When I first discovered “whipped sunscreen” back in May, I was intrigued. Now I’m suddenly seeing it all over Olay’s advertisements. The whole Whips product line looks exactly like whipped cream. But in contrast to Coppertone’s Whipped Sunscreens, these Whips products are packaged in regular jars, rather than aerosol cans. So what helps create their “whipped” texture?

Let’s see if we can find some clues in the ingredients.

Olay Regenerist Whip Facial Moisturizer SPF 25 Ingredients

Active Ingredients: avobenzone 3.0%, homosalate 8.0%, octisalate 4.0%, octocrylene 5.0% Inactive Ingredients: water, tapioca starch, glycerin, niacinamide, dimethicone, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4, sodium hyaluronate, panthenol, sodium polyacrylate starch, stearyl alcohol, caprylyl glycol, behenyl alcohol, 1,2-hexanediol, phenoxyethanol, cetyl alcohol, dimethiconol, peg-100 stearate, fragrance, polymethylsilsesquioxane, ceratonia siliqua (carob) fruit extract, cetearyl glucoside, cetearyl alcohol, disodium edta, stearic acid, palmitic acid

This facial moisturizer includes a mix of four chemical sunscreen ingredients. Avobenzone delivers UVA1 protection, and homosalate, octisalate, and octocrylene all deliver UVB protection. This means that it does not offer protection against the UVA2 spectrum. (Usually chemical sunscreens rely on oxybenzone to deliver UVA2 protection.) This supports the idea that it’s a facial moisturizer first and foremost, and a sunscreen second.

This sunscreen also contains many moisturizing and beneficial ingredients like niacinamide, glycerin, dimethicone, sodium hyaluronate, and panthenol. Interestingly it also contains tapioca starch as the second ingredient.

My Dad the Chemist’s review of Olay Regenerist Whip Facial Moisturizer SPF 25

When I told him it was in a jar with a lid (no aerosol), and that as far as I knew, it wasn’t missing any ingredients, here’s what he said:

So how does Olay Regenerist Whip Facial Moisturizer SPF 25 deliver a “whipped” consistency without aerosol technology or nitrous oxide? It uses tapioca starch to create a low-viscosity (not thick) consistency. Tapioca starch also helps reduce stickiness, which may help deliver the “matte finish” that the Olay states on its website. My dad thinks it’s a nice formula, but he notes that it’s not water-resistant, so definitely not suitable for a day at the beach or pool.

Final thoughts on Olay Regenerist Whip Facial Moisturizer SPF 25

Olay Regenerist Whip Facial Moisturizer SPF 25 is a nice sunscreen for everyday use, when you don’t plan to be in the sun for long periods of time. It’s not the best choice for those days when you’ll be exposed to a lot of sunlight, since it doesn’t contain any active ingredients that protect against UVA2 rays. And unlike Coppertone’s whipped sunscreens, it doesn’t contain additional UV-fighting antioxidants like Vitamin E in the ingredient list.

Note that it is not fragrance-free, so sensitive skin may react negatively to the inclusion of fragrance in this formula.

However, Olay Regenerist Whip Facial Moisturizer SPF 25 delivers a whipped texture without relying on aerosol technology, which is pretty cool. It also includes niacinamide pretty high on the ingredient list, as well as other nice, high-quality ingredients like sodium hyaluronate. This means that it may be a good lightweight sunscreen that delivers moisturizing benefits without the sticky residue of a heavier cream.

Further reading

• Physical sunscreen vs. chemical sunscreen: What’s the diff?
• What’s the deal with Coppertone “whipped” sunscreens?
• All sunscreen reviews