Sunscreens That Are Totally Worth It

There is a saying going around that says, “if you’re not using sunscreen, the rest of your anti-aging routine doesn’t matter.” A statement couldn’t be more true! The #1 culprit of skin aging i.e. wrinkles and sun/dark spots, etc. is the sun! There is tons of research that links all the signs of aging to the sun and the UV rays it produces.

I am forever on the hunt for the most comfortable sunscreen for both my face and body. There’s plenty of info online that fully breaks down the difference between a chemical and mineral sunscreens so I won’t bore you with the details but it comes down to two types of sunscreen ingredients. The chemical sunscreens absorb the UV rays and keep them from being absorbed into the skin while mineral sunscreens reflect the UV rays.

So which sunscreens do I recommend? Overall, depends on your skin type but I’ll always recommend a mineral sunscreen for the face over physical. My favorites are by Paula’s Choice. I have tried every single mineral sunscreen the brand had and my two favorites are:

Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF 30 - This is my absolute favorite of the bunch, it moisturizes, soothes and leaves a lovely luminescence hence the “glow” in the name. It is also formulated with other skin benefitting ingredients like niacinamide and Vitamin C to help protect against environmental damage. This is definitely only an option for normal, combination and dry skins.
CALM Redness Relief SPF 30 Mineral Moisturizer - This is another great formula and comes in two formulations: one for combo/oily skin and another for dry skin. Both are fantastic and have a formula that soothes and reduces redness on the skin. This option is fantastic for those with extra sensitive skin - even if it’s acne prone and those with rosacea.
HYDRALIGHT Shine-Free Mineral Complex SPF 30 - This formula is fantastic with those who have normal to combination skin. It is less emollient than the ones mentioned above and sinks into the skin seamlessly while also protecting it. This formula is particularly best for those who don’t like to feel like they’ve got anything on the skin, particularly men.

Sunscreens that I’ve tried in the past six months worth mentioning:

Supergoop Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 Sunscreen Serum PA+++ - When this came out in January, I knew I had to try. I personally didn’t love this for a few reasons but the main one being that it’s not a mineral formula. So when I got this close to my eyes, my skin would tingle and the scent would make my eyes water. This also isn’t a fragrance free formulation. I don’t believe it has added fragrance but the sunscreen ingredients in here does have a scent. I also didn’t like the packaging. When I got towards the end of the bottle, all of the product wasn’t pumping out so it felt like I left a bit left. I also didn’t see a huge difference on the efficacy of the Vitamin C claims. When I started this, I had a few blemishes that had left dark spots and those didn’t fade as quickly as I would have expected them due to the claims of this and I do feel like I gave it a fair shot as I ran through the whole bottle in a month and a half.
Would I repurchase? No.
Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer™ Physical Daily Defense SPF 30 - This is a new formula for me as I started using this mid March. However, I’m really enjoying it! It is a mineral, scent free formula that is emollient but sinks into skin. Since this is a solely Zinc Oxide formula, it does have a white cast that is off putting to many. I do think that if you blend in really well, the white cast decipates completely. If this is super bothersome to you, Drunk Elephant does have a tinted version of the same sunscreen.
Would I repurchase? Yes!
Exuviance Skin Caring BB Fluid with Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 PA++++ - I received this to try in exchange of an honest review and overall really enjoyed it. This formula is tinted to overcome the possible white cast. I will caution that since this formula is fluid, it makes you feel like the product goes farther than a lotion. However, this doesn’t really mean you need less product. Remember that you a healthy amount of product for optimal UV protection. Overall, I enjoyed it but yet not enough to repurchase over my other top pics.
Would I purchase? No, but HIGHLY recommend, particularly for mature skin.

What about body sunscreens? I’m less picky here since I go through so much because I apply on my chest, arms and any other exposed skin everyday. I also don’t stick to mineral here and in fact prefer physical sunscreen since it’s naturally less emollient and shiny. Note that the sunscreens below are not the most luxurious formulas but I’ve cross-reference them on the Consumer Reports list. They test the efficacy that is advertised on the bottle and often sunscreens on the market fail the test.

Equate (Walmart) Sport Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50 - This is a Consumer Reports top pick and I’ve been using it for my body for years. It’s an extremely basic sunscreen and frankly just gets the job done. I’d caution that this is very much smells like sunscreen but like I said, it gets the job done. My husband also uses this on his body on days he’s mountain biking or hiking for long periods of time and has never had a sunburn thanks to it.
Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen - This is looooovely body sunscreen that ticks all of the boxes for me. It doesn’t exude the sunscreen smell and it sinks into the skin quite quickly which leave skin feeling moisturized vs. sticky. This has a few propriety claims like HeatForce and WetForce technology that for me, don’t mean much as they’re hard to prove. I love this formula for my hands particularly due to the fact that it sinks in so quickly so doesn’t leave my palms feeling dirty.

Lastly, I want to go through some questions that I often hear from my friends since they know I’m sunscreen obsessed.

Is sunscreen in my makeup/foundation enough?
NO. For sunscreen to be effective, you need yo apply enough. And trust me, you won’t be applying enough foundation to provide the coverage you need.
How much sunscreen do I apply to my face?
There are many rules of thumb but the one I have been noticing that is easy to digest is the 2-3 finger rule for optimum protection. This means, a straight line of product 2-3 fingers long for your whole face, neck and top of ears. This is why finding the best and most comfortable formula for you is so important, you have to like the texture that’ll make you not hate applying this much product on everyday.
Is sunscreen really necessary?
YES. Sunscreen is the number one anti-aging product. It is also the most important product out of your whole skincare routine due to the fact that it’ll prevent you from getting skin cancer
I don’t get sunburned, do I really need sunscreen?
LOL, YES. There is a misconception that because a person doesn’t get sunburned or is dark skinned, they don’t need sunscreen. Reality is, the sun’s UVA and UVB rays will still provide the same cell-damaging effect that will lead to aging effects like wrinkles and sunspots and ultimately can lead to cancer.