Best Spray Sunscreens of 2024

Check out tips that make applying spray sunscreen safer and more effective, along with the best sprays from CR's tests

By Karyn Repinski

Updated by Kala Herh and Daphne Yao

Updated June 1, 2024

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Woman applying suntan spray onto her legs — Sunscreen sprays are often easier to apply than lotions, but they also pose health risks if not used properly.

Spray (or aerosol) sunscreens are popular in part because they’re easy to apply, but their convenience comes at a cost. If you aren’t careful when you use them, you may not actually be getting much of the product on your skin, and there are also some safety risks, especially during windy days and near open flames. Follow these tips to stay safe and to make sure you’re getting proper coverage, and check out the highest-scoring spray sunscreens in CR’s tests.

Tips for Applying Spray Sunscreen

Be conscious of where you use sprays. “Make sure you apply spray sunscreen in a well-ventilated area,” says Ashita Kapoor, associate director of product safety at Consumer Reports. Sprays can cause lung irritation if you accidentally breathe them in. Some sprays contain titanium dioxide, which, when inhaled in large amounts, has been linked to cancer in rodent studies. Benzene exposure may also be a concern. In recent years, some sunscreen sprays have been recalled for contamination with the chemical, which is known to cause cancer.

Skip sprays for kids. Children are more likely to squirm when they’re being sprayed, so the spray could inadvertently go toward their face and be inhaled. CR recommends that caregivers avoid using spray sunscreens on kids unless no other product is available. And if you have to use a spray, spray the product into your hands and then rub it onto your child’s skin.

Keep sprays away from your face. To avoid inhaling potentially dangerous ingredients, never spray sunscreen directly onto your face. Instead, spray sunscreen on your hands and rub it on, making sure to avoid your eyes and mouth.

Hold the nozzle close to your skin and spray generously. It takes about an ounce of sunscreen to fully cover an adult’s body. But with a spray it’s hard to see how much you’re applying, creating the possibility that you’ll use too little and miss spots. A good rule is to spray until your skin glistens.

Rub it in thoroughly. Even if the sunscreen is labeled “no rub,” you should still smooth it into your skin for at least 10 seconds to get an even layer of coverage, says Mona Gohara, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn. “Otherwise, you’ll inevitably miss spots.”

Avoid sprays on windy days. “On windy days, you may be protecting the air more than your skin,” Gohara says. Up to 79 percent of spray sunscreen can be lost under light wind conditions on a beach, according to a 2021 report published by Griffith University in Australia, and the spray may blow into your face more easily. If no other sunscreen is available, spray it into your hands before rubbing it on your body.

Don’t use sprays if you’re going to be near an open flame. The alcohol in spray sunscreen is flammable. “When applying spray sunscreen, make sure you are not near a grill or another heat or open flame source,” Kapoor says. Even when your spray sunscreen is thoroughly rubbed in and dry, you should still stay away from flames. The Food and Drug Administration has had reports of people wearing spray sunscreen near a flame suffering significant burns that required medical treatment. Burns have the potential to be more severe on children than on adults, which is yet another reason CR advises not to use spray sunscreens on kids.

Best Spray Sunscreens

In CR’s tests, we look at how well a sunscreen protects against the sun’s ultraviolet A and B rays. These spray sunscreens are at the top of our ratings. For more information on how CR tests sunscreens, check out our sunscreen buying guide. CR members can delve into our full sunscreen ratings of dozens of lotion, spray, facial, and stick products.

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Always apply spray sunscreen in a well-ventilated area—and keep sprays away from an open flame. Learn more through the link in our bio. #skintok #sunscreen #skinhealth #sunscreenisimportant
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Karyn Repinski

Karyn Repinski is an award-winning freelance writer who contributes to Consumer Reports on a range of health-related topics. Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., she has covered health, beauty, and nutrition for the past 25 years and has held senior positions at several national magazines.