What type of sunscreens work in our Solmates?
Let’s be honest, you don't want to buy a Solmate only to find your favourite sunscreen doesn’t work in it!
The applicator was designed to work with as many sunscreens as possible. However the reality is that there is a vast range of sunscreens on the market and consistency can vary widely so some will work better than others!
Solmates have pulled together a summary of the sunscreens they have tested to date. Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive, and they will continue to add to it. Please note: they’ve prioritised testing sunscreens that you can buy in larger bottles and have an SPF of at least 30.
Key Things To Know First
1. Solmates work best with creams and lotion-based sunscreens.
2. This includes mineral (zinc-based) sunscreens although the very thick ones may be more of a challenge. There are some tips below on how to alleviate this.
3. Solmates DO NOT work well with liquid spray and very thin/runny sunscreens - our seals and the gap around the ball is designed for a slightly thicker consistency cream so you may see some leakage with very thin or liquid sunscreens.
4. When sunscreens get hot they can change consistency and become very liquidy and runny. This may cause some temporary leakage in certain circumstances until the sunscreen returns to its original consistency. Please note: Sunscreens should be kept as cool as possible as exposure to high temperatures can also affect their efficacy.
Chemical Sunscreens that love Solmates
Examples of the chemical sunscreens we have tested and know work well are:
Brand & Type
Aldi - Ombra Sunscreen (all types)
Banana Boat - All Lotion types (not spray)
Bondi Sands - Coconut Beach, Sport
Cancer Council - Kids, Active, Sport, Watersport, Everyday
Carroten - Everyday Lotion
Dermaveen - Sensitive Sun
Goat - Sunscreen Dry Touch
Hamilton - Sensitive, Active Family
La Roche Posay - Anthelios Wet Skin
Le Tan - Coconut, Watermelon
Mecca Cosmetica - To Save Body
Neutrogena - Beach Defence
Standard Procedure - Original
Sun Bum - Original
Ultra Violette - Extreme Screen
We are Feel Good - Signature, Coconut, Kakadu Plum, Sensitive, Wild Rosella
Woolworths - Everyday Lotion
Chemical Sunscreens that may have a tricky Solmates relationship
There are a few runny / thin consistency sunscreens that work well with our Solmates, however as our seals and gap around the ball are built for a slightly thicker consistency sunscreen, you may experience leakage in certain circumstances with the following sunscreens so please take care:
Brand & Type
Nivea Sun - Protect & Moisture
Ego - Sunsense
Natio sun - Quick Dry
Mineral Sunscreens
We also know many of you love mineral (zinc-based) sunscreens. The zinc-based sunscreens we’ve tested that work in our Solmates are:
Brand
Type
Bondi Sands - Mineral Zinc
Ethical Zinc - Natural Clear Zinc
Invisible Zinc - Face and Body
Key Sun - Clear Zinke
Little Urchin- Natural Clear Zinc
Mother - Natural
Sunbum - Mineral Zinc
Wot Not - Natural Sunscreen
Mineral Sunscreens that have a tricky Solmates relationship
Unfortunately some of the very thick mineral sunscreens / sun butters do not work well in our Solmates as the sunscreen tends to stick to the sides of the applicator and not fall well onto the roller ball.
Examples of the sunscreens that don’t work well are:
Brand & Type
MooGoo - Clear Zinc
Sunslayer - Natural
Surf Mud - Natural Zinc
Tips for Zinc-based or Thicker Sunscreen
1. We suggest keeping the Solmate upside down (or turning upside down before usage) so that the sunscreen falls on the ball.
2. Keep the Solmate quite full so there is always sunscreen on the roller ball end.
3. Some customers have given feedback that mixing a tiny amount of liquid coconut oil with their zinc sunscreens helps the sunscreen fall better on the roller ball - please take precautions however if you choose to alter the makeup of a sunscreen.
So we hope this helps! Please drop us a line at hello@solmates.com.au if your favourite sunscreen is not on the lists here and we will make sure we test it.