Spray-On Sunscreen. AKA Suncare Made Simple.

Sun, 23 September 2012 2:05PM

A large floppy hat might be just about the best suncare strategy around …

… but sunscreens are getting better and better at protecting the skin from UV rays. For one, there’s the move to SPF50+ – set to hit counters from October this year. In the meantime, the big news is spray-on sunscreen. Why? It’s easy to use, it sprays in all directions, even upside down (so you can cover even that tricky upper back bit), and formulations are nicer on the skin than ever before (which means, face it, we’re more likely to wear it, and re-apply it). Two in particular have impressed us lately:

Banana Boat Ultra Clear Spray SPF30+, $16.49

Ideally, you spray this onto clean skin, so it best absorbs into skin. But these past few sunny weekends, I’ve also been misting it over my makeup for a quick and easy reapplication. As it sets, it feels a little strange and tight at first, but it soon settles into a weightless film. As for the look, it’s non-greasy yet gives the skin quite a nice sheen. Despite fears, I didn’t experience any breakouts at all. I’m not sure this will become my everyday way to reapply sunscreen – it’s not actually formulated for the face, and anyway, I prefer to brush on a mineral SPF powder for the most polished result – but for the summer holidays and weekends, it will definitely come in handy.

Neutrogena Wet Skin SPF30+ Spray, $14.99

I love Neutrogena sunscreens. They’re high-factor (a lot higher than the label allows them to say), they’re broad-spectrum, and they’re photo-stable, so they retain their protective powers for longer than many other screens do. This spray ticks all of those boxes, and another: you can mist it onto wet skin. That means you can apply it as soon as you come out of the pool or ocean; it also works well for sweaty types, who might find that other sunscreens slide off them all too easily.

Details: Banana Boat and Neutrogena are both available from pharmacies

Posted by: Katrina Lawrence

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Tags: banana boat, broad spectrum, chemical sunscreen, neutrogena, spf30, spf50, suncare, sunscreen spray