Drink the undrinkable: sunscreen you actually sip is here

The smell of sunscreen conjures memories of lazy afternoons sipping Caipirinhas on a beach, barbecues in the backyard, and Saturdays watching your heroes at the ballpark. The taste of sunscreen conjures the memory of a childhood mistake that led to gagging and a lot of tongue-wiping.

But now, to take the hassle out of slathering on the SPF, there's a sunscreen formula you can actually drink. That's right: Simply down about a half teaspoon (2 milliliters) of Harmonized H2O UV, developed by Osmosis Skincare, with 2 ounces of water every four hours and you'll fend off approximately 97 percent of UVA and UVB rays.

On the company's website, founder Dr. Ben Johnson -- who sports his own healthy glow -- claims the product "is an ideal form of sun protection because it promotes tanning and is broad spectrum". He explains if the proper dosage is taken an hour before sun exposure, the resulting reaction will "cancel approximately 97 percent of the UVA and UVB rays before they even hit your skin. This results in coverage for approximately three hours".

But the potable protection isn't foolproof. Johnson acknowledges that there are "some people who, for reasons that are not entirely clear, do not get much protection from the product", though he claims this occurs in less than 1 percent of all people.

Additionally, the consumable sunscreen isn't recommended by dermatologists yet, but as the Daily Mail points out, there are, of course, glowing testimonials on the website praising the product (none of which, curiously, describe how it actually tastes).

Take Lynn in Wisconsin, for example: "I just wanted to let you know my boyfriend and I tried your harmonized SPF water on Sunday while lying around the pool at the Wynn. He got so flippin' tan, no burn and no sunscreen :-) I don't really lay in the sun, more of a shade girl, but the little I was in the sun I also had no burn and a little color. The stuff is amazing!!"

Though it likely won't be a staple ingredient in any of the beverages at the world's best beach bars, Osmosis Skincare's drinkable sunscreen could eventually be the solution to lobster legs and fried shoulders without having to do any of the leg (or hand) work.

Available in 100-milliliter bottles, Harmonized H2O UV provides sun coverage for up to 30 SPF, and costs $30.

Chloe Pantazi is an editorial assistant on Thrillist's travel team. She’d be willing to try the drinkable sunscreen, but only if she was given a beach vacation for her efforts. Follow her on Twitter at @ChloePantazi.