Sunscreen is life!
Hi everyone!
Who feels hot these days? Everyone!!! Sun is blazing so hard all day here where I am at, but hey, we wanted the summer to come along with long days and its warmth. So, here we are: the sun, hot days, humidity, but still tons of fun and surge of optimism as we are stepping into the new season and all the things it is bringing us. Also, I am feeling more optimistic now that I am fully vaccinated. Still wearing a mask of course (and I don’t think I will be comfortable out in the public without wearing a mask any time soon). You do what is right for you, but #teamscience here.
I have been playing with makeup again and used up some things, created some strong opinions of other products, but today seems the most appropriate to talk about SPF protection and which ones are my favorite to use.
Namely, I have turned 41 couple of weeks ago (still processing that), and I have realized in general that the most important step in your skincare routine is using an SPF – all day, every day! I have been more or less consistent with my SPF since 2016. All those K beauty videos persuaded me that we all really need it. If you are doing one thing in your life for your skin, it should be using and SPF. Saving your skin from sun damage and potentially a melanoma, is the best investment in your health and prevention is always the best option.
SPFs have come a long way. They used to be very thick and heavy, often very oddly tinted, that it seemed that application of sun blocks were reserved only for long lazy beach days. I remember staining my light summer clothes with those thick SPF face and body formulas, and hated it. The truths is, we should be wearing sun protection every time we expose any part of our skin to the sun. Some people prefer physical (mineral) sunscreens and other are bigger fans of chemical sunscreens. Main difference of those are that physical sunscreens are containing zinc oxide or titanium oxide and they are sitting on your skin and physically blocking and reflecting the sun rays from your skin. Chemical sunscreens work a bit differently. They contain ingredients like avobenzone, octinoxate and oxybenzone which get easily absorbed into the skin. Those active ingredients are absorbing UV rays and then transforme them into the heat and release them from the body. Mineral sunscreens are notorious of having that white cast that is difficult to blend and also not look flattering on deeper skin tones. However, mineral sunscreens have come a long was, so the formulas usually contain a bit of a tint to diminish that white cast and look more flattering on the skin. They usually feel very moisturizing to a point that can feel heavy on the skin, which people with oily or acne prone skin are avoiding. However, this type of sunscreen is much better option if you have a sensitive skin type. Chemical sunscreens are absorbing better in the skin and they are great if you are swimming for example or you are sweating a lot. It will have you protected. There really is not a universal answer to which type of sunscreen is better, as they both have pros and cons, but make sure you are using at least a SPF of 30, that you get a formula that is noncomedogenic, something without parabens and with broad spectrum (meaning it protects your both from UVA and UVB rays). If you are sensitive to fragrances, you will want to stick to fragrance free versions of SPFs.
Some of my favorite sunscreen are made by Supergoop. I have tried quite a few products and enjoy most of them. My favorite is Supergoop play. All of their products are also reef safe which I am excited about. Supergoop play is a chemical sunscreen and it really feels more like a moisturizer than a sun screen. Very lightweight and absorbs very quickly into the skin. Finish of it is very beautiful, like satin, on the skin and it sits great under the makeup. It is water and sweat resistant and with the SPF of 30 and I am happy to use it on my face. I did also like their 100%mineral stick but I would use it really for the no make up days as it is a bit heavier than what I like on my face. It is super easy to use on the go. Just swipe it across your face, blend (clean hands of course) and let it absorb a bit and you are good to go. No white cast for me with this product, but my skin tone is fair to light anyways, so this product worked well for me.
However, on the other spectrum of the products was this Stream2swim sunscreen for body sport with a SPF 30. We bought it while we were in Hawaii once and stupidly forgot to bring extra sunscreen on the boat trip, so we bought this mini sunscreen on the go. This is a mineral sunscreen and reef safe, which is the only type of formula that you can get and use in Hawaii due to the effort to prevent further coral bleaching. Anyway, this was so hard to spread and blend to the skin and it had a huge white cast. My husband and I are both pale by nature, but we looked like a pair of ghosts that day with this sunscreen. We used it that one time and never again. It kept us from getting sunburns, so that is one good thing I can say about it. Since then we have switched to Coola classic body sunscreen for our summer/beach trips. I really love this formula. Again, it is reef safe, but it is just an overall amazing formula. It has an SPF of 50 and I love how light it feels on the body. It absorbs quickly and doesn’t feel greasy at all on the skin. I use this on my face when we are on the beach, and never had any problems with it. I love this guava mango scent, but have it also in fragrance free version as my husband prefers that one.
