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Rant & Rave: Sunscreen
This Week’s Topic: SUNSCREEN!
Your Mission: Tell us what you love, hate, or are otherwise indifferent to about sunscreen and all that those entail.
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I really like the Clinique City Block Sheer SPF 25 because it brightens the skin and provides a nice “sticky” base for the foundation. Although it’s oil-free, i still get oilier than when I’m not using it.
I hate that i have yet to find a good one for myself.
I have mild perfume allergies. THe smell of most sunscreens gives me an AWFUL headache.
I have oily skin. Most sunscreen NEVER absorbs, and makes me break out.
I am freakishly pale, and I BURN before anything else, and then when it flakes off, I burn again. So I NEED a STRONG SPF. And there’s very few options for SPF 45(minimum) with the other issues mentioned.
Ugh. I know i’ll have to buy some soon, and jump back in with it, but i’m just dreading it SO much!
Hi! I just saw your post as I am looking for a sunscreen as well. It looks like we have the same type of allergy. The smell of sunscreen gives me HORRIBLE headaches as well and makes me break out too! I wanted to ask if you have found anything that is working for you. It seems that the oxybenzone in most sunscreens is the culprit for the smell. I have been pretty successful with the Kiss My Face brand (you can buy it at natural food stores like Henry’s or Sprouts) and it does not have the oxybenzone. It’s pretty liquidy so it doesn’t make me break out as much. I would highly recommend this one! I also am trying the Burt’s Bees chemical free brand and that one only has titanium dioxide in it so it doesn’t smell at all! The only thing I don’t like about it is the texture as it is pretty greasy.
I have a few peeves about most sunscreens, definitely!
It seems that sunblocking ingredients all have an unpleasant chemical smell, which manufacturers can’t disguise with a nice fragrance. Also, most high SPF products are heavy and don’t spread as nicely as non SPF moisturizers, so it takes SO MUCH to cover a small area of skin. And lastly, most SPF products seem to be not just moisturizing, but actually greasy feeling, which is just nasty. If a product feels greasy on my alligator dry skin, I can just imagine what it feels like for someone who has oily skin! Ugh!
Given how important sunscreen is in preventing photoaging and skin cancers, you’d think that more companies would do the R&D needed to come up with more appealing products so that all women would be not just willing – but actually happy – to wear them.
I cannot use any chemical sunscreen, so I’ve been relying on Neutrogena’s Baby Sunscreen. It’s not the best — it’s a bit thick and goes on whitish (but I’m super pale, so that’s kind of a non-issue), but it doesn’t make me itchy. I like City Block, too, but the tint is terrible. If you’re very light, it’s too orange-brown, or if you’re dark, it’s ashy. I wish it came in a couple tints, or an untinted version.
I hate the smell, but I normal wear a primer with SPF, Illamasqua In matte or Satin, or MAC Prep + Prime
I love sunscreen, Im not too bothered by the smell, it reminds me of the beach. I use Nuetrogena sunscreen SPF 75 or 65. I dont want skin cancer (runs in the family even though I’m mixed and can tan) and I really dont want to age too prematurely. Most of my makeup has sunscreen in it too at least 20 so its easier that way. I really want to try Korres sunscreen, its so cute and I love Korres! 🙂
Love: the number 1, very best way to prevent wrinkles and sun damage.
Hate: I’m allergic to many sunscreen ingredients, so hard for me to find something that works. When I do finally find something, it is usually too emollient and causes breakouts.
Indifferent: sunscreen companies that don’t account for sensitive skin.
I hate the smell and the texture of most sunscreens. It’s so thick and oily! I wear a moisturizer with SPF on my face and hands every day, but I’m bad about the rest of my body. Granted, it’s winter, so I’m ostly covered up when I’m outside. I think when the weather starts warming up I’m going to try some of that Neutrogena Dry Touch. I borrowed some from a friend once and I liked it better than most others I’ve tried.
Most body sunscreens will tend to break me out when put on my face. As well, I hate the smell and the greasy feel! I do use a daily moisturizer with sunscreen or a primer with sunscreen. I am very worried about freckles and dark spots.
I had a constant uphill battle with sunscreen until I found Banana Boat Dri-Blok!
