Now that fall is upon us, I’m starting to feel nostalgic for the summer heat. But I’m excited to breathe crisp, cool air when I run outdoors. Fall is the best time of year for outdoor running, after all. A while ago, I wrote about NO-AD Sport Sunscreen SPF 50 as the best-value sunscreen for summer. But I discovered a problem with that formula: It would start to flake off toward the end of the day, which of course makes me think that it’s not all that effective (especially if I can’t stop rubbing it off). It’s like picking at a scab—if your sunscreen starts to flake, you’re inevitably going to want to rub it until it comes off entirely.

I never had this problem back when I was using Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Sunscreen, so today, I’d like to introduce you to it as another great chemical sunscreen option that’s affordable and easy to apply all over your body. Best of all, it won’t flake off at the end of the day, and it makes you smell like you’re on vacation all the time.

Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30 ingredients

The four active ingredients in this sunscreen are: avobenzone (UVA1), homosalate (UVB), octisalate (UVB), and octocrylene (UVB). So it doesn’t protect against UVA2 rays—for that, you’ll need something else, like oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide. See this table for a full list of active sunscreen ingredients and the range of protection each one provides. Avobenzone is notably unstable—without stabilizing ingredients, it can lose 50 percent of its UV-filtering capabilities in one hour, according to this article. The octocrylene in this formula helps stabilize the avobenzone, and it also protects against UVB rays.

Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Sunscreen is also packed with other antioxidants that help boost its SPF protection, including tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E) and sodium ascorbyl phosphate (a form of vitamin C). Other beneficial ingredients include glycerin, shea butter, aloe vera, vitamin B5 (panthenol), and mango seed butter.

Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30 review

Even though I have a slight obsession with sunscreen, even I find it a bit difficult to feel motivated to apply sunscreen to my body during non-summer months. I’ll apply it to my face, but my body just has so much more surface area, and I’d rather not spend extra time rubbing sunscreen all over my body in the morning before I head out the door.

I’ve found that the number one way to get myself to apply sunscreen more frequently is to make it as easy and as enjoyable as possible. Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Sunscreen manages to accomplish both of these goals. First of all, the texture is absolutely perfect. It’s smooth and creamy, and doesn’t leave you feeling overly oily. It doesn’t leave a white cast, and it’s oil-free. Even though I use it mainly as a sunscreen for my body, on the few occasions when I have applied it to my face in the past, it hasn’t caused any breakouts. However, a sunscreen like Australian Gold Botanical SPF 50 Tinted Face Sunscreen will still be better for oily, acne-prone skin, because it won’t leave your face an oily slick at the end of the day.

The second quality (which makes it enjoyable) is all thanks to the pleasant (but mild) fragrance of this sunscreen. It doesn’t smell like your typical sunscreen—instead, it smells vaguely tropical, but not over the top (so if you walk into a business meeting, you won’t get funny looks). It may be the papaya or mango-derived ingredients, or maybe it’s the actual fragrance itself. Whatever it is, it puts me in a good mood, and makes me feel like I’m on vacation—at least, while I’m applying it to my skin, I can fantasize that I’m about to head off for a day at the beach. Oh yeah, and this sunscreen is also reef-safe (doesn’t contain oxybenzone) and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes, in case you actually are heading to the beach.

However, Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Sunscreen isn’t for everyone. It contains parabens (so if you’re against those, this isn’t the right sunscreen for you), and is also lightly scented, so may not be suitable for sensitive skin. I don’t react poorly to this fragrance, so I’m able to use it without any problems.

Related reading

• NO-AD Sport Sunscreen, SPF 50 Review: Best value for summer
• Australian Gold Tinted Face Sunscreen Review
• Physical sunscreen vs. chemical sunscreen: What’s the diff?