Tired of the greasy, slimy feel of most sunblocks? So too was a couple in New Zealand. They set out to create a sunscreen which was eco-friendly, effective, and safe for the kiddos – Skinnies was born!
PaddleXaminer met with Olly Van Arts, one of the founders of Skinnies, at the Winter OR in Denver back in January. He walked me through the origin of the company emphasizing there is no water in Skinnies unlike other sunscreens. Normal sunscreens are made using 50-70% water. With no water in the product, Skinnies stays on your skin longer, acting as a concentrate so you don’t have to reapply every hour like other sunscreens. I tested a pea size amount of Skinnies on my arm; after a couple minutes it was completely absorbed on my skin. I was amazed at the ease of putting and not having to figure out how to clean my hands afterwards.
Highlights:
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Sustainable – They work with researchers to use ingredients with minimal aquatic impact and because there is no water in Skinnkies they save over 10,000 litres a year (2642 gallons).
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Innovative – Embrace the Sunshine because sunshine is correlated to happiness, positivity, and healthiness. They designed Skinnies to allow you to stay in the sun more!
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Quality – Skinnies sits on top of the skin & protects against full broad-spectrum UV.
I’ve been using Skinnies for over a month on all my paddle adventures. I like the fact you only have to use a small amount and it’s not the bright white color which is next to impossible to rub in completely. Skinnies goes on smooth and without the greasy mess; it is absorbed on the skin in just a couple minutes. Most recently I was in Vail Colorado SUPing Gore Creek. A fellow paddler saw me using Skinnies and asked me about it; I let him try it out, he’s response was “wow, no greasy mess”. Exactly!
Retail Price $35 for 100 ml or 3.4 oz
I’ll admit the price is higher than you pay for the typical sunscreen in the US, but you have to remember to just use the pea size blob for your face, neck and ears; this will make one bottle last all summer! I’m very fair skinned and I’ve been using the pea-sized blob on my face for every paddle trip with great results. Check out Skinnies online to see their various product offerings, and remember; a little goes a long way!
