National SPF Day 2023 ☀️

[ather]

Hello BIC, 

As you might all know National SPF Day ☀️ this year is rapidly approaching. May 27, 2023. I like to think SPF Day is every day because it is so important for our skin! I would love everyone to share their tips and tricks for sun safety and of course favourite sunscreens.

My favourite combo right now is using Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen 1.7 oz / 50 mL as my base and applying Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation 20 Mulholland  over it. Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen 1.7 oz / 50 mL I am still able to apply sunscreen over my makeup and it still gives a great finish and does not mess up my makeup! I also try to always wear a hat if I am going to be outside for an extended time and I never forget to protect my eyes with sunglasses 🕶️.

Right now I have been wanting to try these SPF:

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare All-Physical Lightweight Wrinkle Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30 P... 

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sunscreen SPF 50 

Evereden SPF 50 Premium Mineral Sunscreen 2 oz / 60 mL 

Drop a comment below and share your favorite SPF or tips and tricks to enjoy the summer safely.

Happy National SPF Day!!!

[CattyT3]

@WinglessOne thanks for the @ tip:

That's a good point about the Japanese products - I had to sleuth around to get the ingredients list of some Hado Labo lotions as a lot of the packaging of different versions is so similar to the non-Japanese reading eye. I did hear about that Canmake one's formula being changed and people weren't liking the other 2 varieties that were not the clear one, but I have ordered a new one now as I'm almost done with my current one, so will have to see if it still agrees with me whether the clear version is updated or not when I use it later this year.

And very true about the Heimish one - I am actually surprised the peppermint didn't get me honestly since I find the slightest of hint of mint very noticeable normally.
I can believe that about the LRP ones pilling as I hated every single Anthelios range SPF I tried out - and thought it was the titanium dioxide, but I can use titanium dioxide baby SPFs with no discomfort in exchange for the purple cast on my skin at the very least.  So it's just something in their formulations unfortunately - I just think it's mostly not POC friendly actually. I hope you enjoy the Toleraine one when you get to it, or at the very least it doesn't cause any issues.

The no-lavender club sure has been a very bumpy journey this past half year until now, luckily I am now lavender free with my skin and hair product shelf & only need to audit my perfume samples - unfortunately if I smell it it hurts my head now as well. I can't believe how common it is in everything now I'm hyper vigilant about it. At least it's an excuse to branch out to new scents, I suppose.

[niki172]

For my dry skin (and it plays lovely with my makeup) I really like the Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 42 . For touch ups I'm really loving their Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50 0.7 oz/ 20 g . I also wear sunglasses with an SPF/blue light filter if I know I'm going to be in the sun and try to stand in the shade when/if I can (sometimes carrying around a parasol, especially in a crowd, is frowned down upon lol).

Also darker colored clothing absorbs UV rays so it shields your skin and helps to give you another little layer of protection. Nothing beats an SPF though and while this may make your warmer it is a nice trick.

[CattyT3]

The sun stick is one I was recommended to try by a friend who has dry skin as well and loves it but I'll have to skip on trying it as I tried both the Shiseido liquid sunscreens sold on Sephora since it's such a popular brand, and unfortunately both did not agree with me at all. To date the only Asian sunscreen to make me have a reaction or any negative experience at all.
But I'm glad the brand is good for other people with dry skin even if it's not me.

[WinglessOne]

@niki172  Piggybacking on the very good dark clothing tip: if you wanna wear lighter colors, you can also buy clothes that have built-in UV protection. These clothes have a UPF rating instead of SPF. UPF measures the amount of UV rays (both UVA & UVB) that can penetrate the fabric and attack your skin. UPF 50+ means the fabric will allow about 2% or less of UV rays to penetrate. UPF 30 = about 3% of UV ray penetration. the higher the UPF number, the better the protection. Still a good idea to wear sunscreen under those clothes since none of these garments offer 100% protection. 

I have a UV-protection hoodie from Uniqlo that I bought in 2018 or 2019—in The Before Times—that I used to travel with. Plenty of other brands sell similar items. Columbia has a whole line of sun protection clothing. 

[niki172]

@WinglessOne "in the before times" 😂 - if you don't laugh you may just cry lol. I forgot my husband has a couple of these UV blocking shirts thanks for the reminder!

[eshoe]

Ooooh brilliant idea, @ather! I share your love of the Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Mineral Milk Sunscreen SPF 30 1.7 oz / 50 mL. I use it on my forehead, using Biossance Squalane + Zinc Sheer Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 30 3.38 oz 100 mL on the rest of my face. I love both of these products because no matter what combo skincare routine I use, there is absolutely no pilling - yay!

Sometimes I get a little crazy and even add Colorscience Sunforgettable Brush On Sunscreen for touchups when I am in the sun for an extended time.

[ather]

@eshoe  Yay. SF is such a great sunscreen. That’s awesome you mix different ones to make it work! I may need to try that trick! I’ll have to look into the Colourscience one a brushable one sounds interesting! 

[eshoe]

The good thing about the brush on powder spf is that I can convince my daughter to use it, @ather 😉

[Sunnysmom]

@ather great thread! 💞 I love the lightweight tinted moisturizers combined with spf so much! Thanks to you introducing me to Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm Cherry and Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint with Hyaluronic Acid + Squalane Shade 2 I am now excited to try Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen 1.7 oz / 50 mL .

My all-time favorite is Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40 Sunscreen with Hyaluronic Acid + Niacinamide 1.7 oz Sunrise / 50 mL  and I’ve been mixing it with the new shade Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40 Sunscreen with Hyaluronic Acid + Niacinamide 1.7 oz Dawn / 50 mL - pink... to give a cool customized look! Hello summer!

🌞

[ather]

@Sunnysmom  I need to try Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40 PA+++   With the tint in it. I have seen so much love of this product! 