My newest edition to sun protection is Hawaiian tropic silk hydration weightless face with SPF 30. Hawaiian tropic went cruelty free as a brand, so I wanted to test it out. I have only been using it for a couple of days, but so far I like it. It is a 12 hour moisturization formula and I can really tell it is very hydrating on the skin. It has a slight tacky feeling, but it absorbs into the skin and it also works under the make up. It is not a fragrance free formula, so it might not be for those who are sensitive to the fragrances, but I kind of love it, as it has that beachy scent that doesn’t linger. It is a chemical sunscreen formula with avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate and octocrylene as active ingredients.
Back to Supegoop formulas since I have had a lot of experience with them. I love all three of these and adore the fact they are all SPF 40. Supergoop Zinc screen is a mineral formula and it has a slight tint to it, so it doesn’t have the white cast upon application. It looks great on the skin on its own thanks to those added pigment. It absorbs well in the skin and for a mineral sunscreen, I can really say it is one of my favorite. I can wear it under my makeup, but this one I usually prefer for the no make up days with a bit of mascara, touch of blush and a lip gloss as it already looks so beautiful and radiant on the skin. Glow screen is amazing if you need an extra boost of hydration as the formula contains hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5 and niacinamide. It has a bit of pigment in the formula so it gives you, as the name says, beautiful radiant glow. It can also serve as a glowy primer, so it sits wonderfully on the skin with makeup. Unseen sunscreen is a unique formula of a sunscreen, as it feels more like a face primer than a sunscreen. It is clear in color, but really weightless and invisible on your skin. It is unlike any SPF I have tried. It is fragrance free and I really like it. The only thing I have notices is that it can burn my eyes a bit. I have to wait for it to really absorb into the skin, as mixed with sweat on the hot days, it can slide in my eyes and sting a bit. My husband loves this one, so I have made sure we have a big tube of it.
It is easy to focus only on the face in the sun protection, as it is the first thing we notice. However, there are other parts of the body like hands to think about. Hands are one of the first places that will show the signs of ageing. More the reasons to try out something with SPF, so I have opted for Hand screen and I love this formula. Non greasy, moisturizing, but lightweight. So far, I am a fan. One other thing I bought was the eyeshadow Shimmershade SPF 30. How often do you put sunblock on your eyelids? Exactly! I thought it might be a fun way to force myself to put and extra layer on SPF on one of the most sensitive parts of our faces. I like this daydream color. Light pinky peach: perfect for those effortless summer looks.
It is also really important to re-apply your SPF during the day. Make a mental note or set the alarm as a reminder to put more SPF as day goes by. In case you are wearing a make up, there are other options, like SPF powders, or mists to add more SPF in the day. I wouldn’t rely on them as my only source of the sunscreen, only as a touch up. I have tried one of them not so long ago. While this one is not my favorite, it is still a necessary part if I am out in the heat with makeup on. I have tried this Defense (re)fresh setting mist. I had to transfer it into an old face spray container as the prayer on the Supergoop was not working. I don’t really enjoy this formula as it quite a bit greasy on my face. As day goes on, it is more likely that my face make up will get shinier and more glowy, so putting this on top was a bit of too much glow-on a verge of greasy. I might try some SPF face powder in the future.
As much as I love sun and sunshine, I love making sure I protect my skin, so on top of all these information, my best advice is to protect as much of your exposed skin as possible. Don’t forget to apply (and re-aply during the day!) SPF to your ears, eyes and hands, wear a hat if possible (have you ever had a head burn where your hear naturally splits?), and find a formula of SPF that you will enjoy using so you are protected year round not just in the summer. I really believe there is perfect SPF formula for you out there. The next one on my wish list is Solar I from Skintegra…but only after I use up the one I am currently using. Don’t forget that sunscreens have an expiration date so use your stash.
Well, keep safe in this heat, drink a lot of water and let me know what is your favorite sun screen.
Talk to you soon! XOXO, Iva