TL;DR: Spray mineral sunscreens work just as well as lotions. The formula’s the same, the SPF’s the same. Where people go wrong is rushing the application, missing bits, or not using enough.
Spray mineral sunscreens are hard to beat if you want real convenience. They’re quick, lightweight, and far less hassle than rubbing in a thick lotion, especially when you’re trying to get out the door quickly because you’re late for work. However, does that convenience come at a cost? Is the product less effective than a standard mineral lotion?
In theory, both sprays and lotions can offer the same level of protection. Mineral products use ingredients like zinc oxide to create a barrier for up to 2 hours. Where the lack of clarity lies is how much the spray bottle format affects things.
As we’ll see moving through this article, it’s not the ingredients on the side of each bottle you need to worry about. It’s more to do with how you go about putting it on.
Do Spray Mineral Sunscreens Actually Work As Well As Lotions?
Mineral sunscreens rely on the same active ingredients, regardless of whether it’s a lotion or a spray, and that means the SPF rating won’t change from one to the other. If both say SPF 30, that’s what each one will give you. So, in theory, that means there’s literally no difference between the two when you use them ‘as intended’, i.e. when you follow the instructions.
The issue is that “exactly as intended” is often not the path that’s followed. In real life, people put them on in sometimes quite different ways, and with a spray, it’s much easier to miss areas if you’re not concentrating on covering every square inch of your skin.
Here’s why you need to think before you put on a spray…
- Making sure it reaches your skin – Wind, movement, and the distance from your skin when spraying can all affect how much sunscreen actually lands where it should. If it’s a blustery day, you can bet that most of what you spray never makes it onto your skin, and it’s why a different approach is needed.
- Even coverage is harder to achieve – Spray sunscreens often go on invisibly, which makes it difficult to see where you’ve already applied the product…and where you haven’t. It’s easy to miss areas like the sides of the body, backs of legs, or along the hairline.
- People tend to skimp when applying – With lotions, you can feel how much you’re using, because it’s right there between your fingers. Sprays, however, can give you a false sense that you’ve covered every area, even after a quick pass. That’s usually where people start running into trouble and ending the day with burned skin.
We’re not at all saying that spray sunscreens are ineffective. What we’re really trying to say is that you just have to pay more attention to how you apply them.
How You Put Sunscreen Spray On Matters The Most
You might have a trusted formula with a high SPF, but if you don’t put the product on properly, that’s not going to count for much. Following on from what we’ve seen so far, it comes down to knowing how to put on sunscreen spray so that you get enough of it on your skin to create the much-needed barrier against the sun’s UV rays.
Re-Think How Much You Need
In the main, people using sunscreen sprays tend to be a little bit miserly when putting it on. A once-over and done, right? Well, while that might ‘feel’ like enough, you need to slow down and think to yourself “Am I protected? Is every part of my skin covered enough?”.
Think about this – if it’s only taking you 20 seconds to put on spray mineral sunscreens, that’s too quick. All you’ll likely have done is cover your face, your shoulders and maybe the tops of your legs. It’s not enough.
You Still Need to Rub It In
Another mistake people tend to make is not rubbing the product in after it’s been sprayed on. As well as making sure the product goes on evenly, it gives you a chance to seek out all those harder-to-reach areas that spraying would surely miss. You shouldn’t see this part as optional.
It’s Easy To Miss Spots Without Noticing
Sprays go on clear, which makes it harder to see where you’ve already applied. Areas like the sides of your body, backs of legs, and around the edges of your face are easy to skip without realising. A good habit to get into is to apply in sections rather than all at once, so you can keep track of where you’ve covered before moving on.
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So, Are Spray Mineral Sunscreens Less Effective Than Lotions?
If you’re using them properly, no. A mineral spray can protect your skin just as well as a lotion. It all boils down to how people use them in the real-world. The spraying part is easy, right? Great, but you MUST back that up by rubbing it in and seeking out every area of skin. Ideally, you’ll have someone there with you (if you’re at the beach), who can help.
So, while sprays can be more convenient, the crux of the matter is whether you put enough product on and in the right places. Give it enough time and attention, and a sunscreen spray can become your new favorite sunscreen tool.
