Is spray sunscreen dangerous?
The FDA hasn’t decided yet, but in the meantime, Consumer Reports recommended that people avoid it until we know better, particularly on kids. After personally testing over 100 natural sunscreens, I’m treating it as NOT SAFE for three huge reasons, the third of which you’ll see right away in this video:
If you can’t view the video above, find it at “spray sunscreen is dangerous” on YouTube.
What do you think? Is spray-on sunscreen bad for you?
The FDA started the process of investigating spray sunscreens (and more) in 2011.
But they never finalized their recommendations! The proposed rules in the Federal Register say: “Considering the greatly increasing number of sunscreen products formulated as sprays, it is critical that the safety and effectiveness of this dosage form be adequately supported.”
And what has happened in that time, between 2011 and the present? The number of spray sunscreens on the market has only increased, even though we have no idea if they’re safe and effective or not!
I want to be the voice saying NO WAY, NO SPRAY SUNSCREENS, especially to daycare centers who are requiring that parents bring ONLY spray sunscreen!
Here are some notes from the video for those who would rather read:
1. Aerosol Spray Sunscreen has an Inhalation Danger
If you can smell it, particles are going into your lungs.
In the same way as secondhand smoke can cause cancer, whatever is in the spray sunscreen is being delivered to your kids’ lungs, and we’re really not sure the effect it may have. Allergy doctors in particular are concerned about its impact on kids, especially those with allergies or asthma already.
“The substances will go into the body and will have to be dealt with through the liver…the largest filtration organ of the body.”
We really don’t know when babies’ livers begin to work properly to filter the junk they’re exposed to through skin, air and food, which is why many personal care products simply aren’t rated for kids under 2.
Most say to hold your breath when spraying sunscreens, but very young children aren’t good at holding their breath anyway.
Personally, I’m much more cautious. I don’t want it around my kids at all.
2. Conventional Sunscreen Isn’t Safe for Your Skin Anyway
I’ve written about the dangers of chemical sunscreen many times, but in a nutshell, the two greatest risks of the active ingredients in conventional sunscreens are:
- hormone disruptors that act as estrogen in the body after being absorbed through the skin and are also potent allergens for some children
- free radicals (cancer-causing!) formed when the sunscreen reacts chemically with the sun
If it’s not safe for your skin, it’s certainly not safe for your lungs. Ditch the sprays!
Erik Kreider is the guy lighting things on fire in the video, and he graciously gave me permission to use clips. He’s also a Standford-trained biochemist who formulated one of our favorite sunscreens ever, Kabana – the only one to start and stay on the “top recommended list” in our massive sunscreen review since 2010.
3. Spray Sunscreen is Highly Flammable
As you saw in the video, aerosol spray sunscreen is flammable, and there are documented cases of people catching fire after applying spray sunscreen, when they walked up to the grill or even stood too close to a citronella candle, for example. Some of these incidents results in spray sunscreen recalls.
Although the FDA hasn’t officially ruled spray sunscreens out, their 2013 consumer update confirms:
“These incidents suggest that there is a possibility of catching fire if you are near an open flame or a spark after spraying on a flammable sunscreen—even if you believe you have waited a sufficient time for the sunscreen to dry and your skin feels dry.”
If that’s not all enough, spray sunscreen is also pegged for having lower SPF than advertised and being notoriously mis-applied, such that people think they’re spraying evenly but really are not getting consistent coverage at all. For many reasons, Consumer Reports repeated their 2011 recommendation in 2014:
“Because of those safety concerns, Consumer Reports doesn’t recommend spray sunscreens for children.”
They’re not the only voice telling us to ditch the spray sunscreens!
“Incomplete protection frequently occurs, and the spray aspect can lead to inhalation of the sunscreen, which is dangerous for the lungs,” says Dr. Danelle Fisher, chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. “Overall, lotion sunscreen is preferable to spray sunscreen for children.” (source)
Safe Alternatives to Conventional Spray Sunscreen
I get it.