[Sunnysmom]

You do @ather ! I just love them so much! 

[kizaaa]

Hello!

It took me a while to find a sunscreen that suited my acne-prone sensitive skin, but I love the TULA Skincare Mineral Magic Oil-Free Mineral Sunscreen Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 30 1.52 oz/ 45 mL . It is preferred for my non-makeup days. 

When wearing makeup, I found that the Saint Jane Beauty Luxury Sun Ritual Pore Smoothing Face Sunscreen SPF 30 1.7 oz / 50 mL applies smoothly!

As of now, I would love to try the Kosas DreamBeam Silicone-Free Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40 with Ceramides and Peptides 1.3 oz / 40 ml 

[SportyGirly125]

@ather @I love LANEIGE Hydro UV Defense Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ 1.6 oz/ 50 mL 

I also love wearing a hat and sunglasses. 

[JoSometimes]

Happy early “spiff” day everyone!

(@danielledanielle I totally pronounce it like that too! Love your sense of humour!)

Thanks @ather for starting this thread! This was such a great idea!

I was using Clarins Dry Touch Facial Sunscreen SPF 50 before. It was really great for sensitive skin. Non-irritating and pleasant scent.

Now, I’m trying COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream. It has a bit of white cast, but it’s not irritating and the aloe should be good for minor sunburns (not that I’m trying to test that out for myself…🥵)

I’ve also tried CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30. I bought it on a whim a while ago when my skin desperately needed some moisture at while I was at work. I didn’t realize it was meant for normal to oily skin. On my dry skin, it left a lot to be desired but at least it didn’t irritate and had some SPF for sunny days when I had outdoor supervision.

I’ve also tried La Roche Posay’s offerings. It was similar in some ways to Clarin’s but no scent. There’s a kids version that my girls use. They get pretty wiggly from the thought of playing outside and sometimes I end up accidentally getting some too close to their eyes but they’ve never complained about it stinging. 

[ather]

@JoSometimes  Sounds like your skin is well protected! 

[JoSometimes]

@ather I used to not care so much about sunscreen when I was younger until one summer when I worked as a parking attendant. One day, there were too many of us working, so the manager pulled a couple of us to help else where. It was out in the open and I tried to just push through my shift instead of taking a break to hide from the sun. The next day, my family was up to take a portrait photo together at church. I looked like a cherry tomato next to the rest of my family. Ever since then, I’ve always kept a bottle of sunscreen in the car. 

[ather]

@JoSometimes  That’s so smart. I have always sorta been ok with sunscreen. Although I don’t remember my parents ever putting it on me. But I feel like I became more careful after having my son. He’s very sensitive to everything so I always make sure to have a hat and sunscreen. He also was on medication that made him more sensitive to the sun so we always have had to be super careful! 

[JoSometimes]

You’re a great parent @ather! Hopefully your diligence means your son never has to experience a sunburn. 

[CattyT3]

I stick to using SPF 50 other than when I get a sample here and there in promotions of SPF 30 formulas - so I'll be giving the Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation a go in the coming weeks.
Like others have mentioned, the beautiful Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Mineral SPF 30 Refillable Moisturizer and Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40 PA+++  are the ones to look out for this summer seeing as I love the original versions of both.

My ride or die sunscreen is Kinlo - for my darker POC gang, the lightest shade is a nice natural tanned look for me, so I highly recommend checking this out!I have been trying out a couple of Asian founded US brand sunscreens - Krave Beauty (SPF 40 actually) and Naturium - and they are absolute dreams. Other than the 2 mentioned above, I am going to move away from US sunscreens now after multiple have caused adverse reactions for me this year when I've been perfectly fine with Korean and Japanese formulas no matter what my skin is feeling like.

Unfortunately, other than Kinlo, US formulas for zinc oxide based SPF 50 just looks too ghastly and feels horrible on my dry olive brown skin to try any more US sunscreens for the time being to maybe find a good one for using on my body liberally.
Would love to hear suggestions for good ones as I do not particularly the experience of walking with my arms lathered in CVS baby sun lotion 🤣

[JoSometimes]

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the tinted sunscreen from Tower 28 after you’ve given it a try @CattyT3! 

[CattyT3]

I ended up pleasantly surprised by how this applies and looks. What I ended up doing is mixing 2 colors of the sample packets together to get enough to cover my face and it managed to be a very close match and gave a very golden toned finish to my skin (so definitely olive skin tone approved). As I also put this all over my ears and neck to get the SPF 30 coverage, a total of 2 X 0.75ml was used for each application [shades mixed: Melrose + Sunset].
It applied very nicely and reminds me very much of the color and overall look I get from using Juvia's Place I Am Magic Velvety Matte Foundation. It looks a little less heavy once it's fully spread around the face and neck than the JP one and looks a bit more shiny (oily shine, not dewy). So based on my experience with medium and full coverage foundation formulas, this plays more into the full coverage finish and how it sits on the skin (as I used plenty of it in one go).
No issue with this around my eyes (thank goodness) and as a dry skin person I actually found it fine when I forgot to put moisturizer on after my oily serum and then also with a heavier cream serum, even layered a light bit of another foundation on top (to test how it mixes with other formulas) and patting some mineral sunscreen on top for my reapplication before heading outside a few hours after applying. This works great with anything else you put on top from that experience so a big plus on that. I would happily use this as a base for my makeup any day with how it looks as doesn't feel like you have any foundation on if you don't poke at your face since it's just a really nice feeling formula. But so it doesn't come off on your hand or under you nails, I would absolutely prep & set this - I just didn't care enough to do that when I wasn't going to interact with people.

> Hope anyone who ends up trying this foundation SPF also has a good experience too!