Did somebody mention sunshine? You bet I did, in my last post, and I'm doing it again today: Sunshine! Bring it on. Actually, it is bright and sunny here today, and the sunshine is reflecting off the several inches of snow on the ground. Beautiful, really, but not the skin-baring, summer fun kind of sunshine I'm dreaming about.
The reason I mention this at all is because I received a sample in the mail not long ago of a spray sunscreen from KINeSYS, Inc. It is an oil-free, alcohol-free sunscreen with Parsol 1789, a trade name for Avobenzone, a full spectrum UVA absorber. The product also contains ingredients for UVB protection. According to the literature that came with it, the product contains powerful antioxidants, is very water and sweat resistant, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. It comes in SPF 15 and SPF 30 versions.
I can't speak at all about the product's effectiveness as a sunscreen, but I can tell you a little bit about my application experience. The directions are to "spray liberally and evenly to all exposed areas 30 minutes before sun exposure. Goes on wet and will dry in 2 to 3 minutes. For face, spray on hands first, then apply. To increase protection re-apply every two hours or after swimming or exercise." I followed the instructions, spraying liberally on each forearm: one with the mango scented version, the other with an unscented option. You don't have to rub it in or touch it all if you don't want to, but I will tell you that both sides did dry after a few minutes and did not feel at all oily to the touch. I like that I didn't have to rub it in, so no product was left on my hands.
The mango scent was mango-y, but I would choose the unscented version. A third sample, called SPF 30 Girl, came in a vanilla-green tea scent.
You can read about the company at its Web site. KINeSYS also makes sunscreen in a stick, said to be good for hard to protect skin on lips, ears, face and age spots. The KINeSYS products are available at stores in the U.S. and Canada, and online. The 4 oz bottle of the unscented product sells online for $18.99 U.S.