Sprays are SUPER convenient. They’re so quick to reapply on your kids, they pretty much don’t have to towel off and you barely have to look away from the book you’re reading poolside.
But.
Chronic disease is pretty time-consuming, I understand. Let’s invest these few minutes please moms?
There are 3 alternatives that I feel are “quicker” than a tube of cream:
1. Facial Sticks
Our 100 sunscreen tests have included about a dozen sticks. The ones we liked are as follows, in order:
- Raw Elements (tinted and plain on Amazon) Get 10% off with the code KS10 at Raw Elements
- Badger Tangerine & Vanilla stick
- Trader Joe’s stick
- Butterbean Sport Stick
- Avasol sticks
- Rubber Ducky/Carefree Naturals
- Babo Botanicalss Sport Shield
- Bare Belly Organics (this is a “body” stick the size of a deodorant – they also sell a facial stick that is smaller, but the per-ounce price is so much higher, just use this one!)
- Purple Prairie sunstick
There is one downside to the stick sunscreens, according to research, and that’s the light application problem. Sticks tend to go on pretty thinly, so it’s possible that you’re not applying enough to get the promised SPF protection. But if you KNOW that risk, you can work harder to get it on thick, and as long as you’re not seeing sunburns, chances are good the UVA (cancer-causing) rays are also not getting through.
You can watch me put on sunscreen sticks in this video from Facebook where we demo 8 of them.
2. Tins/Tubs of Sunscreen
It sounds silly, but if you’re a parent you know that any minor efficiency is GOLDEN. Having sunscreen cream in a tub that sits open for your finger to fly in and out of as you apply to wriggling toddlers is truly just *that* much quicker than picking up and squeezing a tube ten times. Every bit helps!
We’ve enjoyed quite a few tubs of sunscreens (and didn’t like others). Here are the good ones:
- Raw Elements (tinted facial moisturizer and a larger tub of the regular cream on Amazon) Get 10% off with the code KS10 at Raw Elements
- A Wholesome Home
- Butterbean
- Bare Belly Organics
Too much to digest?
I organized alllll the sunscreens we reviewed in their recommendation category – one page at-a-glance to find out what is safe to buy AND works! Print it or save to your phone for reference!
The guide also includes answers to questions people ask me all the time:
- Which brand rubs in the clearest?
- What’s the best for all day outdoor sports?
- How do I save money on natural sunscreens?
- What looks good on ladies’ faces?
- Is there an option that is FAST to apply to wiggly kids?
I’ll send a copy to your email so you can find it later, but you’ll also be taken right there to reduce overwhelm!
3. Sprays with Zinc Oxide
Until a year or two ago, all the “sprays” with purely zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, the only safe active ingredients in my well-researched opinion, were really more of a “squirt.” The bottle would squirt some thin lotion on your hand and then you had to rub it in anyway. It was a step in the right direction but a far cry from the convenience of the conventional petrochemical sprays.
Now we’re seeing some actual continuous sprays emerge, most of which aren’t aerosol (which is good! Inhalation danger!) so you still have to rub them in, but they behave a LOT like the conventional sprays. They’re worth looking into.
I tested a handful and decided that they don’t even fit the categories over at my big natural sunscreen review, because although I’m not a fan of sprays for a few reasons, there are some that are better than others if you must have a spray (some daycares require them) or just really want one (some teens desire them to fit in). I’m going to include those reviews right here, in order of how much we liked them:
ACCEPTABLE: MyChelle Dermaceuticals Sun Shield Clear Spray
Price: 2018 price estimate: ~$16-$20 ($6 oz.) ~$2.60-$3.30/ounce
EWG rating: 3
SPF: 30
Active ingredient(s): Zinc Oxide 12%
Other ingredients: Bentonite, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco Glucoside, Glycerin, Heptyl Undecylenate, Jojoba Esters, Methyl Dihydroabietate, Triethyl Citrate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Water
Antioxidants added: safflower oil, vanilla
Where to purchase: Amazon, MyChelle, Thrive Market
Ease of application: +/-
Scent: vanilla
Water resistant? rated for 80 minutes
My experience:
This continuous spray comes out like a proper aerosol, a fine mist of white on the skin. You do have to rub it in, so it’s nothing like the mist that children walk through with conventional sprays. It rubs in very clear.
