Hate it or love it, sunscreen is an essential product to prevent sun burn, aging, and skin cancer. We all consciously put SPF on our faces everyday, but the skin on our body is often overlooked. Except for in summer! Now that the warmer months are in full swing, it’s time to find the best SPF to protect your arms, legs, chest, and more.
And yes, even though I live in foggy San Francisco, I still do apply my SPF religiously. There are still sunny days! And foggy days still have UV rays penetrating the fog! But I’ll be honest, and I don’t apply sunscreen to my legs and arms unless it’s actively really sunny out. Oop. But for those sunny days when I’m walking my dog, I definitely apply!
I’ve recently been trying and enjoying the Kopari Sun Shield Body Glow Sunscreen SPF 50 ($42, 5 oz). Read on for some of my thoughts on this body SPF.
Why I Liked the Kopari Body Shield
There are tons of body-specific sun products out there: body butters, mists, oils, creams, and lotions. The Kopari Sun Shield is marketed as a lightweight gel. And I think that’s pretty accurate for its categorization.
It’s Glowy, in Multiple Shades
The finish of this product is definitely radiant. It gives your skin a healthy glow without being shimmery. You look moisturized without having the individual glitter pigments popping off. Overall, it looks extremely natural.
What I thought was super interesting about this product is that it comes in three shades: gold, rose gold, and amber. I have been using this product in gold because I don’t think I yet need a bronzed finish to my skin (I like in San Francisco after all…).
But the gold was a great fit for me because it didn’t really add any color to my skin, and it just gave the glowy finish that I wanted.
Also, side note: when the product is in the bottle, it is so shimmery and as you flip it upside down, you can see it slowly move the shimmer around. I truly always find myself looking at the bottle for longer than I should because it is so pretty.
It’s Lightweight and Doesn’t Feel Thick
I’m a little conflicted with calling it a lightweight gel. On one hand, it is definitely more viscous than a body oil. And that’s evidenced by the fact that all of the pigments/shimmer remain dispersed when the bottle is sitting on the shelf.
However, when you actually dispense the product into your hands, you’ll quickly realize that it isn’t a gel. When I think of gel, I either think of a gel cream or a hair gel. It’s neither of those consistencies. Instead, it is much more of a thick body oil. It basically spreads out on your hand as soon as you dispense it into your palm. So there’s not the same “gel” consistency there.
So, it is gel-like enough to stay stagnant in the bottle, but it’s not strong enough to hold its own structure when it’s outside the packaging. (I’m sure a rheologist could give a much better explanation than I just did!)
Speaking of packaging, I really enjoy the pump top. It dispenses an appropriate amount of product, and it does not require you to push down too hard at all. I also like that they chose an airless pump instead of a dip pump for this product because I think the texture would be annoyingly frustrating to use a dip pump for.
Organic UV Filters for Maximum Compatibility
If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I really dislike mineral sunscreens for my body. For my face, totally fine and I actually prefer it because it works as a nice base for my makeup (and things blend nicely on it).
However, for my body, I find that it leaves a white cast much more readily than it does on my face. That can be a combination of things: lower costs in formulation so the formula is not as elegant for the body products or I do not do sufficient skin prep for my body (I just lather on the sunscreen without doing a serum/moisturizer/oil before).
The great thing about this Kopari option is that it uses chemical/UV filters, which are universally acceptable for skin tones. So you don’t have to worry about it looking white on your elbows (or transferring that whiteness to your black leather seats). And to make it even better, the different color options really make sure you won’t have any issues with color not matching.
For those curious, the gold SPF 50 uses Homosalate 10%, Octocrylene 10%, Octisalate 5%, Avobenzone 3%. And it also has Benzyl Salicylate and Butyloctyl Salicylate as their SPF boosters. And it has UVA and UVB protection. And it is sweat- and water-resistant for 40 minutes! That makes it perfect for a summer travel bag.
Where the Kopari Body SPF Could Improve
Like all my reviews, I always have to offer a balanced view with an opposing view.
Differing SPF Protection between Shades
While I do think it is super fun to have a gold, rose gold, and amber option available to meet everyone’s preference, the range of SPF is shocking to me. Gold has SPF 50, rose gold is SPF 45, and amber is SPF 30. As far as I can tell, the difference between the products is just the tints they’re adding in. And yes, I know the different pigments can affect SPF values (and that’s why tinted SPFs are also tricky to formulate). But it’s just very interesting that the difference is so apparent and the brand has the products listed under the same product detail page.
Because gold had an SPF of 50, I have been reaching for that one. I was also worried that the amber or rose gold options would leave stains or residue of the tint/color on my white clothing (e.g. socks, white shorts, etc). I cannot confirm if that is actually the case, but anxiety is real. I can confirm that the gold SPF 50 is white sock friendly though!
Strong Tropical Vibes
Remember back when everyone was talking about how Vacation Inc's SPF was so good because it smelled so nostalgic and SPF-y? I guess Kopari is trying to get in the fragrance game with this SPF as well.
I don’t know the best way to describe the scent, but it is very tropical. It feels coconut-y, but it isn’t like coconut oil. And it feels fruity as well.
But when I wear this (on days I wear short sleeves) to the office, I have to layer my fragrances accordingly. I will usually opt for something also fruity, otherwise it gives too many conflicting scents. Trust me, this “tropical” fragrance does not do well with a santal or a woodsy fragrance. It does work with the Phlur Missing Person though! But that’s also a very understated fragrance that plays well with many other layers.
Oil Transfer Likelihood
I mentioned how a lot of mineral sunscreens will transfer a white film/powder onto my black leather seats. Yeah, this SPF transfers product to the same leather—but not in the way you’d expect. You can’t literally see the SPF residue. However, you get some oil marks on the leather from this Kopari Body SPF.
I haven’t fully figured out what the reason is behind it: is my skin not fully absorbing it due to time, is my skin too oily, is this not a transfer-resistant product?
Regardless, the oil transfer happens. And that’s also why I feel like this product is much more of a “thick oil” than it is a gel.
Who’s the Kopari Sun Shield Good for?
If I had to name the most ideal person for this product… it would have to be someone who doesn’t mind smelling tropical and isn’t worried about getting their surroundings oily.
This product is for you if:
You want 40-minute water-resistant SPF 50
You want a healthy, glowy finish to your sunscreen
You want a lightweight feel instead of a thick, gloopy sun cream
This product is not for you if:
You want amber-colored SPF 50; it’s only SPF 30
You are concerned about oil transfers from your skin to surfaces you touch
You do not want to spend $42 on a body SPF
Final Thoughts on the Kopari Body Sun Gel
Is this the most innovative sun protection product? No. But is this a pleasure to apply? Yes.
I think this product has a really good niche for elegant sun protection when you’re at the beach or in the great outdoors, instead of in a car, home, or office. It really screams vacation, and it’ll make you wish you were on a trip instead of commuting to work in the summer.
The experience of applying the product (from the highly functional airless pump packaging to the glowy finish) is definitely a plus. But again, I think it is best for places you do not mind potentially getting messed up from oil.
Would I repurchase this when I run out? I’d consider it, but I honestly don’t think I travel enough for me to want to smell like a vacation all the time.
Interested in trying it out? Here’s where to find it ($42 each):
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