BeautyandtheCat Sunscreen: Why Balls and Why Now

Have I mentioned my balls yet?  Sunscreen balls, that is.

For the last two months, I’ve been exposing my balls to as many people and in as many places as I can. Here, Instagram, Facebook…

Why am I so passionate about my balls getting into your hands?

1. You need more sunscreen than you think.

As a rule of thumb, dermatologists often recommend a quarter of a teaspoon for your face in order to achieve the level of SPF advertised on the label.  (I’ve even started to see half a teaspoon recommended.)  Psssh, you scoff.  I’m easily slapping on that much sunscreen/SPF moisturizer.That’s what I thought, too–until I bothered to fill up a measuring spoon.  Judging by how many extra layers I ended up applying, I had been applying only half of the recommended amount when I was eyeballing a quarter-teaspoon.

Note: 1.25 mls = a quarter tsp.

My balls are pre-portioned to provide a dosage sufficient to protect skin.  No need for eyeballing or measuring.  And for those who have been applying a lot less, this will be a wake-up call.

(Why only SPF 30?  I prefer SPF 50, but that’s largely to compensate for underapplication by aiming for the highest SPF.  If the balls ensure I apply enough to get SPF 30, then yay.)

2. Convenience and portability = Consistent usage

Of BALL the formats I could have chosen, why balls?  Why not a pump calibrated to dispense a quarter-teaspoon?

First, I enjoy feeling smug when I can avoid checking luggage and am semi-obsessed with non-liquid skincare; my balls would (should) fit into this category.  I currently pack oil cleanser in a stick (Nooni), powder enzyme foaming cleanser (Papa Recipe), and body lotion shaped like a bar of soap (Lush).  I’m tempted by this Milk toner in a stick.  Anything that leaves more room in my TSA Ziploc for essences, serums, and creams.

Second, I’ve faced the annoyance of not knowing whether my sunscreen would last through a long trip.  I’m picky about sunscreen–my go-tos are the Solanoveil ones pictured above and I tried 12 Japanese ones trying to find an HG–so I can’t exactly just pop into a drugstore if I run out midway through my trip.  I often end up bringing a new tube just to be safe.  With balls, just count out one ball per day.  No guesstimating, no measuring spoon–and no excuses for skipping your daily dose.

Consistency is key.  I hope my balls help both skincare newbies and addicts make daily sunscreen enjoyable and easy.  Just one day of unprotected exposure can leave a tan and sunspots that last the whole season (or longer).

A friend recently asked me how to minimize tanning and was surprised that my answer was to wear sunscreen daily.  Yes, even in the winter.  For the uninitiated, that answer sounds deceptively simple and too hard at the same time (wear thick/greasy/drying/ghostifying sunscreen every day?!).

The answer may just lie in finding a cosmetically elegant formula–something indistinguishable from a luxury moisturizer.  For all the sunscreens I’ve tried, and as much as I have repurchased Solanoveil, I have no HG.

My dream sunscreen remains elusive:

• Strong UVA protection
• Doubles as moisturizer
• Dries to a soft finish that doesn’t look oily when worn alone.

I’ve tried Korean, Japanese, and European sunscreens with strong UVA protection–but dry my skin out or leave skin so shiny that powder is a must.  I’ve also tried American SPF+moisturizers-in-one that went on just like normal moisturizer–but weren’t transparent about how much UVA protection they offered and also looked shiny.  (“Broad-spectrum” only tells you that some UVA protection is offered but gives no hint of how much.)

So for me, balls are my personal unicorn.  I hope you’ll support the full development of my balls by voting HERE.  A vote doesn’t commit you to buying (and I realize that the ingredients, price, and ultimate formulation can’t suit everyone), but it does tell Volition and the beauty industry at large that consumers want this type of product and moves my balls one step closer to production.

Simply put, your vote is a vote for innovation.  Is sunscreen stable in balls?  How big will my balls be?  I don’t know, but let’s find out together. 

My sincere thank you to each and every one of you who has voted.  My balls have been well received and supported, and I’m grateful for that.

What would YOUR dream sunscreen be?

This post brought to you by Sunscreen Week.

Check in to our blog and Instagram (@beautyandthecat) all week for new posts (May 19-25).

Our furrrriends will be posting all week long, too:

@adoredee / adoredee
@beauty_unplugged
@bellanoirbeauty_ / Bella Noir Beauty
@fiddysnails / Fifty Shades of Snail
@littlebitofglow / Little Bit of Glow
@mcuriousity
@vanity.rex / VanityRex

You can also find us all on Instagram–and join Sunscreen Week yourself–with #nutsforballs.