Hi there, Friends! We are in the full-blown throes of winter, here in the mountainous area from where I live, and despite all the ‘shnow’ we get, the air is as dry as a wind tunnel (I thought of more clever things to describe it, but we will keep it PG up in here). Many nights during the winter season, our kiddos break out in nose bleeds, their lips crack horribly, and our hair feels like fresh laid straw. Sufficeth to say, we are all a hot mess. I try my best to keep our house stocked with Aquafor, Carmex and hair masks, and we survive, at best. It is also easy during wintertime to get lazy with keeping up with our skin routines – I myself, am guilty as charged. We don’t go out as much, we keep cozy in our dried-out domiciles – and the worst part – we don’t put on sunscreen when we do leave the house – because, well, its winter, right? WRONG, my sweet, sweet skin-loving savages. Winter is no exception to slathering your face with some SPF. Exposure to the sun in some places can be just as intense, UVA/UVB rays don’t hibernate (sorry to say) and with lazy skincare routines, your skin is overall more susceptible to damage. It is probably the BEST time to wear sunscreen! With that, Imma ‘bout to give you the scoop on your next new best friend for winter… it’s like a protective blanket for your faces. So grab some hot cocoa, cozy up and let’s get to reading, shall we??
Sunscreen 101 – What the Heck Is It?
*Adjusts monocle and raps cane on pedestal* Now, class, before we get further along, allow me to review the basics. Sunscreen is a combination of various compounds: chemical, physical, organic, inorganic or any combination thereof. When applied to the epidermis (aka your sexy skin), sunscreen provides protection from the sun’s powerful and sometimes dangerous ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and depending on their chemical makeup, do it in different ways. Organic compounds, like octinoxate or oxybenzone – protect your skin by absorbing the UV rays. Inorganic compounds, like the minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, reflect the rays from your skin. And when organic and inorganic are combined – BAM – you get the ‘full spectrum’ powerhouse that you see written on the back of the bottle, and think – “well what the heck does that mean?” Welp, now, you know!
You will also see various degrees of protection on the label, written as such: SPF15, SPF30, SPF 46, and so on. SPF stands for “sun protection factor” – it is the percentage of protection from UV rays in which the sunscreen can perform, when used as recommended. Here’s a chart that breaks down the percentages:
There are two types of ultraviolet radiation: UVA and UVB. These bad boys are not the type you want to hang out with for long periods of time, without your parents knowing. If left unchecked to freely penetrate your skin, exposure to these rays can lead to premature aging, sun damage and the worst of all – cancer. Fun fact – skin cancer is in the top 5 of most common types of cancer. But the good news is, we can help ourselves to prevent it.
How To Use It
I hate to rain on your parade again – but another fun fact – most of us don’t wear enough, reapply when we should or wear the right percentage. So let me help you with this: the least percentage of coverage the average beauty should wear is 30 – especially if you are fair skinned like myself. SPF 100 is a rip off, in my opinion, as there really isn’t much of a difference in protection beyond 50. So, anywhere between 30 and 50 is going to be your sweet spot.
For your face, you need to apply ¼ teaspoon - no more, no less. Believe me – it’s a lot, but in order to make sure you are protecting them pores, you need to ensure the coverage is there. And NO – foundations with SPF will not provide the coverage you need, unless you are wanting to look like you are made of plastic, and waste loads of money on purchasing foundation every week. For the rest of the body 1-2 ounces for your curvy corpuses is best. Wait about 15-30 minutes after sunscreen application before you put on makeup or head outdoors, and then, my friend, you are ready for outdoor action.
If you are staying outdoors all day (skiing, sun napping, drinking a beer at the ball field) – you should be reapplying sunscreen every 2 hours. And yes, if your clothes do not protect you from sun damage, you better put on SPF underneath thin clothing. I know, it sounds like such a chore – but when you are 75 out there looking a fresh 50 all up in that retirement complex, playing shuffleboard and living your best life – you will thank me later.