Not only does it almost instantly dry to a powdery finish – it is primarily made of silica, which as well as know from MUFE’s HD powder and other similar products, is a fantastic primer and mattifying agent. Best yet, it doesn’t break me out and keeps my makeup looking fresh and matte better than any other sunscreen. $8-10 for a large bottle that will last you at least a year for face and body use.
For those with oily skin and is outside alot playing sports or in the water….Shiseido spf 55 lotion. It’s water-resistant, quick-absorbing, and doesn’t leave a sheen/shine on your face. It feels really light, too. I’ve always hated sunscreen, but this…my friends, try it! The only down-side is that you should use the Shiseido cleansing oil to remove the sunscreen. (this is the only cleansing oil that’s proven to remove this sunscreen) It’s my beach trip, golfing, summer sunscreen!
Seconded! Shiseido’s SPF 55 Lotion is my summer must-have.
Hmm, the smell doesn’t bother me, but sunscreen gives me whiteheads and makes me feel really greasy and disgusting. I don’t spend too much time outside, but if I hit the beach, I always wear sunscreen. It’s pretty vital to looking young.
I don’t bother with it in the winter, since I get almost no sun exposure in the ~dreaded Canadian winter!~ Hahah. Most good foundations seem to have SPF15, which is more than enough for the amount of time I spend outdoors in the winter. But for summer, I am starting to take sunscreen pretty seriously. I want my skin to stay healthy! I found a pretty nice, oil free, non-comedeogenic SPF60 from Neutrogena. But I haven’t used it is a long time, so we’ll see how it works in spring with my ever-changing foundation routine!
Oooh, I should mention that this Neutrogena sunscreen for ‘sensitive skin’ is fragrance free and waterproof too! It actually doesn’t have that atrocious sunscreen smell!
Actually, the damaging rays still come through the clouds so it’s important to wear year round! I live in Victoria, though, so I am about as south as you can get. Depending on where you live in Canada, the more north you are the more protection you need (thinner ozone, etc)!
I hate sunscreen that makes your face looks white or feel sticky on your face. So far the best i’ve used is Aveeno continuous protection. I love it! Not sticky, has like SPF30 (SPF 70 will feel sticky) and it’s CHEAP!
Getting hard to find tho
I hate sunscreen! I know that I need it and my mom uses it religiously in the summer (Asian!). But I just hate the consistency, they’re so heavy and greasy, definitely not good when you’re out in the sun! And some sunscreens have transfers, I think the VICHY one once made the whole car white! I think Neutrogena’s once of the lightest high SPF formulas I’ve tried.
I hate that sunscreen adds another layer to my already long beauty routine! But other than that, I love that it can supposedly prevent wrinkles!
I find the Neutrogena sunscreen in the navy blue metal tube (Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle spf 20) to be a good non-oily one. It does smelly a little funny when you apply due to the retinol in it, but its great for oily skin… I have more dry skin so it didn’t work for me.
I hope that helps!
I hate that anything over SPF 15 makes me break out into a rash. It’s really hard to find a good facial sunscreen.
I also hate the smell, texture and greasiness of sunscreen (the only way I can deal with that is if I’m actually ON the beach), so I’m trying to find a good everyday one for my face that just feels like normal moisturizer.
Even the oil free sunscreens make me look “greasy” and break me out when I layer them under foundations. I wish they would come out with sunscreens that feel light on the skin, oil free, and don’t have that shiny look . . .
I hate that there are apparently a lot of sunscreens that aren’t ‘stable’, the oil cleansing part and the breakouts! Oh the breakouts! I can stay pale for 2 weeks in hawaii with shiseido spf 55 lotion on my face and banana boat on the body but the break outs/oiliness are horrible.
