Question about Coppertone spray...

[lntsmom]

I bought two cans of it, thinking it would get us through a week at WDW. We had to use some last weekend, and today I had to put it on both boys because they're on field trips. I swear, the can feels half empty! Mind you, we aren't talking full body sprays like we'll need on vacation...just arms, necks, and from the knees down.

The last time I bought a 2-pack it lasted us all summer.

Did I grab bad cans this time...have they decreased the amount in each can...or am I just on prevacation overload ?

I'm starting to wonder if I should add a couple more cans to my list of things to order from gardengrocer.

Thoughts?

 

[BKMETV]

We have a pool in the backyard so I spend most of the summer spraying kids with coppertone screen. I usually go through a can a week, so thought I would take two cans to last our trip (9 days)

Ev

 

[3mickeymom]

I love the spray because it is so covenient but I don't think it lasts very long at all. I don't think mine lasted a week the last time I bought a can. I went back to the cream to save money.I would say I only got maybe 10 to 15 applications. I spray it on and then I rub it around Too!

 

[canadianmom2three]

I find it doesn't last long at all, we went thru 3 cans in a week in FLA on March Break, plus some lotion too! I switched to the target brand, they have a 50spf that works as well as the coppertone, and is I think $3 cheaper per can....

 

[jcc0621]

I plan on taking 3 cans in August. We had one can last August and went through it in 5 days and had to buy another one half way through the trip.

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

An average-sized adult should use one ounce per application. So, applying every couple hours, a bottle of lotion would only last a day!! You're supposed to spray the can for 20 seconds!! I'm a little suspicious that the sunscreen companies are writing these reports...

 

[okeydokey]

We usually use the lotion really heavy before we head out and then bring the can for touch ups during the day.

 

[i12go2wdw]

We thought the sprays were so great but I won't be wasting my money on them any more. One big caution is using them in even the smallest wind, the spray may not cover the area you are aiming at and you may get a burn My kisd also hated the rubbery feeling after it dried.
Just my 2cents (or should I say $50 spent on sunscreen for 10 days in Hawaii )

 

[momto2inKC]

We took this with us last year to Disney. 1 can was gone in 2 or 3 days We've decided we'll stick with regular sunscreen from now on.

 

[ameraumi]

I have a daycare and I use the spary on the kids. I went thru a full can in one week: 10 kids a day, two applications a day, all 5 days. I have 2 Mega cans from Sam's in the Disney box ready for us and I will probably take a bottle of lotion just to be safe.

 

[GothTink]

The last time we went to Six Flags, our family of four used an entire can in one day. Just sayin'...

 

[NotUrsula]

3 adults, one 8 yo + 6 days in FL June sun at the beach = 19 cans

At minimum, for full days outdoors, an adult should finish a 6 oz can in no more than two days. If you don't use that much you are shorting it.

We're all red-haired and fair, with a family history of melanoma. The peace of mind is cheap at this price (but I do buy the big cans from Sam's.)

 

[bartleby1]

The spray can went wayyy to quick for us too. So, now we all sunscreen up really well using lotion before we leave the hotel. I bring the can for quick touch ups or reapplying as needed because it is so easy to apply.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I like the Banana Boat sport spray - and yes, it goes fast. I bought the bigger 8 oz. cans at Costco and took 3 for 9 days. There was a little bit left in the 3rd can that I threw away when packing to come home, probably not enough to do all 4 of us another time.

The convenience is worth the extra cost for us, especially on vacation. It's so much quicker in the mornings. DH will NOT apply lotion when golfing , but will use the spray so I always make sure there is a can in his golf bag.

