Spray on Sunscreen?

[aliceinwdw]

I am thinking about getting some cans of spray on sunscreen for our upcoming trip. It seems like it would much easier, faster and less messy to apply. Does anyone have any good/bad experiences with this? Does it seem to last as long as the regular creamy lotion? I appreciate any info, I would hate to spend the money on it and not care for it. Thanks!!

[scard192]

My daughter uses a Banana Boat brand 50SPF (for kids) that I have used to and it works great!

[Claroquesi]

It works OK but I don't think it lasts as long/goes as far as lotion. I also find some brands sticky when they are applied and it stings:scared1: when you have just shaved and apply it. Overall I prefer the lotion, it is more of a hassle to put on but gives more value for the money and less pain to my poor legs!

[irky416]

It works really well, but be very careful not to put it on outside if it's windy! We had that problem more at the beach (oops!) but just be aware!

[DisMomme]

It works really well. We used it last August in Florida and no one got any burns. I don't think the can has as many uses as a bottle of lotion though. It's a matter of convenience. I still use lotion (actually zinc oxide cream) for faces.

[aliceinwdw]

Great to know! Thanks everyone!

[jen2207]

I use the Coopertone spray and it works great! But it is kinda expensive and it goes pretty fast. So get a couple of them. I use something else for faces though.

[kristytru]

i agree that it doesn't go very far and can be sticky, but it is worth it to us for the convenience. It's easy and fast to put on and NOTHING makes it come off. We have never reapplied in Disney and I have very fair kids. It even takes some scrubbing to get it all off in the tub afterwards. :goodvibes

[ma2jr]

I love the sprays... I think they work great.

[jennc27]

Has anyone tried the one that is also a cooling mist?

[SKWDW]

Love the Coppertone Sport spray! I use it on arms, legs & neck then use ZO cream on my face. No burns during our recent May WDW visit.

[AprilLizbeth]

I've used the Neutrogena cooling mist spf 45. Works well and feels nice, but smells funny.

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I have the cooling mist one and like it a lot for me (pale white person). It works by putting a thin layer of alchohol that evaporates off the skin, taking some of the heat with it.

However, for my son, who is African American, the cooling mist is a guaranteed way to get ashy skin. His skin is already dryer than mine, and of course being dark it shows dryness much more clearly, the alcohol sucks some of his natural moisture away.

So, if you're like me and don't have concerns about dry or ashy skin then go for it.

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We like the Coppertone Sport spray better than the "kid" Coppertone in the white can. And definitely do not apply in the wind! :scared: The spray blows away and you end up not getting even coverage.

[MPWife153]

We always use sprays,BUT make sure it is in the locked position when you put i back in your bag. DH just threw it into his backpack & my sweatshirt now has 4-5 stains :laundy: from where the spray lotion was accidentaly applied to my sweatshirt!! I also use lotion on my kids faces. I have the small bottles with clips that I just refill.

[Princess Steph]

Consumer Reports recently rated the Coppertone Sport #1 and the Walgreen brand #2. We have always used this one and it works great, but does not last very long. You will need a few cans for a week long trip. Also, I use Ocean Potion face stick, it smells like alcohol, but dries without that greasy feeling.

[dancin Disney style]

You only get approx 6 applications from one bottle of spray.

[AZMermaid]

We use it and love it, but I agree, it is not very budget friendly! Now what I do is I use the lotion in the morning and reapply using the spray after lunch. I feel like the lotion "seeps in for the long haul" and the spray is a touch up. No idea if there is any truth to that, but that is my take! :rotfl:

[mickey&me]

I am a sunscreen fanatic and I love the sprays. Brand does matter when you want it to work well. I like neutragena 70 SPF for face and coppertone or banana boat for shoulders, etc. 50 SPF or higher is what I use and my kids never get burned. They do have darker skin than me but I use the same regimen with my lighter skin with the same good results. DH is lucky since he never burns - period. Apply these indoors before you head to the parks since it takes 30 minutes for them to take effect. That also cures the blowing-in-the-wind problem. The cooling effect type spray that I tried really did stink and made my skin feel weird. I don't really like to be cold. I picked it up by accident while in a hurry to get to the beach. I don't know the brand b/c I gave that one away quickly!

