Love it: COOLA Guava Mango Sunscreen Spray SPF50

I just got back from a far-too-short holiday in the beautiful Cook Islands, where Rarotonga most definitely turned on the sun. It was exactly what I needed in the lead up to some pretty major surgery that I am having on Monday, and I felt super thankful to have some time in the sea and the sun with my family. Truly amazing!

It goes without saying that I came prepared by packing some the COOLA brand’s consistently kick arse products, including a couple of new releases that I can now confidently vouch for in the form of COOLA Guava Mango Sunscreen Spray SPF50 and COOLA Rōsilliance SPF 30 BB+ Cream.

COOLA is the name that I recommend to anyone who asks me advice on sun protection for their whole family, and that fact that their products are a seemingly effortless mix of high performance and beautiful to use formulas makes them loved by everyone who tries them. A beautifully packaged collection of organic sun essentials produced out of Southern California, the COOLA range includes a plethora of yummy products that are high performance yet delicate and kind on the environment. It is produced in limited quantity batches in California (where the company is based), meaning that the range can be reformulated often, taking advantage of new developments in sun science and labelling regulations almost as they happen.

The COOLA range has two distinct organic sunscreen collections to choose from: Mineral, and Classic, each based on different active ingredients. The Classic Sunscreens use organic active ingredients (commonly referred to as “chemicals”), while the Mineral Sunscreens use mineral (“physical”) active ingredients like Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide to scatter and reflect UVA/UVB rays. The mineral sunscreens are effective right after application, making them perfect for the whole family.

But back to my holiday. First up, I cannot rave enough about the brand’s beautifully scented, high performance Guava Mango Sunscreen Spray SPF50. It doesn’t get much easier than spritzing your sunscreen on the go, and this clear, continuous spray in an all natural Guava Mango scent is one of the most effective products I have ever used. Offering broad spectrum SPF 50 protection, the deluxe, eco-sized “Farm to Face” sourced spray nourishes and hydrates the skin with more than 70 per cent certified organic ingredients like Cucumber, Algae and Strawberry Extracts. I was mainly testing it whilst lying prone in a lounger, cocktail in hand, but it’s actually formulated for the rigorous demands of sport and is water resistant for 80 minutes. This means you really can have your fun in the sun and then some! I love that it contains no nano-sized particles and comes in a deluxe size, which for $59.00 will definitely go a long way. This product lands in store on November 1 in New Zealand and I can’t recommend it enough.

It’s also important to note while I’m at it that COOLA doesn’t just do straight suncare – and one of their newest releases was also packed in my bag after I first reviewed it a couple weeks' ago. It’s the really rather amazing COOLA Rōsilliance SPF 30 BB+ Cream, which is best described by the brand as a “skin perfecting tinted moisturizer to help boost your naturally luminescent glow and support fresh, healthy-looking skin”.

A mineral-centric, broad spectrum SPF 30 formula that applies like a dream, it offers a barely-there feel but does a lot. The sheer, tinted coverage blends and perfects your skin tone, whilst a proprietary bouquet of Rose Stem Cells offers an advanced bio-complex to smooth, moisturise and replenish your skin's natural resilience. Amazing, huh? It lasted in the humid, Rarotonga heat with aplomb, and I can report not even the slightest hint of sunburn crossed my face. Yep, you need.

For COOLA stockist enquiries head to www.beautycare.co.nz, there will definitely be one near you.