I’m one of the almost freakishly pale and I get break-outs from almost every sunscreen I try. During the (bleak, cold, miserable) Canadian winter, I just use a moisturizer/ foundation with SPF 15, but in the summer, it can be a chore. One that does work for me is Cliniderm SPF 45. It’s irritant free and it’s a physical (instead of chemical) sunscreen, so it protects better and doesn’t make me break out like a teenager. It also doesn’t have the whitish residue of other physical sunscreens, which is a relief…
I hate sunscreen that is oily on your face. I am currently using Clinique City Block Sheer SPF 25 about to run out and am going to purchase again. The reason I like this is because it is non greasy and it provides physical protection versus chemical protection. I just feel like after a while the chemical part of it will wear off and your face is not protected as much by the end of the day, just the same as how you have to reapply powder, l/s, l/g, etc. Just my 2 cents
Sunscreen is definitely a must, it’s the secret to keeping your skin looking younger longer. I don’t waste money on expensive face creams, they are all a scam IMO. Anyways I hate thick oily sunscreen.. My HG so far is Shiseido’s Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF55 PA+++. It’s very runny so it feels light on my face, doesn’t break me out, and is very easy so apply. Yes it’s a bit pricey for sunblock, but I haven’t found a cheaper one that feels this great! I also use CG’s TM with SPF15 (also HG status!!) on top of it to even out my skin. I’m in my late 20’s and I don’t need/hate foundation of any kind.
It’s annoying to put on but I don’t want skin cancer. The BB Cream I use has an SPF of 42 so I think I’m good.
The feel and smell of sunscreen used to make me wince. I’d literally tense up when I had to put it on, which was every day because I am fair-skinned, freckled, red-haired, and blue-eyed. I recently discovered Peter Thomas Roth Moisture Defense Cream SPF 30, and am no longer in daily agony. It smells when you first put it on, but absorbs sooo quickly and leaves a perfect canvas for makeup. Plus, it’s got oodles of antioxidants and has not clogged my pores. I love it!
However, I am still on the prowl for the perfect body sunscreen …
I wear sunscreen everyday. I live in Canada where most people only wear it in the summer. I use a few different ones, so I will list them. I really like the Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery SPF 15 with antioxidants for my face, it isn’t greasy and it doesn’t have that sunscreen feel. If I am going to outside alot, I will use the 50SPF mac prep and prime on top of it.
For my body I also use a Paula’s Choice product (Extra Care non greasy 45SPF). I cover any exposed skin- neck, shoulders, arms, feet, hands…..
I have tried several brands, and I find that the specific sunscreen brands are to greasy for my skin.
I hate the stickiness and that weird smell of sunscreens…Its important, or else I would have never never never never applied it on my face. Some brands make my face itch n burn…eeeewww..
i use Invisible Zinc (and australian brand) environmental block, and i like it exept for the slight white cast it gives me and the slightly bad smell. but i like the pump it has and its cheap 😉
I hate sunscreen, and I don’t actively seek it out. My family is from the caribbean and I have to admit it isn’t something that is very prevalent to me. I don’t have a problem with wrinkles, and women in my family generally don’t, my granny spent all of her days in the hot sun and had skin like a baby until her dying day. Skin cancer has never affected my gene pool either.
I don’t burn and SS generally makes me breakout. My complaint is that so many products include it in the list of ingredients. I wish it was more optional.
The only sunscreen I can wear on my face is Clinique. I breakout (cystic breakouts) with any other facial sunscreen or foundation/moisturizer that contains SPF. This is a huge pain because I have naturally red hair and am pretty fair complected.
I hate it. I’m not sure a high SPF is healthy or even good for every day. Sometimes, I don’t see the point. I don’t usually wear sunscreen in the winter. In the summer, by the time I get out of work, that high SPF I’ve slapped on in the morning is probably useless. There’s just no way I’d slap a layer of SPF on top of my face unless I can wash my face. That said, I’m with one of the posters below. I’m allergic to most, and the ones that are OK are too emollient and cause break outs. If I’m walking around in the winter for no more than 2 hours, I’ll slap on Shiseido’s Benefiance moisturizer with SPF 15. I’ve tried low SPFs from La Roche Posay, Avene, and all department store brands, and 99.9% of them are awful. The Neutrogena baby or Water Babies are the best ones from drugstore. I like hats, umbrellas.
i love sunscreen i make sure i use it everyday..the only thing i dont like is when they add it to foundation because it makes my face look really pale when i take pictures.
I have pretty oily skin and until recently I was using the Clinique Superdefense spf 25. Then because I ran out and couldn’t get more I just grabbed a tube of the Neutrogena SPF 55 for face. I wound up loving it. I just mix a little blob of sunscreen with a dot of moisturizer to thin it out. I like that it’s so much cheaper, lasts longer, and has a higher spf.
I am still trying to find the perfect sunscreen for dry/sensitive skin. I’m allergic to quite a few chemical sunscreens so I have to find a physical/mineral sunblock. My skin loves to act up though if I put on a very rich cream, by getting bumpy. I would love to find a high spf, titanium dioxide/zinc oxide, light and cheap sunscreen.
