring with them to Fiji are tampons, pads, contact lenses/solution, birth control, medication, and other necessary products. However, they can’t bring toiletries such as shampoo/conditioner, body wash, a toothbrush, a hairbrush, a razor, or other items the crew doesn’t deem essential.

As for clothing, determining what a contestant wears while on the show is a long process. It’s evolved over the years (from being able to wear swimsuits to not being able to wear swimsuits, etc.), but the producers let the players pick out their clothing. Of course, producers have to approve wardrobe, and they hold the right to deny any piece of clothing.

Overall, the Survivor castaways can’t bring many pieces of clothing to the island. And that’s why fans only see them wearing one or two outfits throughout their time on the show.

Can the ‘Survivor’ castaways clean themselves before Tribal Council?

One Survivor fan started a Reddit thread to ask others if producers provide castaways with lotion. Most answered either that they didn’t know or that the supplied sunscreen could help the dryness of the players’ skin.

However, one Reddit user claimed, “I’m pretty sure they get ‘cleaned’ up before every Tribal to make themselves more presentable for TV, but I’m honestly not sure.” And one former contestant commented that they were mistaken.

Owen Knight, the third-place finisher from Survivor 43, wrote, “This is untrue,” debunking the fan’s theory. So despite what some people think, the Survivor castaways do not have regular access to showers, bathrooms, or grooming products (unless you won a reward in the earlier seasons). But the producers aren’t monsters, so they give the contestants sunscreen to protect their skin from the brutal Fiji sun.

New episodes of Survivor 44 air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. All seasons of Survivor are available to stream on Paramount+.