If you work from home like me and are indoors most of the day, you can get away with an initial application, and go about your day. But just know that if you have any light filtering into your home, you are exposed to UV rays, whether in direct lighting or not. So don’t think you can skip on it. Just make sure that if you plan to run errands – you reapply if it has been longer than a few hours. Or at the least, wear a hat, for Pete’s sake.
Which is Right for You
All right, now that I have sunscreen shamed everyone, let’s get to the big question: which one is the right one for me? I am not going to sit here and write 8 long paragraphs, so I will summarize:
- Broad spectrum is always best.
- No less than 30 SPF, no more than 50 will do you any better.
- For sensitive skin, mineral sunscreens tend to be less irritating
- For dry skin, you may want a sunscreen that is labeled ‘sheer’ to give you that extra radiance
- For oily skin, a matte sunscreen for your face will help keep excess sebum at bay. Follow up with a sunscreen face powder for touch-ups.
- Tinted sunscreens are usually mineral, to hide the zinc oxide cast. Many brands have a lovely, tinted sunscreen (both matte and sheer) and I will list my recommendations below.
- If you have a gluten allergy, please read the labels to make sure they are gluten free, with the gluten free label. Some brands will say they don’t ‘add’ additional gluten – but cannot guarantee there is zero gluten in them.
SWB's Recommendations
Here’s the list of what I recommend. Now there is a lot of controversy these days about organic sunscreens and whether or not they are harmful to your body. Better technology surrounding these compounds is surfacing, but you will make the best decision for yourself, I know you will.
For Your Face:
Australian Gold Botanical Tinted Sunscreen Broad Spectrum 50:
This is one of my holy grail sunscreen products; it is a mineral sunscreen with a beautiful tint (3 or 4 shades available) that dries down matte. I have more mature skin, but even the matte looks beautiful on me. This is my fave to wear when I am not wanting to put on a full face of makeup, or I am spending some time outdoors.
- Prevage City Smart Spectrum 50 hydrating shield: This is another mineral sunscreen but with a more radiant finish. It lays beautifully on the skin with a gorgeous tint, and wears really well under makeup – it can even double for a primer. The price is on the more heft side, but honestly, if it keeps my face protected, works well under makeup or without, and makes me look fabulous, I am all in.
- Undefined Beauty R&R Sun Serum: New discovered, relatively new brand. This is a tinted organic vegan, cruelty free sunscreen. The tint on this leans more on the medium skin toned side, but still overall can work well with many skin tones. Plays well with makeup.
Innisfree Daily UV Defense Broad Spectrum 36:
This is a sheer, untinted sunscreen I recently fell in love with, and has been my go-to for a few months, now. No Zinc or Titanium dioxide, so it dries down clear. Wells great under makeup and moisturizing without feeling greasy.
- Skinceuticals Physical Fusion Sheer UV Defense: Another great product for daily wear under makeup. Lightly tinted, fragrance free and mineral.
- Neutrogena Sheer Zinc Mineral Sunscreen: Great drugstore buy, fabulous product for the price, non-irritating. Dries down clear.
For Your Body:
- 365 Everyday Mineral Sunscreen Sport Lotion, SPF 30
- Loving Naturals Clear Body Sunscreen, SPF 30+
- Alba Botanica Hawaiian Sunscreen Lotion, Aloe Vera, SPF 30: This is what I have in my house, constantly.
- Banana Boat Ultra Sport Sunscreen Stick, SPF 50: We also have used and like this one, as well. The Ultra sport is easy to apply and even better for quick, reapplication. I like this one for my kid in softball, so I can slick it on her when she forgets her bottle of sunscreen, at home. The girls scout in me is always prepared.
- Neutrogena Clear Body Breakout Free Oil-Free Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30: Also, another fave of mine. Goes on sheer, not greasy, so I can apply my overly obnoxious shimmery lotion oil from Sol de Janeiro over it and not feel liked a greased up, Greek wrestler, just a glowy, protected Goddess.
Now that you are armed with knowledge get out there and shield your beautiful skin, my lovely Warriors!
XoXo's
تعليقات