I love wearing sunscreen because it is the easiest thing I can do to help prevent aging. I wear sunscreen everyday on my face, neck and ears (I always smile when I dab a bit on the ears).
when do you put one sunscreen when u put it on with makeup?
What do I love about sunscreen? What it prevents! I also don’t mind the smell either. I used to live by the beach. It reminds me of home. 🙂 Hate? The only thing that would make me think twice before applying is the ones that come in a spray on mist formula. Unless you like the whole zebra burn/tan look. I’ll pass.
I’ll be honest, I understand that sunscreen is VERY important but for the longest time, if I could get away with it, I never put sunscreen on. I hated the smell of all the sunscreens I’ve come across. I also really disliked the heavy, sticky feel it left behind. I always felt like my face was melting off.
It wasn’t until I came across Shiseido estra smooth sun protection cream for face. It’s very water-resistant and SPF 36 PA+++. It’s supposed to protect from all known rays or something. The person explained it to me, but I don’t really remember.
It doesn’t have the typical sunscreen smell. What I like best is how little I have to use to cover my whole face. I only use a pea size! So, it is expensive, but it lasts for a long time. It’s really light weight and doesn’t feel like you’re wearing anything heavy and makeup doesn’t feel like it becomes another layer of latex or something.
So Shiseido sunscreen has me sold. I now use this, and only this, sunscreen everyday like I’m supposed to!
The problem with sunscreen and spf in makeup is that it only lasts for an hour.
everyone needs to wear a legit. sunblock everday of at least spf 25.
I am still hunting for a decent sunscreen. I have yet to find one that doesn’t either leave my face in a greasy mess or make my face look very ashy. Even in the summer, I like to have pretty good coverage with my foundation. Most sunscreens make my makeup slide right off, no matter what primers and powders I use. I’ve tried La Roche-Posay since last summer, but I don’t love it. Still too greasy!
Sunscreen is OK, I only wear it because I have to.
I lather on neutrogena’s everyday. EVERY single day! No premature aging for me. 🙂
My ultimate favorite is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock in SPF 45.
You can wear it under makeup and it won’t slip and slide!!
like a lot of people i hate the chemical smell and the greasiness. right now i use Neutrogena Ultrasheer Dry Touch Sunblock in SPF 70 for the body. The smell is lighter and it isn’t oily at all. For the face I rely on MAC Prep + Prime Face Protection SPF 50.
“July is less than a week away and like it or not our skin will be exposed to the elements, it’s important to not lose sight of your skin’s health. Especially in middle of the summer! The “burning” question on your mind should be…”What type of sunscreen will best protect my skin from harmful rays?” When looking for the right sunscreen you need to make sure the product you are purchasing contains ingredients to offer both UVA and UVB protection.
Why?, because both types of UV rays are absorbed by the skin and cause unwanted damage and can be potentially dangerous. UVA rays cause the aging effects on your skin, while UVB rays cause the carcinogenic damage (not good). So, it is very important to protect your skin against both UVB and UBA rays. In order to protect yourself against both rays, you need to check the ingredients. For proper UVA protection you need to make sure your sunscreen includes microionized zinc oxide, avobenzone, or mexoryl (all protect against UVA).
Most people make the mistake of purchasing sunscreen with high SPF thinking it will block any and all harm rays from the sun. Unfortunately, this simply is not the case. While high SPF lotions are a good idea, the SPF alone doesn’t offer ideal protection. While SPF measures UVB it does not measure UVA. Another thing to remember is that while summer seems like the most needed time for sunscreen, UV rays do not lose their strength during the winter months. And, you do not need direct exposure to UV rays in order to receive damage, UV rays can pass through glass. Therefore, you should be in the habit of applying your sunscreen everyday at least 30 minutes before leaving the house. And, remember to reapply throughout the day if you are outdoors for an extended period of time.”
anyone tried biore? its a japanese brand and their sunscreen with spf50 is very lightweight(the consistency of it is rather runny, unlike the usual creamy sunscreen which feels heavy on he skin)so i have no problem wearing it under my foundation everyday!furthermore, i live in sunny singapore, summer all year round, sunscreen is a must.
