Stay Vacation Ready With This Sunscreen Powered by Honeywell’s Solstice® Propellant

Powered by our Solstice® Propellant to provide its billowy texture, Vacation's Classic Whip SPF 30 sunscreen is the brand’s take on a fun way to apply this essential skin care product.

Classic Whip, available on Vacation’s website, features an innovative concept and packaging that replicates the look and feel of the beloved whipped cream dessert.

Through this sunscreen product, Vacation® aims to address common concerns consumers have regarding the feel of sunscreens as well as the impact they have on health and the environment.

“One of the main complaints about sunscreen that I hear from my patients is their tendency to feel sticky and feels like a chore to use,” says Dr. Elizabeth Hale, Board Certified Dermatologist, Senior Vice President of the Skin Care Foundation, and Chief Medical Advisor to the Vacation® brand.

She adds that “consumers are also more aware of the impact of ingredients on the environment.”

The growing concerns across the sunscreen industry have led brands and manufacturers to be more particular and selective of the ingredients they use while also being conscious of their own sustainability commitments.

Our Solstice® Propellant enables brands and personal care manufacturers to address both their own and their consumers' concerns. It helps them meet environmental regulations without having to compromise their end products’ formulation and benefits.

Environmental Impact

Whether it’s knowing how the raw materials used in formulations are produced, or making progress on their sustainability commitments, consumers, brands and manufacturers are focusing on the impact their products have on the environment.

With the Classic Whip sunscreen, Vacation® wanted to continue meeting their consumers’ health and environmental concerns while making sure their sunscreen still delivered its intended skin benefits. As shown in their label, one of their commitments was avoiding the use of ozone-depleting propellants.

Multiple global regulations require the phase-down of high-global-warming-potential (GWP) substances such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and are pushing for the use of lower GWP propellants that can help with the reduction of greenhouse emissions.

“Since our Solstice® Propellant is a non-flammable liquified gas with an ultra-low GWP, it makes an excellent replacement for other higher GWP liquified gases currently in the market,” says Barry Setiawan, Sr. Scientist for Honeywell Advanced Materials.

Our Solstice® Propellant is also volatile organic compound (VOC)-exempt, per U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This means that it has negligible contribution to ground-level smog formation and poor air quality, unlike other traditional propellants in the market.

“We follow the research around ultraviolet (UV) filters and their effect on the planet closely to make sure the products we’re putting out into the world help protect people from the harms of sun damage while minimizing the impact on the environment… Classic Whip adheres to Hawaii Reef Compliance Act 104… And thanks to Solstice® Propellant, it [Classic Whip] features a non-ozone depleting propellant” points out Dr. Hale.

Formula and Application

Brands and sunscreen manufacturers are selective of the ingredients they use in their formulas because they want to deliver the best feel and application to their consumers.

Our Solstice® Propellant successfully enabled Vacation® to obtain their desired texture and formulation goals for their sunscreen.

As hinted by its name, the concept for the Classic Whip sunscreen was around whipped cream. Vacation® wanted to emulate the same look and feel of the edible dessert to deliver a positive and fun experience.

“Classic Whip’s formula has the appearance of whipped cream, but with the cosmetic elegance of a mousse. It rubs in smoothly and leaves no sticky residue” says Dr. Hale.

When compared to the next best alternative propellant, Honeywell’s Solstice® Propellant helped Vacation® generate a luxurious whipped mousse which melts on contact with the skin, making it easy to spread over large areas like your body and help deliver its intended health and skin benefits.

Health and Skin Benefits

Consumers also focus on the ingredient list of their sunscreen products as they want to make sure they are protected as much as possible from external stressors.

For sunscreens, consumers want to be protected to avoid the impact ultraviolet (UV) sun rays have on the skin. They also look to sunscreens as a potential aid in preventing serious illnesses such as skin cancer.

“As the Vice President of the Skin Cancer Foundation, I make sure my patients know that sun protection is the primary means to decrease one’s chances of skin cancer and minimize the signs of premature aging. It’s critical to use a formula that is ‘broad spectrum’… also known as one that protects against both UVA and UVB rays… Sunscreen is a crucial tool in protecting your skin against sun damage” highlights Dr. Hale.

Although Solstice® Propellant does not directly contribute to health and skin benefits, it is one of the safer choices for propellants and has a low order of toxicity. It also lent the smooth texture to Classic Whip’s formula which may contribute to the easier reapplication of sunscreens every two hours as recommended by Dr. Hale.

Dr. Hale mentioned how “Classic Whip is packed with skin-nourishing ingredients like coconut oil, aloe vera and shea oil…It’s also Oxybenzone-free, Octinoxate-free, Paraben-free, PEG-free and Vegan” which are also cited as areas of concern for consumers.

Sunscreen products continue to play a role not just as a daily essential but as a product that may contribute to your health and the environment.

Whether it’s in products like the Classic Whip sunscreen or in other applications, our Solstice® Propellant will continue to help consumers, brands and manufacturers with their evolving needs and commitments.

Contact us to learn more on how our Solstice® ingredients can help refresh formulations and get you a step closer in your sustainability journey.