Protect your Skin this Summer with these Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Products
When you picture yourself lounging by the beach or laying on a chase in front of a pool, the daydream probably includes you (or some hot cabana boy) slathering some sunscreen onto your arms, legs, back, and thighs. And, given the prominence of certain sun care brands — chief among them Coppertone, Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic — the sunscreen in this fantasy is likely to be made by one of these established and instantly recognizable brands. Not one to rest on its laurels — or on the iconic status of its logo, replete with two Chinese hibiscus flower accents — Hawaiian Tropic continues formulating new products meant to improve the experience of sun bathers everywhere.
In recent years, there’s been quite a push to better educate people about skin cancer and, in turn, about the need to protect their exposed skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays at all times — not just when frolicking on sandy shores or picnicking in the park. But, since modern life moves at a break-neck speed, many folks often bypass the sunscreen application process, deeming it too time-consuming or worrying about how it might feel or smell. To simplify the process and make the sunscreen application process more convenient for those on-the-move, several brands have released spray-on versions of their products that allow users to simply spritz and go.
Hawaiian Tropic recently introduced a product in this category: the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Sunscreen Clear Mist Spray ($9.99 at mass grocery and drug retailers), available with SPF 15 or SPF 30 protection. This spray-on sunscreen not only offers UVA and UVB protection (it contains 7.7% octocrylene to block the sun’s UVB rays; 3% oxybenzone, which absorbs UVB rays and short-wave UVA rays; and 1% avobenzone, which absorbs the full range of UVA rays), but it also hydrates the skin thanks to a combination of antioxidant-rich and soothing botanical ingredients like aloe extract, a cooling and skin calming agent; passionflower extract, which has anti-inflammatory benefits; frangipani extract, which is easily absorbed by skin and works to smooth and soften it; cocoyam root extract, believed to have skin conditioning benefits; mango extract, which has antioxidant properties and hydrates, lubricates, and nourishes skin; and papaya extract, which is rich in antioxidants and also works as a natural exfoliant.
To apply the Silk Hydration Clear Mist Spray, you simply have to hold the can upright about 4 to 6 inches from the area you wish to cover and then press down on the brown applicator. A small mist will be released and you’ll feel a cooling sensation as the clear-colored sunscreen lands on your skin. You can then spread it over the desired area and, in less than a minute, the skin will have absorbed the product, leaving behind none of the sticky reside, chalky white gunk, or ghost-like cast associated with old-school sunscreens. The one drawback: when you first spray the sunscreen onto your skin, you’ll notice a really overpowering smell reminiscent of the cough-inducing odor of a cloud of Aqua Net hairspray. It’s a very off-putting smell but, luckily, it doesn’t last long. Within a couple of minutes, the smell will ebb away and what will be left on your skin will be a sweeter, fruitier, papaya-tinged scent. It’s an artificial fragrance and it does, in fact, register as such to your senses, so that you won’t experience the mouth-watering sensation of smelling an authentic tropical fruit fragrance. That being said, it’s also not an unpleasant fragrance and, in fact, is so light that you can easily disguise it under your favorite perfume (it would conflict with the latter).
If you’re not in a serious rush, I’d recommend reaching for the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen since you won’t have to grapple with that unsettling smell released when you spritz on the Clear Mist. It might take you longer to smooth the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen onto your skin, but the precursor to the Silk Hydration Clear Mist delivers more intense hydration since the formula incorporates fatty acid-rich shea butter and mango seed butter, hydrating silk amino acids, and vitamin-rich guava extract, in addition to the papaya, aloe, passionflower, and frangipani extracts in the Clear Mist spray. Unlike other sunscreen lotions on the market, this one features a dual ribbon formula meant to simultaneously moisturize and deliver broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection.
The Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen won’t be absorbed as quickly as the mist sunscreen — as with any cream-based sunscreen or lotion, you will have to rub it vigorously until the skin absorbs it — but it will make your skin feel smoother and softer than the spray-on version. On the downside, however, the lotion version has a more potent fragrance and it’s not as fruity or sweet but, rather, has that heavy chemical quality we associate with traditional sunscreens. Still, you can disguise it pretty well with your favorite perfume or body mist, so there are ways to work around this particular issue.
My favorite Hawaiian Tropic summertime product, however, is the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion ($7.99 at mass grocery and drug retailers). As with the Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen, this product has a dual ribbon formula but, instead of it being a helix of sunscreen and lotion, this one combines ribbons of gel and lotion so that you get the cooling sensation associated with a traditional aloe gel but without the ensuing tackiness or stickiness. Thanks to ingredients like shea butter, silk proteins, aloe extract, passionflower extract, papaya extract, cocoa butter, mango seed butter, guava extract, frangipani extract, cocoyam extract, glycerin and panthenol, this after sun lotion instantly cools and soothes skin while also delivering long-lasting hydration, softening the skin, improving skin tone, and helping to prevent peeling or cracked patches.
The Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion then, is slightly less viscous than a traditional lotion, but it’s much creamier than a typical gel, so that it really can best be classified as a hybrid between the two. When you first squeeze a dollop onto your skin, it might seem milky and velvety but, once you smooth it onto your skin, the texture will feel more gel-like. With that, of course, will come a degree of stickiness but it’s a fleeting sensation since, luckily, the skin absorbs the gel-lotion rapidly and, once it does, there will be no gumminess, no build-up, and no greasy residue. About five minutes after you work the product into your skin, it will feel smoother, cooler, softer, and more comfortable, making this a true treat for sun-soaked skin.
