Sunscreen, albeit one of those things we tend to forget or skip in our skin ritual, it is one of those things that we get to truly, consciously remember to apply. Do not kid yourself, forgetting to layer-up with this usually non centerfold status product will result in an experience you’ll literally be paying for later on in corrective skin treatments to repair damage and signs of pre-mature aging caused by the sun. Think: IPL or BBL photo facial laser treatments.
If you want the product breakdown immediately: keep scrolling past the next few paragraphs. I share the following in advance of product breakdown as insight and my experience.
Forgot the sunscreen for the first 37 years of your life? Don’t worry. There are corrective treatments and incredible product recommendations to reverse the appearance of sun damage.
There is almost always a solution and with neglecting the use of sunscreen there are indeed solutions: IPL/BBL photo facial laser treatments and various types of peels. I love my monthly skin treatments but I would way rather be experiencing a preventative, feel-good, indulgent treatment for something other than correctively repairing sun damage, and I am sure you would agree. Think: 24 karat gold hydra-facial or exosomes facial paired with skin needling vs a skin-snapping IPL or BBL photo corrective photo facial laser treatment. The results do feel (and look) good post photo facial/laser treatment, and they’re totally worth it. But you know what I mean in comparison re: corrective vs preventative treatment. And if you don’t know – go start experiencing the world of skin treatments if you’re able! I swear your world will change and your confidence will skyrocket based on my experience from my once acne-scarred now MU-free worthy, glowing complexion. Skin is one of those things that when it’s in good shape you just feel better. You may not know the difference unless you’ve experienced the literal pain of acne but trust me on this one.
On forgetting vs remembering to apply sunscreen, all it takes is getting burned once per season to remember. When I was living in LA I forgot to apply sunscreen one day pre-walk on the beach on a partially cloudy and not so warm day. Wrong move! Beet red and in pain my skin was. Never did I forget to apply sunscreen after that. Also, burning your skin to tan is NOT an option! I’ll share my favorite self-tanners for face and body in detail in another post and mention them below.
Remember that where there is daylight, there’s sun exposure regardless of temperature.
Back to sunscreen: the product that gets to be part of your routine. I’ve tried a handful of sunscreens and I am sharing the basics of each and my preferences for you below.
**For reference, I am 37 years old with a fair complexion and have combination skin that is on the oilier side (as in rapid cell turnover) yet needs serious hydration. I don’t tend to experience dry patches.
The Sunscreen Product Line-up:
- Coola SPF 30 Mineral Face Matte Cucumber
- Skinceuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50 (tinted option available)
- Elta MD UV Physical Broad Spectrum SPF 41 Sunscreen (tinted option available)
Bonus Products Infused With SPF Worth Mentioning:
I also love a good CC cream, tinted moisturizer or tinted primer that has SPF in it. Rather than layering more and more and more products, or in minimizing liquids when travelling carry-on only (when travel was a thing pre covid), multi-tasking products always rank high on my list. A few of my faves in this department are: Gee Beauty’s Prime Skin and IT Cosmetics CC Cream.
Okay, let’s break down the sunscreen edit.
1. Coola SPF 30 Mineral Face Matte Cucumber
What I love: the feel, fresh scent and rapid absorption time. This formula feels whipped to touch and is noticeably lighter in product density; you can feel this in texture as soon as you squeeze it onto your hand hence this product is specifically great for those with normal to oily skin. This is by far my favorite sunscreen to wear when I’m layering products and wearing make-up because it’s ultra-light weight (literally don’t even feel it as an added layer) and it absorbs so quickly. Quick absorption time is always important if time’s a factor in your getting ready routine. Coola’s SPF 30 Mineral Face Matte Cucumber Sunscreen is free of parabens, cruelty-free, antioxidant-rich, and considered organic.
- Star ingredient: zinc. Zinc acts as an antiseptic, lessons free radicals and protects lipids (that form collagen).
- Skin type: normal to oily; all skin types.
- Size: 1.7 oz/ 50 mL
- Price point: $48 CAD
- Where to shop: Gee Beauty (carries some Coola, not all) and Sephora.
2. Skinceuticals Mineral Radiance Physical UV Defense SPF 50
What I love: slim packaging, quality of ingredients, a little goes a long way. Skinceuticals is a brand I’ve had respect for since 2012 when I first discovered the brand and started using the Hydrating B5 Gel mask. Many Skinceutical products pack a solid punch in multi-purpose and quality ingredients. There are certain skin and makeup products that don’t make the cut when I’m travelling carry-on only, and sunscreen is often one of them. Through rational process of elimination I bring the serums and creams I can’t live without that are generally higher ticket and tougher to replace when I’m travelling. I picked this Skinceuticals sunscreen up last March in Milan (2019). This formula does absorb quickly and is suitable to layer with other products as it is fairly lightweight as well. The texture is a milky light lotion to feel. This product is paraben-free and non-comedogenic. Good for all skin tones and types and is particularly suitable for sensitive skin. This product is also available with a sheer tint; love a great dual purpose product. I still prefer the non-tint as I do like to wear my own makeup on top.
- Star ingredient: zinc (yes, in Skinceuticals too). Zinc acts as an antiseptic, lessons free radicals and protects lipids (that form collagen).
