If I had to choose a brand to create a beauty lover's spray SPF, it would be Image, an aesthetician-favorite brand. The spray-and-go formula is totally clear and dries without any of the sticky or chemical-like residue associated with normal SPFs. Another point above regular SPF sprays: There's no hint of that Deet-esque chemical scent. The spray has the same citrus and almond fragrance as the brand's moisturizers, which somehow evoke both the beach and plain old good skin-care. For natural sunscreen fans, the brand also offers a mineral version that's only a tinge more opaque.
We sometimes associate mineral sunscreens with uber-protective, thick layers of chalky lotion. But in 2017, natural sunscreen brands have it all figured out. This hypo-allergenic, gluten-, dairy-, soy-, paraben-, sulfate-, and fragrance-free SPF is made with clear zinc oxide, which means no white streaks. Bonus: This sheer sunscreen is so gentle, it's recommended for use on babies and kids, too.
The rich coca butter formula that gets you through the dry skin of winter can now protect you all summer long, too. Palmer's added its cult favorite active ingredients, cocoa and shea butter, to a spray sunscreen formula. Since it's basically our favorite scent and it comes in a convenient spray bottle, we're going to go ahead and refer to this one as our beach perfume.
Neutrogena's iconic sheer sunscreen goes on like a lotion before quickly absorbing into skin as a matte layer of protection that's barely detectable. It's lightweight, less than ten dollars and sold in pretty much every drugstore in America.
Designed specifically for anyone who avoids typical sunscreen textures, this lotion melts into your skin like water -- as promised. Smooth without the watered down-texture of a messy, liquid-like sunscreen, this formula is especially easy to apply. The gel base has a cooling effect, which makes it even more covetable on hot summer days.
