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SPF Stick Sunscreens – Are They As Good As Lotions?
When you last went shopping for sunscreen, you can’t help but have noticed exactly how much choice there is on the market. Once upon a time, there was lotion and nothing else, but now there are a number of options available – which can make your head spin! One of the increasingly popular options, however, is the SPF stick. Though, the question many ask is whether they are as good as lotions.
That’s what we’re going to try and give you an answer for by looking through some of the pros and cons that the product offers.
The Pros of Using an SPF Stick
Ok, so a sunscreen stick is a lightweight option that comes in the form of something that looks quite a lot like a stick deodorant. This convenient product offers a number of benefits, which include:
- No splashes – regular sunscreen lotions can be rather messy, no matter how careful you are with them. Applying it needs to be done in a quiet place with lots of room, so you’re not going to be able to put it on while you’re travelling home on your daily commute. No such problem with a stick though, as it’s far drier than your average lotion and won’t leave you in a mess!
- Nice & Lightweight – another advantage of using an SPF stick is that it’s nice and compact when compared to regular bottles of sunscreen lotion. That means that it’s something that you can easily take to work with you in your bag. That’s not something that can be said about most bottles of lotion you’ll see being advertised.
The Cons of Using a Sunscreen Stick
In the interest of balance, we had to speak about what could be better about using sunscreen in stick form. There are a couple of drawbacks, although they are fairly minor.
- Hard to Get an Even Spread – something you won’t find out until you start using a sunscreen stick is that it can make it more tricky to get an even spread of the stuff. As such, you’re probably going to have to apply the stick numerous times over the same area. In fact, the experts say that 4 swipes of the stick are the minimum amount you should be looking to apply to all areas of your skin.
- Easy to Mix Up With Your Deodorant – ok, so we had to get a little creative with our last minus point, but we have heard of people taking their deodorant to the beach by accident – leaving them with no protection. That’s because they can look very similar. As we said, it’s a minor point, but one that can lead to frustration.
Are SPF Stick Sunscreens As Good As Lotions?
We’re happy to say that sunscreen sticks are as good as lotions, so long as you understand how to use them and the amount that’s necessary to safeguard your skin. For this reason, we’ll caveat that statement by saying that we’d endorse its use as long as everyone reads the instructions and follows what the manufacturer states.
Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the limitations of sunscreen sticks and how they’re used, and you’ll get every bit as much protection as a lotion will provide.
Harper Harrison is a reporter for The Hear UP. Harper got an internship at the NPR and worked as a reporter and producer. harper has also worked as a reporter for the Medium. Harper covers health and science for The Hear UP.