- Skin type: all skin types and specifically for sensitive skin.
- Size: 1.7 oz/ 50 mL
- Price point: $46 CAD
- Where to shop: Gee Beauty
3. Elta MD UV Physical Broad Spectrum SPF 41 Sunscreen – Tinted
What I love: creamy, highly moisturizing, clean ingredients. I’m not at the point of raving about this product as it wasn’t my all-star favorite although I would still use it and do intend to give it another chance at some point. Things that didn’t work for me: the tint wasn’t my favorite, didn’t absorb as quickly, didn’t layer well with my other products. I.e. because it didn’t absorb on top of the products that went on before it, my makeup didn’t sit well on top of it. If I was going make-up free to the beach this is a total winner in that it is highly moisturizing and one of their choices (as there are a few) is water-proof. Being honest, it annoyed me this wasn’t travel-friendly in size (even though I could have packed some in a smaller bottle). I remember buying this for a trip to St. Barth and when I went to pack it the night before – it wasn’t an option, as I didn’t have a smaller bottle on hand to transfer some of it to. Not a crisis, just a fleeting moment and although under 100ml it’s not the best for packing in carry-on travel. Alas, I do see there are smaller packets to try that are great options for travel. Yay, Elta MD! I love when companies listen to people and create or innovate; genuinely appreciated.
- Star ingredient: quercetin & zinc. Quercetin has skin-soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. Zinc acts as an antiseptic, lessons free radicals and protects lipids (that form collagen).
- Skin type: all skin types and specifically for sensitive skin.
- Size:3 oz/ 89 mL
- Price point: $41 CAD
- Where to shop: Gee Beauty
Initially I wanted to share two of the Supergoop product’s I’ve tried although something intuitively feels off to me with the ingredients to go so far as to recommend. In 2018 I tried the Unseen Sunscreen; the application was nice and smooth, product layered well. In 2019 I tried their setting spray and it was lightweight, not sticky and the scent didn’t bug me. Although a well-received product by the market, something’s not clicking for me. Call me crazy, it’s just a feeling.
It doesn’t end there though, you’ve got more options!
If you’re one of those people (and I’m totally one of you) that tends to accidentally skip the SPF because you don’t live in a super hot beach city on the regular, you kind of rely on your makeup products to do the job for you. Fortunately there are some great products that pack the SPF and I will share with you two of my favorites. Each of these products contains incredible ingredients, think: makeup that doubles as skincare and both are breathable formulas. I am generally someone who needs to wear cleaner make-up as I’m an acne prone human and both of these products meet that standard.
Let’s run through these two products that I love AND that are different from each other. Each serve a different purpose. Each contains an SPF factor hence if you’re not applying a stand-alone SPF one of these products are better to include than not.
Prime Skin by Gee Beauty
What I love: weightless, breathable, buildable, pore minimizing, great standalone as your base, great for layering with other product, i.e. Gee Mineral Sheer Tint or the Gee Foundation Multi-Stick. Prime Skin by Gee is rich in hyaluronic acid, is oil-free and has an SPF20 in its formulation. Think of this product in two ways: 1) prime and prep (if layering and building coverage) and, 2) place and go (if using standalone without layering another foundation on top). Any makeup that doubles as skincare is a huge win in my books and Prime Skin is just that. I recently started using this and I am loving it specifically for the fact that I can still see my skin it just looks better. For best application pair with Gee’s Prime Skin Brush. This brush is mini enough to pop in your purse and I know it will be great for travel.
- Star ingredient: hyaluronic acid (ultra hydrating; like a drink of water for the skin that plumps fine lines).
- Coverage: sheer, pore blurring and buildable.
- Size: 1.18 oz/ 35 mL
- Price point: $56 CAD
- Where to shop: Gee Beauty
IT Cosmetics CC Cream Your Skin But Better CC+ Illumination Cream with SPF 50+
What I love: pore blurring, hydrating, natural-look, dewy, product packaging packs well for travel. I’ve used the IT Cosmetics illumination CC Cream religiously for the past 2 years (since May 2018). As a CC cream this product is makeup that doubles as skincare (though don’t skip your skincare). This is a great everyday foundation that replaced my Armani Luminous Silk (that I’d used for 4 years prior and haven’t picked up since replacing). Lately I love to see more of my skin and have been using this product a lot less hence cue Gee Beauty and near all of their products I’m obsessed with. I’m also loving controlling more of where the dew on my skin pops these days and this is truly an ultra-dewy product hence if you’re not into an overall dewy glow opt for IT’s original finish if you want to test out this product. I’ve used the original finish and it’s a good product (I still prefer the luminous). I’ve sampled the oil-free and as someone with oil in my skin, the oil-free formulation was way to heavy and matte in my experience. A definite star product in my world no matter how you slice it ~ it still lives in my makeup chest, I’m just putting it on pause for now as I try new products.
- Star ingredient: hyaluronic acid plus niacin and tons of vitamins.
- Coverage: medium (when applied with fingers) to full (when applied with brush or sponge).
- Size: 1 oz/ 32 mL
- Price point: $52 CAD
- Where to shop: Sephora
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