Update: KFC sent us a bottle of its sold-out Extra Crispy sunscreen to sample for ourselves — and it definitely smells like chicken, just maybe not the fried variety. One editor described it as "chicken wrapped in plastic, then left out in the sun." Another editor found it akin to "dog-food chicken," and one very specifically identified it as "chicken porridge." And though the sheer, lightweight cream was actually surprisingly pleasant to blend onto the backs of our hands, it created a gag reflect so strong that we couldn't spread it much farther than that. We love you KFC, but don't quit your day job.
This story was originally published August 22, 2016.
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Just how deep is America’s love affair with fried chicken? Skin-deep, if you ask the marketing folks at chicken purveyor KFC. The fried-chicken chain has allegedly released a limited-edition sunscreen with what we can only hope is a totally unique property: It will make your body reek of fried chicken.
“It works just like regular sunscreen, but it smells like fried chicken,” boasts a retro-voiced announcer in a promotional video. That’s right, KFC claims that Extra Crispy Sunscreen is a real thing — it’s SPF 30, y’all — and notes that it, “smells like chicken, tastes like sunscreen,” so, you know, don’t eat it. (Yes, that SPF disclaimer actually exists.)
And if that isn’t wacky enough for ya, there’s more: This SPF has supposedly been completely snatched up by fried-chicken- and novelty-beauty-product-lovers alike.
Believe it or not, this isn’t the brand’s first foray into beauty. This past spring, it released an orange-hued, edible nail polish designed to taste finger-lickin’ good. As for us, we're just fine with sticking to the original. We usually avoid "extra-crispy" when it comes to sun protection anyway.