Orange Gelée, everyone's favorite sunscreen from the 70s and 80s, is finally back
Just one whiff, and some smells have the ability to transport us back in time to memories long since come and gone. That's because scents can produce some of our most powerful emotional memory connections. For me, the scent of Yankee Candle's Citrus and Sage fragrance takes me back to my grandma's house as a child, and the smell of a very specific artificial jasmine takes me back to my childhood, playing with a now rare '90s Disney Princess Jasmine doll that came with a small vial of jasmine-scented perfume.
For many others, the look and scent of Bain De Soleil Orange Gelée carries them back in time to sitting poolside, glistening with skin that smells of a good vacation. The brand's distinct orange gel formula and iconic scent — which some describe as spicy and musky, others say is sweet and fresh — is what longtime fans of the product like Pamela Anderson, Amy Sedaris and Real Housewife Dorinda Medley say they missed the most when it was discontinued in 2019 by its parent company Bayer.
Now, thanks to the hard work of extremely dedicated Orange Gelée fans — there was even a Change.org petition with more than 11,000 signature to bring it back — the cult-favorite sunscreen has been revived and restocked on store shelves by the perfectly retro-inspired suncare brand Vacation, original scent and all.
The revival is the culmination of a months-long project between Vacation and an advisory panel made up of diehard Orange Gelée fans and beauty industry experts who were determined to bring back the product with 2024 skin care standards. The original Bain De Soleil Orange Gelée was created in France in the 1920s, when tanning was first becoming fashionable, as a way to help one lock in a "St Tropez Tan" by providing a paltry 4 SPF UV protection — though a 30 SPF formula was later created. The original was also made with petrolatum and paraffins, which gave the unique neon orange formula its signature gel texture.
Vacation's new and improved revival of Orange Gelée provides 30 SPF, which is the recommended minimum SPF by the American Academy of Dermatology as well as many dermatologists I've interviewed over the years. The new formula is also no longer made with mineral oil and is instead formulated with better-for-you ingredients like jojoba, sesame, sweet almond, rosehip and coconut oils, as well as shea butter and vitamin E. The balm-to-oil formula melts on skin and rubsin clear, leaving a silky, moisturized feeling and an enviable shine.
Diehard fans will find that the new and improved formula not only looks and feels the same, but also smells exactly how they remember it. Vacation worked with award-winning perfumers and fragrance developers to recreate Orange Gelée's legendary French Riviera scent with notes of bergamot, clove, saffron, patchouli and sandalwood.
Vacation's new and improved Orange Gelée is available at Vacation.inc, where it retailers for $23.