I can tell it is the spray my family liked the best, because it’s twice as light as the others after a full summer of having them all at our disposal equally. We also noted that it rubs in better than Goddess Garden’s spray on wet skin, which is often what parents are trying to use sprays for as well.
The bottle shows no sign of clogging or giving up, which is good, because these tend to at times!
I’d say if you must have a spray, choose this brand or the next one and use with caution, reminding kids to hold their breath. Also be careful not to spray on clothing; like all zinc-based formulas, it will stain!
Note: This brand seems to have other good creams beyond the spray; we haven’t reviewed them though.
ACCEPTABLE: Babo Spray
Price: 2018 price estimate: ~$16-$22 (6 oz.) ~$2.60-$3.60/ounce
EWG rating: 1
SPF: 30
Active ingredient(s): Zinc Oxide 12% (Non-Nano)
Other ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Bentonite, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract*, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract*, Coco Glucoside, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Heptyl Undecylenate, Jojoba Esters, Methyl Dihydroabietate, Nasturtium Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract*, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract*, Spiraea Ulmaria Flower Extract*, Water. (*Certified Organic Ingredients)
Antioxidants added: Sunflower Seed Oil
Where to purchase: Babo, Amazon, Thrive Market
Ease of application: +/-
Scent: mild and pleasant, like sunscreen
Water resistant? rated for 80 minutes
My experience:
Babo’s continuous spray sunscreen behaves almost identically to MyChelle – proper aerosol spray action in a white mist, then needing to rub in, perhaps a second or two longer. It disappears nicely and doesn’t feel sticky.
Interestingly, this cap looks exactly like MyChelle and they both spray the same, and next two also look like one another but different from these two, and THEY spray the same (poorly).
Babo is another acceptable option if you must have a spray, with the same cautions as I list above under MyChelle.
Want to SEE These Mineral Spray Sunscreens in Action?
If you can’t view the video above, click mineral spray sunscreen demo to see it directly on YouTube.
Share with friends and learn from others’ comments using the Facebook version HERE.
VERY POOR: Goddess Garden SPF 30 Kids Continuous Spray for Sensitive Skin
Price: 2018 price estimate: ~$12-18 (6 oz.) ~$2-3/ounce
EWG rating: 3
SPF: 30
Active ingredient(s): Titanium Dioxide 6.4%, Zinc Oxide 6.0%
Other ingredients: Aloe Vera, Glycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Oil, Iron Oxide, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Lecithin, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Xanthan Gum Certified Organic
Note: the “sport” version in the blue bottle has more antioxidants and oils. We tested the greenAntioxidants added: sunflower oil, lavender oil, Vitamin E
Where to purchase: Thrive Market, Amazon
Ease of application: – There’s just so much rubbing in, it takes too long!
Scent: lavender
Water resistant? rated for 80 minutes; we saw beading up in water for sure
My experience:
The first to sample we got of Goddess Garden spray mineral sunscreen was completely used up by my kids and their friends on a family vacation. I barely got a chance to test it out, and I wondered if the speed at which it disappeared was indicative of the fact that it was high-quality or just easy to grab for the kids.
It’s definitely an indicator that spray sunscreens just don’t last as long. In fact, I would never take one on an airplane vacation for the pure fact that they disappear so quickly, and you would have to pack way too many to make sense in your limited luggage.
It turns out that kids just have very low standards. The spray has one of those ingredients in it that makes it feel very smooth and slick, but it also means it looks like white out at first and you have to rub and rub and rub to get it to disappear. It sprays very thickly, more like a water gun than a continuous spray.
