Is stick, spray, or lotion sunscreen better to use?

Some sunscreen is better than no sunscreen at all. But not all sunscreens provide the same amount of protectionTrusted Source.

Lotion sunscreens typically provide the most coverage because they are easy to pour or squeeze out of a bottle and spread widely on your skin. It’s hard to miss a spot as long as you can reach that spot with your (or someone else’s) hand. They also tend to contain the most protective and least harmful ingredients, such as zinc oxide.

Stick sunscreens aren’t bad, either. But it’s easy to miss a spot because many stick sunscreens are narrow and you have to do a lot more work to get full coverage. They’re convenient to use on your face or smaller exposed areas of skin, but they’re not recommended for use on your entire body if you want convenient, sufficient protection.

“Especially for touchups for the face, nose, and cheeks — and don’t forget those ears! They get burned, so a stick would be great for those areas,” says Healthline Medical Reviewer Cynthia Cobb, DNP.

Spray sunscreens generally are not a good idea. Most of the sunscreen that exits the container doesn’t make contact with your skin because it gets scattered into the air from even light airflow or wind. This means that most of your skin won’t get enough protection from UV rays, and you’ll need to reapply it frequently.

Many spray sunscreens also release toxic chemicals and aerosols when they’re used. They can produce nanoparticles that are dangerous to breathe in, and they may also pose a fire hazard if they’re used near open flames.