Considered a practical and easy-to-use version of the classic sunscreen, the SPF spray is increasingly popular, especially among parents of young children. But despite its popularity, it just is very little appreciated by dermatologists and other skin professionals. How come ? The reason is very, very simple.
The solar products market is expected to reach around £ 228.6 million in 2022 (or 264.7 million euros) according to Mintel, a market research platform. An impressive figure, which reflects the common understanding the importance of protecting the skin from the sun. Unfortunately, not all sunscreens are created equal! Cream, water, oil, butter … Cosmetic Chemistry Michelle Wong recently caused a sensation on TikTok by revealing what worries her in particular about one type of sunscreen: those aerosols.
“The problem with these is that they contain a lot of propellants, which are liquefied gases. “
Called propane, butane, isobutane or hydrocarbons, these gases allow the product to be expelled from the bottle. The problem is thatit is difficult to quantify the dose of propellant delivered to the skin during application. Worse: we don’t know exactly how much sunscreen is applied to the skin… Especially since this type of format can evaporate easily in windy weather. In short… aerosol is very practical but not really suitable for this type of use.
Dr Walayat Hussain, consultant dermatologist and spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation, validates this theory Refinery29 Us :
“In addition to the quantities applied, the wind is a problem. There is actually another study on spray sunscreen and wind that found that 32-79% of spray sunscreen is lost in 10mph winds and 28-93% in 20mph winds. These conditions are considered light to moderate winds. “
Here we are!
What are the safest formats?
As you will have understood, aerosols are not the most common, on the other hand a good sunscreen, in the form of a lotion, for example, or an oil (accompanied by a strong protection) are very easy to apply. It is therefore easier for us to quantify the right dose of product on the skin.
The sticks are also pretty easy to handle but their often greasy and occlusive formula can scare off more reactive, combination or oily skin. And using a stick all over the body … It’s not really practical, let’s face it.
In any case, to make sure you apply the right amount of product, you can also use colored patches, which we told you about in a previous article, including the purple color is revived when the skin is no longer protected from UV rays.
And you can always try to spray your SPF aerosol closer to the skin so the wind doesn’t blow the entire formula away. But not too close anyway, because remember that aerosols can cause severe skin burns.
Well … there are other alternatives, even if it is true that the aerosol format has no equal in terms of practicality.
One image credit: @cottonbro
Source: Madmoizelle
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