[holden]

I usually lotion up in the AM and then bring the spray sunscreen to reapply later. Also, I found that the spray turns white clothing/bathingsuits yellow, so be careful with it.

[JLKennedy]

Love the spray on.

2 things:

You don't get any "more" coverage with any spf over 50, it's a marketing trick.

2 and most important:

with spray on sunscreen, DO NOT RUB IN! It will cause the "mist" to become uneven. Last year a Disney, we saw a guy at WL and he had white streaks, I chuckled and said, did you rub in your spray? He said nope, the wife did......

[rosiep]

You only get approx 6 applications from one bottle of spray.

Thanks! That's very helpful info! :thumbsup2

[When'sTheNextTrip]

I've used the spray sunscreen at the beach before, because I like to lay out and DF likes to spend most of the time in the ocean, so there's nobody to rub in a lotion on my back usually. I never had a problem with the spray sunscreen. It works just a well, and I think it's easier to use. I use Aveeno.

But I don't use the spray for my face. Not sure why, but spraying sunscreen on my face just doesn't sound good to me. I stick with the traditional lotion designed specifically for the face. It's not as greasy and doesn't leave my hands feeling gross after I use it.

[ZoZo]

Love the Neutrogena brand! It goes on very easily (you can even do your own back!) and is not greasy or sticky at all. I use it everywhere but my face. I

t seems to really work, too -- I used it on my last WDW trip and didn't get sunburned at all. The instructions say "make sure to apply until you have a visible layer that you can see". If you under-apply it, it won't work as well.

Edited to add: I tried the Coppertone Sport spray and hated it. It went on like cement, had a terrible texture (almost like I'd rubbed glue on my skin). It was so waterproof that I had to scrub and scrub with a soapy washcloth to get it off. The only time I'd every use it again would be at a waterpark, where it's really important to have the waterproof feature. But now that Neutrogena has a waterproof "sport" version of their spray, that's what I'm going to use in October!

[heathere3]

As someone who is unbelievably fair (I burn in <10 minutes in February without sunscreen...) I *LOVE* the Coppertone Sport Spray SPF 50. For those who are concerned about spraying it on their face, here's what I do: spray a couple seconds worth onto my hand and use that to smear it all over my face! You have to work quickly as it evaporates quickly. I also spray more onto my hand and run it as much over my scalp as I can. My only complaint about using it for Disney is that you can't take the spray cans in carry-on luggage. I always pack one in my checked luggage (in a bag) for every day past the first.

[Bluetickmom]

I LOVE the spray on sunscreen! I've used a ton of brands and my favorites are the Aveeno one since I have breakout prone skin and the ones from Neutrogena.

I just purchased the kid version from Neutrogena and it smells like oranges! I hate that chemical smell a lot of the spray on sunscreens have. The coppertone sport one in the blue can is like glue and smells awful but my SIL who burns super fast swears by it for tennis. She says she never sweats it off.

Avoid the Banana Boat ones they leave a greasy residue on your skin.

You do way less out of them then you do a bottle of lotion though, but It's worth it to me to have a hassle free application process when dealing with my inpatient kids. Also, I have no problem sunblocking my own back, etc. which is near impossible with lotion.

Now, I do spray my own face. I just clamp my eyes shut and pull my lips in. But on the kids I use a coppertone kids sunblock stick. And I use the scalp lotion that is for infants on their parts. It doesn't make the surrounding hair greasy or crunchy like traditional sunblock. Baby blanket and coppertone both make them.

[Head_in_the_clouds]

Another vote for Coppertone Sport :thumbsup2! It was on buy one get one free in Walmart in Orlando three weeks ago when we were there.

[marybrat]

We use spray on all the time at home. But for some reason, I always bring lotion to WDW. Must be something in my head that makes me think it works better? Dunno.

[SingingMom]

Banana Boat Quick Dry Sport 30 is what we used this June and all got nice tans and no burning! :cool1: (DH burns and he did great) We do use special lotions for our faces...

[NotUrsula]

Love them, but I've totally ruined about a half-dozen expensive spandex swimsuits with them. Spandex and the propellants in spray sunscreen do NOT get along.

