#NotAllSpraySunscreens

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When I started to write this post, I was tempted to use a clickbaity/XOJane style headline like, "I use forbidden spray sunscreen and I don't feel bad about it! Here's why." You know, because I am such a rebel. But that seemed to obnoxious even to me, and instead I went for this not-at-all played out hashtag title.

Kinesys Performance SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray

I've seen articles all over the place recently about why spray sunscreens are The Worst. Beautiful With Brains posted an excellent explanation of why these things should be avoided last year, and I strongly recommend you read it. I agree with her on every point. And yet my everyday sunscreen is a spray, and I have no plans to stop using it. Here's why (ahem):

I use Kinesys SPF 30 spray sunscreen, which is a clear, alcohol-free, broad spectrum sunscreen. It's a chemical sunscreen that contains octinoxate, octocrylene, octisalate, and avobenzone. I avoid mineral sunscreens because they tend to break me out.

Despite its being packaged in a spray bottle, I never apply it by spraying directly on my skin. That's because I only use this on my face. I use cheaper lotion sunscreens on my body, since I'm much less picky about what things feel like when they're not going to be near my eyes. My biggest problem with the vast majority of facial sunscreens is that they inevitably migrate into my eyes and burn like a bitch. This stuff is one of the few that I have found (and I've tried many) that almost never does that. It also plays really well with makeup. In fact, I find that it works even better under makeup than on its own, because most foundations and powders help to set the sunscreen and ensure that it really, really, doesn't smear.

Some sunscreens that are SPF 30 or higher also cause an unpleasant burning sensation on the sensitive skin around my eyes, even when they stay put. This one doesn't, so I can apply it directly to my eyelids, which obviously need as much protection from the sun as the rest of my face.

Just because it comes in a spray bottle doesn't mean you have to apply it by spritzing yourself. If you think about it, with a product as thin as this, there are limited types of dispensers that will work well. It could come with a dropper or a really small opening at the top, I suppose, but a spray nozzle works just fine. I squirt the sunscreen directly in the palm of my hand (multiple times) and then apply it to my face just like I would do with a lotion. It's easy to control how much I apply and how evenly I apply it when I do it that way. If you hold the nozzle less than an inch from your hand, you can avoid any mess at all, and there's no risk that you will inhale the stuff, which is one of the potential hazards of spray sunscreens in general.

Here's what it looks like:

This Kinesys sunscreen also doesn't contain alcohol like many of the other dreaded spray sunscreens, nor does it come in a wasteful aerosol can.

The best testimonial I can give you for this sunscreen comes from my boyfriend who, like many men our age, never bothered to wear sunscreen for most of his life. I know that this is a generalization, and #notallmen, but in my experience, dudes tend to be much more picky about the texture of products they put on their skin and especially on their faces. That may be because they haven't been told their whole lives that they will be more successful at performing their gender if they smear various things on their faces every day. One of the reasons my partner avoided sunscreen is because it usually feels greasy and unpleasant to him. I finally convinced him to try this stuff, and he commented with a look of shock: "I can't feel it at all! It's like there's nothing on my face." So there you have it.

Of course, that meant I had to give him my spare bottle of expensive sunscreen for the good of his health, but I guess it's worth it. Sigh. I use this on my face every day, and a bottle lasts me about a year. I still have half my current bottle left, so I won't have to restock for a while.

Anyway, there's my annual plug for this sunscreen, in case you are someone who has also had a hard time finding a comfortable facial sunscreen. This Kinesys spray might not seem like an obvious choice, but it works wonderfully for me. If you can tolerate chemical sunscreens, and you haven't found one that you love yet, I encourage you to try this one. I haven't seen it in stores, but you can get it for $14 on Amazon right now, which is the cheapest price I've found (when I bought this bottle it was $18 so, as always, shop around).