 

[tzolkin]

wow. i must really be doing something wrong. it takes forever for me to go through those cans.

i have two girls and i use lotion on their faces and a quick spray on their shoulders/arms/etc when they go out in the backyard to play. they are very fair-skinned and have never been burned (except maybe twice DH forgot to apply they were a little pink). our yard has alot of shade and we live in central NY so maybe that's made up for my improper use of the product.

i bought 3 cans and lotion for our upcoming trip to FL (4 days to go!!) and i thought that was overkill. reading this makes me think i've misjudged. how often do you reapply each day? i thought am, before swimming, and before heading back to the parks would be sufficient. and i planned to keep it with me if we felt we needed more. the kids also have hats and strollers with sunshades.

 

[pyrxtc]

I brought 4 cans down for our last vacation. I used 3 of them. That was for 6 of us and just a spray down once in the morning except when we were at the beach and were in the sun for most of the day.

 

[kellig]

I the Banana Boat Sport clear no rub spray. This year they included in the name Skin & Scalp as well. It comes in an orange bottle with a spray pump. The bottle lasts A LOT longer than the other spray bottles, covers great, and is wonderful for the hair (not greasy).

 

[NotUrsula]

How often do you reapply each day?

We live in the midwest, at latitude 38.6 degrees. Orlando is at latitude 28.5. Poughkeepsie, NY is at 41.7. Latitude makes a big difference, as does altitude, so a mountain in Colorado can be just as hot in UV exposure terms as a beach in Florida.

While in Florida, anytime we are outside continuously, or if we get wet, we reapply every 90 minutes. During theme park days at WDW, when we are inside about 50% of the time, we reapply approx. every 3 hours until the sun is fully down.

Remember that the concrete walkways at WDW are just as UV reflective as beach sand, and possibly moreso, since they are smooth and flat. Sunlight reflecting off a white surface doubles in intensity.

With the spray, you should see white while applying it, before it begins to evaporate/absorb. You shouldn't be tanning at all if you are using enough. The AMA recommendation is that with lotions, each average adult should use 1 fl. ounce per application, which is a shot-glass' worth of the thicker types. By that calculation, with the 6 oz. aerosol cans, if you have a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids), each can lasts for about 2 applications, or a maximum of about 6 hours' exposure.

I do find the cans expensive, but I think it is worth it for us, because we really apply properly using the cans. The lotion is so sticky and messy that we tend to skimp on it or skip applications, and in my family that is REALLY dangerous. I start buying a 2-pack every time I go to Sam's once it hits the shelves, so that by the time it is full summer we have at least a dozen cans in the house. If we're planning a trip I buy double that.

 

[lntsmom]

I find it doesn't last long at all, we went thru 3 cans in a week in FLA on March Break, plus some lotion too! I switched to the target brand, they have a 50spf that works as well as the coppertone, and is I think $3 cheaper per can....

Thank you for the tip! I'll hit Target this weekend.

I tell you, trying to organize a trip when you live in the middle of nowhere is just impossible! The town I moved to last summer has a population of 3000. If you want to shop you can either go to WalMart...or drive.

I have a whole list of things to grab at Target this weekend. I'll put their spray on my list!

 

[lntsmom]

Thank you all for your input! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks the cans go quickly. Now I have a question....

Is there any danger to applying the invisible zinc oxide at the start of the day, then using another product to touch-up? I had purchased a tube of Neutrogena face sunblock and used it for the first time May 3rd. We went to a parade and carnival that day...elevation 5800'...and my younger son and I both fried! I don't know if it was expired or what, but I figure we'll use it for daily use this summer, and went and bought a pot of the zinc oxide. He used it yesterday on his field trip...all day outside at an elevation of 7000'...and he came home as white as ever.

That got me thinking...could you use it everywhere or would the zinc be an issue?

You know what I miss? When we went to Disneyland in 2005 Avon sold towelettes with sunscreen/bugscreen on them. They were SO handy in the park. No worry of having sunscreen spill inside your bag and you could touch-up anywhere. I can't find that type of product anywhere this time!

Okay, for this weekend...sunglass straps, Target brand spray sunscreen, liquid foundation with an spf 30....