Sunscreen

[AnnMB1]

I am travelling south and I need the best protection. What is the best sunscreen for that. 

[beautyhelper22]

@AnnMB1  Hi! I recommend cruelty free brands. Here are some of my favs

Hero. Force shield sunscreen 

Avatara sunscreen moisturizer 

 
hope this helps!

[WinglessOne]

@AnnMB1  “The best sunscreen” is whichever one you’ll actually wear and reapply every couple hours throughout the day. Make sure it’s at least SPF 30 (regardless of where you live or travel) and broad spectrum. I’m not recommending a stick sunscreen because I haven’t found one I love yet. But if you do try a stick, be sure to apply it VERY GENEROUSLY to your skin: you’ll need multiple back & forth passes (at least 4) on each section of your face to get adequate protection from a stick sunscreen. 

I’ve traveled to the southern US, Mexico, and Caribbean many times. I always travel with Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ because it’s 100% invisible, very easy to spread evenly, and non-irritating to my skin. On me, Unseen Sunscreen doesn’t feel heavy or greasy once it settles to a skin-like finish—and I have mostly-dry combo skin. It plays nice with makeup, and I can easily (but carefully) reapply it over makeup. For me, it’s very dependable. I also love SKIN 1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum SPF 50, which is a Korean sunscreen; you’ll need to shop K-beauty retailers (YesStyle, Olive Young, Stylevana, Jolse, etc.) for that one. 

On my bare arms, legs, feet, and hands, I’ve used Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Sunscreen Body Lotion SPF 60. I normally use a non-SPF Aveeno body lotion in my daily body care routine, so it’s no surprise my skin also likes their body sunscreen. If it didn’t contain fragrance, I’d also use it on my face. (My facial skin’s quite reactive/inflammation-prone; most fragrances trigger bad reactions.) A body sunscreen I do use on both face and body with no problem is Bondi Sands SPF 50 Fragrance Free Sunscreen Lotion. Oh, and Native Unscented Body Sunscreen SPF 30, which is a mineral (zinc oxide) sunscreen. 

If you just want a sunscreen with a very high SPF, consider La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen SPF 100. You’ll still need to reapply this one every couple hours. If you love a shiny/glowy look, you’ll like this sunscreen: on me it’s rather greasy, so I tend to use it only in winter since that’s when my skin likes heavier moisturizers. Bonus points for making my skin glowy in the frigid depths of winter. 😂

Whichever sunscreen you pick, remember to also wear UV protective clothing (I travel with a lightweight UPF-rated jacket I bought from Uniqlo years ago, and I also have some UPF-rated shirts) or at least bring a long sleeve shirt. Also wear sunglasses, a wide brimmed hat if you can, and seek shade when possible. All those things + sunscreen = good overall sun protection. And hey, enjoy your trip! 

[CynthieLu]

That's was really informative, thank you @WinglessOne 🙏☀️ @peculiarzmakeup just giving you a tag because we chatted about spf recently, I thought you might like to read this.

[peculiarzmakeup]

Thank you so much @WinglessOne  I learned a lot from this I appreciate your posts so much and thank you @CynthieLu  for the thoughtful tag. I like how you said the super goop was invisible I think that’s very important because sometimes sunscreen can get greasy and filmy these are great suggestions to work with. Appreciate you both ❤️❤️

[WinglessOne]

Aw, thanks @CynthieLu and @peculiarzmakeup! 

Invisible sunscreens are especially important for those of us with skin tones deeper than cafe au lait. It’s rare to find a mineral/zinc oxide sunscreen that doesn’t leave a very noticeable white/grey/lavender cast on brown skin. Chemical sunscreens don’t have that problem unless they contain a tinosorb*, so they’re a great choice for anyone trying to avoid white cast. 

Some folks say Unseen Sunscreen feels too silicone-y on their skin, but I never have that problem. Still, I should’ve also mentioned that anyone who hates the feel of silicone makeup primers might not like Unseen Sunscreen. The most popular Unseen Sunscreen dupe, Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40, does feel greasy on my face… not as greasy as LRP’s SPF 100, but greasier enough for me to notice. The TJ’s sunscreen’s another good option though, especially at its lower price point. 

*Tinosorbs are advanced UV filters that are very photostable and protect against UVB and both ranges of UVA (UVA1 and UVA2). Tinosorb M and Tinosorb S are what I usually see in European and Asian sunscreens, but there are a couple other newer ones now. They’re kind of a hybrid of chemical and mineral, which is why they leave a zinc oxide type of white cast on some deeper skin tones. You won’t find tinosorbs in any US-made sunscreens because the FDA won’t let us have nice things. 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Thank you so much, this information is so helpful. I definatley find it challenging to find sunscreen for those reasons my skin is very sensitive to texture the feeling and comfort of a product makes all the difference imo. That is such a great suggestion I will certainly look into that. I definatley find it much more appealing when “wear feels like nothings there” I appreciate your knowledge and help with this. Your insights are much appreciated ❤️☀️🫶 @WinglessOne

[SportyGirly125]

@AnnMB1 I use #LANEIGE Hydro UV Defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ 1.67 fl oz / 50 ml and Kopari body sunscreen 

[lindsmet]

My favorite brand is Supergoop. I especially love the Supergoop! Mineral Mattescreen SPF 40 Mineral Sunscreen 1.5 oz / 45 mL and Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ I’ve been using both for years. 

[ather]

@AnnMB1  Depends what you like. I like Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Mineral Milk Sunscreen SPF 30 1.7 oz / 50 mL  but I found the SPF 30 wasn’t enough for down south. I usually had a hat on so no burns but I would switch to Shiseido Ultra Sun Protector Lotion Sunscreen SPF 50  or equivalent. I also like Evereden SPF 50 Premium Mineral Sunscreen 2 oz / 60 mL  is also a great option! I also have a few of the stick SPF and I love that I can throw in my bag and apply with no mirror! 

[AnnMB1]

Hey , thank you for that. Can you suggest some sticks as well.