It goes on very poorly if you’re damp/sweaty and once it’s on, it becomes more whitish as you get wet or sweat. Plus, after a few months we found that the spray is starting to clog up, and I’ve heard that from readers multiple times as well. So plenty of problems, plus it uses titanium dioxide and all the others are zinc only.
The positive: This may be the only “continuous” spray mineral sunscreen that isn’t officially aerosol, because it doesn’t say “contents under pressure” and “do not puncture.” That probably reduces the risk of particles being dispersed finely into the air and inhaled and perhaps flammability, but it also means it might as well be a tube of lotion…
Bottom line: This is not what parents are looking for in a spray sunscreen. The mineral sprays just aren’t convenient, and this brand is one of the worst. (Here’s a video from the formulator to show how you DO need to rub it in.)
AWFUL: Alba Botanica Very Emollient Mineral Spray Sunscreen
Price: 2018 price estimate: ~$14-$16 (6 oz.) ~$2.30-$2.60/ounce
EWG rating: 4
SPF: 35
Active ingredient(s): Titanium Dioxide 6.8%, Zinc Oxide 6.4%
Other ingredients: Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract Jojoba Esters, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate.
Antioxidants added: calendula, chamomile, ginkgo biloba, green tea extract, vitamin E
Where to purchase: Amazon
Ease of application: –
Scent: pleasant, sunscreen-y and flowery
Water resistant? rated for 80 minutes; I’d question that
My experience:
If you always remember to shake this mineral spray sunscreen for at least 10 seconds, you might have a better first experience than us. However, if you don’t read or believe that part, it’s a total disaster.
Our initial notes included things like, “Holy yuck!!” and “We hate it!” It was so runny in our hands that you couldn’t get it to our faces at all, and it absolutely would not rub in even with all the drying in the world if someone was a bit sweaty.
On my daughter’s legs, we literally could not get it to rub it in, which has only happened with one or two other brands ever. I worried that it would wash right off in the water. On my son, it rubbed in better and did bead up in the water, but it was also visibly white, which is never what people are looking for in a spray.
It squirts like a squirt gun instead of a continuous spray, like Goddess Garden (and then worse).
I have to give Alba props for including great antioxidants, better than the others we reviewed here, BUT they also used the preservative phenoxyethanol, which has a questionable profile and I always looks for brands that exclude it. 🙁
The runny problem that made it slide right through our fingers IS resolved by shaking the bottle 10 seconds or more. We finally figured that out a few days after shooting the video above. However, it is still desperately hard to rub in, so between that and the inhalation danger of any zinc spray, this brand’s spray sunscreen does not get my recommendation at all.
Just be Careful…
I thought I had found another new one that fit my criteria, but I was SO wrong! I made a video for you just to show how I almost got greenwashed. It’s tricky! Just remember to watch for ONLY zinc oxide (preferably) or possibly titanium dioxide in the “active” ingredients, nothing more.
You can do this, moms!
Too much to digest?
I organized alllll the sunscreens we reviewed in their recommendation category – one page at-a-glance to find out what is safe to buy AND works! Print it or save to your phone for reference!
The guide also includes answers to questions people ask me all the time:
- Which brand rubs in the clearest?
- What’s the best for all day outdoor sports?
- How do I save money on natural sunscreens?
- What looks good on ladies’ faces?
- Is there an option that is FAST to apply to wiggly kids?
I’ll send a copy to your email so you can find it later, but you’ll also be taken right there to reduce overwhelm!
Share it with People You Love!!
Kris says
Just wanted to let you know dads are concerned too. Not only “moms” can do this. Thanks for the info.
Katie Kimball @ Kitchen Stewardship says
Amen to that and thank you Kris! I get a little worked up on video sometimes! 😉 But I am so glad that lots of FAMILIES out there are getting on board with natural solutions!! 🙂 Katie