I have been using boscia oil-free moisturizer with spf 15. It doesn’t seem greasy and I have oily skin. However, it is winter so we will see in the summer. It has a lot of ingredients to control oil and is natural. I figure that along with my foundation I should be good unless I’m outside a lot or all day. I definitely would not recommend this for dry skin. There are a lot of people that gave it bad ratings on Sephora because it wasn’t moisturizing enough…umm hello it says it’s for controlling oil!
I hate sunscreen. I have sensitive skin and all the sunscreens I’ve tried make my face red and itchy. It’s painful and frustrating! Until I find a good sunscreen I will continue to use a moisturizer with SPF and MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation with SPF 15 – neither of which causes me any problems, for whatever reason.
I love sunblock. My favorite scent is the Hawaiin Tropic and I love it in spray form. I wear a moisturizer with SPF 15 right now but I definitely will need at least 30 in the summer. I haven’t yet found a face one that is on the more affordable side that I like a lot. I wouldn’t go out without some form of SPF on my face though, the thought of sun damage, wrinkles and skin cancer is too scary/real.
I am reading everyone’s comments with interest. Will be creating a video about how our skin tans and how sunscreens work. Your opinions here are very helpful!
I didn’t start wearing sunscreen regularly when I was younger, but now I wear KINeSYS SUnscreens all the time. They spray on, which is nice and they don’t leave me feeling oily or greasy. It’s the only brand of sunscreen that I am confident I won’t burn with. I use it on the rest of the family, too, and they all love the spray and how quick it dries, plus no one breaks out! 🙂
Oh man. So many rants from me. LOL.
First off, I’m allergic to chemical sunscreen ingredients which makes finding a sunscreen extremely tough for me. Furthermore, with so many companies adding SPF5-15 into practically everything, I’m precluded from trying tons of products because of it. And it’s better now, but it used to be really hard to find a physical-only sunscreen that wasn’t horribly greasy and streaky.
Then, there’s so, so, so much miseducation about sunscreen! I’m astounded all the time to read what people think about UV damage and how sunscreens work, etc. SPF stands for sun protection factor but it only rates against UVB rays – these are the ones that cause burning and DNA damage through inflammation. SPF is a logarithmic scale – SPF15 means blocks out about 50% of UVB rays and SPF30 blocks out 97% with SPF60 maxing out at the asymptote to 100%. However, sunscreens are federally regulated to have SPF calculated with 2mg/cm^2 of product – which is a ridiculous amount – truly about a tablespoon for your face! In that sense a super high SPF isn’t better because it blocks out that much more rays, but because you can’t practically use enough sunscreen to get the rated coverage.
However, UVB only accounts for about 0.3% of UV rays that reach the earth on a daily basis!! The 99.7% is UVA (UVC doesn’t really get through the ozone layer) which causes direct DNA damage, is largely responsible for melanoma and aging!
Furthermore, UV rays occur on a spectrum and most sunscreen ingredients only block a part of that spectrum (that’s why you see a cocktail of sunscreen ingredients in most products) so just because a product says it provides broad spectrum coverage it could have multiple holes. Since FDA regulations only cover UVB, companies can legally write whatever they want regarding UVA coverage with no oversight. Only zinc oxide reflects the entire spectrum.
Also, I have not seen any compelling evidence that chemical sunscreen ingredients are bad for your skin. All the studies I have read (I’m a bioengineering undergrad, and I’ve been involved in university level lab research since I was in 7th grade so I think I’m pretty qualified to read and interpret scientific studies and smart enough to know when I don’t understand) have used ridiculous amounts of sunscreen ingredients to show the negative effects on tissue slices, which is not representative of wearing sunscreen on live skin at all. Also, regarding the dangers of nanoparticle-ized physical sunscreens, they do act like abestos, but like abestos, they’re only dangerous if you’re breathing in the stuff. Since physical sunscreens sit on and barely even penetrate the top dead layer of skin (I also can’t believe how many people believe their top layer of skin cells are alive), they do pose any of the dangers of abestos if used properly (so… don’t eat or snuff your sunscreen).
I wrote a pretty thorough introduction to suncreen here: All About Sunscreen.
I wish there was an easier way to reapply sunscreen on my face throughout the day. I know it has to be done on a regular basis, but I HATE messing up my makeup!