If you wear spandex suits (Miraclesuit, etc.), then make sure NOT to spray any of the sunscreen directly onto the suit -- there is some combination of alcohol and something else that seems to be in the propellant of every brand, and it will completely dissolve the elastic polymer component in the threads -- in a couple of weeks you will end up with sheer baggy patches in the fabric wherever the spray hits the suit. (washing immediately after getting out of the water doesn't help this; once this stuff hits the polymer, it's toast within a couple of weeks -- it begins to just rot.)

Now I stand in the tub and spray the stuff on naked, before I put on the suit. For touchups near the edges of the suit, I now use lotion, and reserve the spray for my arms and legs only. I used to spray my back by letting the sunscreen essentially "rain" while bent over at a 90 degree angle -- these days if I need to do that I go into the bathroom and strip first.

[mitsybella]

I found the spray ran out very quickly, on our last trip I went thru 2 spray bottles for 7 days for 4 of us, a regular bottle will last me several trips, and the smell is awful, my kids if given a choice prefer the regular sun screen because it smells better, I prefer it because it lasts longer

[livndisney]

I know a lot of people really like the spray on sunblock. But I would ask that people be considerate when using the spray. Please don't do it in a crowd or around other people. Some people are allergic and react badly! We have had to leave lines and parade spots because of people spraying sunblock.

[NotUrsula]

I found the spray ran out very quickly, on our last trip I went thru 2 spray bottles for 7 days for 4 of us, a regular bottle will last me several trips, and the smell is awful, my kids if given a choice prefer the regular sun screen because it smells better, I prefer it because it lasts longer

Wow, you really use sunscreen sparingly! You really should be using one full ounce per application per adult (a shot-glass' worth), only a bit less per child. My family of 4 (one 12 yo, one 2 yo, and 2 adults) will go through about 12 cans in a week at WDW, 20 in a week at the beach. With lotion we don't use as much, maybe 5 bottles in a week at WDW.

I don't find the smell of the regular Coppertone to be bad at all. The Neutrogena, OTOH, is lilac-scented -- really cloying.

[traveljunkie2]

I just used the Banana Boat Kid's SPF 50 for a white water rafting trip yesterday. I applied it 3 times over 6 hours and had no burning (without sunscreen I burn within 30 minutes!) I love the ease of it, but it runs out REALLY fast compared to lotion. I think one bottle of spray lasted about 10 applications. I usually have to throw bottles of lotion out because they expire before I use them all up, so I think the sprays are way more costly. But I guess you pay for the convenience.

Oh, the one I used really stinks!

[dancin Disney style]

I just used the Banana Boat Kid's SPF 50 for a white water rafting trip yesterday. I applied it 3 times over 6 hours and had no burning (without sunscreen I burn within 30 minutes!) I love the ease of it, but it runs out REALLY fast compared to lotion. I think one bottle of spray lasted about 10 applications. I usually have to throw bottles of lotion out because they expire before I use them all up, so I think the sprays are way more costly. But I guess you pay for the convenience.

Oh, the one I used really stinks!

I was speaking with a dermatoligist today. To properly apply sunscreen you need 1/2 cup lotion per application for an adult. If you know that you burn in say 10 minutes an SPF15 will give you 150 minutes of coverage.

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I have a sun allergy (PMLE) and I swear by Neutrogena with Helioplex. I use the Cooling Spray (45, not 70) and I have not had a flare-up since I started using it! It is so much lighter than some of the other stuff I had to use in the past. I use Neutrogena w/Helioplex lotion on my face.

I use coppertone kids sport spray on DD with the Coppertone sport stick on her face. Working well so far, but interested in trying the Walgreens that got a good rating in Consumers. I tried Target's generic version, no burns but DD has a little bit of a tan line.

[KAMKIM]

The spray sunscreen does not last at all...I went through 2 bottles in 2wks (at that rate we would have been buying a bottle every week all summer...too expensive) I switched back to the lotion...also for the spray if you do use it...spray them in the grass it leaves some kind of marking on concrete (strange I know but I now I have foot prints on my porch :lmao:)