Spray on Sun Screen

Updated on June 06, 2012
J.C. asks from Bronxville, NY
9 answers

So I went to use it the other day and my friend said that spray on sunscreen has been shown to cause sterility.

Anyone else hear this? I did a quick Google serch but I thought I'd come here.

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So What Happened?

Thanks! I guess my main concern is camp. I can lather her up big time in the AM but she swims twice a day and is at camp ALL DAY. So I want to make it as easy on the counselors as possible so that they put it on her. I"m afraid they will not bother or do a sloppy job if it is lotion.

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H.M.

answers from Dallas on

i have never heard that before. But I would be very careful using it cause the one time I used it I smelled more alcohol in it than sun screen and it did not work as good as lotion does.

1 mom found this helpful

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L.V.

answers from Dallas on

I have never heard this. I did a quick Google search, too, and found nothing. That probably means that your friend heard it somewhere and chose to repeat it without checking out the facts. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Especially for kids, it's so much easier to use because it's fast and evenly applied.

2 moms found this helpful

N.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

Never heard that. Geeze.

I use it exclusively in my home daycare and have for several years. I use several brands, as long as it is the "continuous spray" stuff. The Target brand, Walmart has a generic, and just bought the "No Ad" kids version at Walmart the other day as it was the best value. Have used Coppertone, etc. Sometimes I get the kids version or just the regular 30 spf or higher.

I have never ever ever had a kid burn. Ever. In what? 5 years since I discovered this gem of a product. I hate lotion. So messy and time consuming with so many kids. For faces, my kids all..ALL the time, wear Gilligan type bucket hats. I train them from babies, and then I will spray some of the sunscreen into my own hands and fingers and lightly wipe it onto their noses and chins and cheeks for extra protection, avoiding the eyes and delicate areas. Never had a burn or sensitive issue.

One of THE best products for me! Ever. Hands down!

1 mom found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Never heard of that.
But be careful if you use it around heat or fires....

1 mom found this helpful
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T.W.

answers from Syracuse on

I haven't heard that before but I have heard that spray on sunscreens can be harmful to your health. Check out ewg.org for the safest sunscreens to use.

1 mom found this helpful

☼.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I've never heard of that, but did you read that a man caught on fire after using Banana Boat spray on sunscreen the other day? Seems he sprayed it on, away from his barbecue, then walked over to the barbecue a few minutes later and caught on fire.

Anyway, spray on sunscreens contain nanoparticles that can be harmful to lungs, so we don't use them. This is from the EWG's site:
"Why shouldn’t I use sunscreen sprays and powders?

EWG does not recommend powder and spray sunscreens because of concerns about inhalation. The FDA is considering rejecting both on the grounds that they cannot be applied properly to ensure adequate skin protection (FDA 2011a). EWG is especially concerned about inhalation of nano- or microsize zinc and titanium in powdered sunscreens. Inhalation is a much more direct route of exposure to these compounds than skin penetration, which appears to be low in healthy skin. If you want the benefits of a mineral sunscreen, choose a zinc- or titanium-containing lotion instead of a powder. When using a pump or spray sunscreen, lower your inhalation risk by applying the product on your hands and then wiping it on your face."

1 mom found this helpful

C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

That is not something I'd heard, and frankly, it sounds bogus to me. I've been using spray sunscreen for years and it didn't make me sterile! (She said, as she peeled her 6-year old off of her arm...) I use spray sunscreen on both of my kids. Sun damage is a major concern; anything you can do to make it so your child doesn't get burned is a good thing!

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Wow, never heard that.

But I did see a story on the news about a guy who sprayed sun screen on himself and then went over to his bar-b-que grill and actually caught on fire from the sunscreen.

Lesson - wait at least one minute after spraying that on you to be around any flames! Make sure your daughter knows this also.

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