SUPER LIGHT SUNSCREENS I'M CRUSHING ON FOR SPRING: BEST SUNSCREENS FOR FACE, BEST SUNSCREENS FOR OILY SKIN (AND ALL SKIN IN SPRING!)
The new film Normalcy, The Sequel, (starring me!) continued playing out in theaters, parks, restaurants, and even nail salons this past week.
Yes, I got a pedi.
Now, before you go there, believing that I’ve been longing, even desperate to have my toes beautified over the past year as a shut-in, it was just a collab thing. I’m not actually the pedicure type. I can count how many times I’ve had a pedi on one hand — err foot!
You won’t catch me in sandals in public, with my toes exposed. Ever. That’s not to say I don’t practice basic foot care; I do. I’m just not obsessed with my feet. Hey, you know I love a good facial, but pedicures? I don’t care that much about how my feet look when I’m chillaxing on the couch watching TV with Orpheus before bed. I can’t even see my toes in the dark.
So, yes, I found myself getting a random pedicure with a friend. One of my favorite skincare brands for men, SELF/ish, just launched a new peppermint-infused foot cream called, well, Foot Cream. (If you’re into feet, you can check it out here!) In celebration, they invited me to try it out along with a pedicure at a fancy-schmancy spa Downtown, in Tribeca. My feet felt like they were on fire with that minty cooling effect for three straight hours.
Seriously, how could I pass up an opportunity to feel that normal?! I’m fully vaccinated now. Random acts of selfcare in public are a thing again.
And right on cue, with my newly minted toes, I stepped out for a night out!
I journeyed up to the Bronx Saturday night to hang with a couple of friends and smoke some hookah. I haven’t been out past my bedtime (9 pm!) in so long that I was literally moved emotionally heading over the Williamsburg Bridge back to Brooklyn after midnight.
There it was — the iconic Manhattan skyline, lit up in all its worldly glory. It made me feel alive again, energized. Seeing it for the first time in over a year reminded me of why I made NYC home nearly two decades ago. No matter what, I’m a New Yorker until my last breath.
New York will always be home…
The skincare stuff starts here.
No matter where I am in the world, no matter the climate, the one product I consider indispensable every day, all year round is sunscreen. It saddens me (it really does!) that so many people only wear sunscreen when it’s sunny out — and very often only in the summer months when the sun is peaking.
That’s just absurd. Sunscreen is vital every day. A simple truth I live by: if you can see the sun, the sun can see you. Sunscreen is the most valuable (make that invaluable!) anti-aging product available to us — every day of the year. Whenever asked for my recommendations for the best anti-aging creams, I always answer sunscreen!
One of my favorite sunscreens of all time is the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk from the Japanese personal care conglomerate Rohto. I’ve included it in multiple blog articles, including one of my faves, A Complete $100 Skincare Routine with The Inkey List, The Ordinary, Benton & More! (You can catch it here!)
I’ve joked around about how Skin Aqua’ Super Moisture Milk is so exceptional that I suspect it may be some sort of alien technology that made its way to Earth. It’s just so otherworldly.
What’s important is that you find a sunscreen you love to use so much that you wouldn’t even think of skipping it.
In my days working at Kiehl’s, we had a saying that has always stuck with me:
“It is essential to wear sunscreen even on cloudy seemingly sunless days.”
I believe that to this very day. And I practice it nearly every day. The pandemic has literally upended that ritual, too. I mean there have certainly been days where I’ve not left the apartment and thus don’t have an urgent need for sunscreen. And, over the past several weeks, the weather has been awful here in NYC. So, on days where it’s raining or fog-laden and I’m not going outside, I’ve been giving my skin a rest.
But, spring is coming, and with it more intense sun rays — and, hopefully, a whole lot more sunny days to enjoy outside. (Not in sandals, of course!) So, it’s about the perfect time to have a look at a few lightweight sunscreens that I’ve been exploring — and really enjoying. Some are new to the market, some are just new to me.
Let’s have a look at five new-to-me super light sunscreens I’m crushing on…
Supergoop! | Ultra Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 Sunscreen Serum PA+++
I have a super personal relationship with skincare products. There’s this one indicator that I’m sensitive to when it comes to whether or not I like a product during my initial experience with it.
Make that two indicators: Do I believe the formula is pro-skin health and do I like using it.
The new Supergoop! Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 Sunscreen Serum PA+++ had me intrigued from the start. It’s certainly pro-skin health and I actually LOVE using it.
As I said when I offered a glimpse of it on a recent #skincarmasaturday, there’s nothing particularly innovative about a sunscreen formulated with Vitamin C. But there is something quite special and perhaps innovative about Supergoop’s Daily Dose sunscreen serum.
First, I want to give props to Supergoop! for calling out the PA rating of their newest sunscreen. If you don’t know what a PA rating is, it’s an indicator of a formula’s UVA protection — in the same fashion as SPF indicates a sunscreen’s level of UVB protection.
What does PA mean in sunscreen?
There’s an excellent piece from the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, What Does the PA+ Sunscreen Symbol Mean? on the brand’s website here.
The SPF rating on a sunscreen bottle stands for Sun Protection Factor, a measurement of how long you can stay outside during the day and be protected from the sun’s burn-causing UVB rays (assuming you’re applying sunscreen the right way). UVA rays are present, too; this is where the PA+ rating system comes into play.
Some sunscreens include PA+ rating on their products. The letters “PA” followed by plus signs (PA+, PA++, PA+++, and PA++++) on a label are a rating system developed in Japan to represent how much UVA protection the product offers.
The sun’s UVA rays do not cause sunburn; rather, they cause skin to turn brown. UVA rays are known as the sun’s silent killers because you don’t feel them affecting skin. Despite the lack of pain associated with UVA rays, they penetrate deeply into skin, causing a somewhat different type of damage than UVB rays.
This is what each PA rating means:
PA+ = Some UVA protection.
PA++ = Moderate UVA protection.
PA+++ = High UVA protection.
PA++++ = Extremely High UVA protection.
Aside from that indication of UVA protection right on the bottle, what really sets the Supergoop! Daily Dose apart?
It’s the whole package! That includes the milky serum texture. The cute round bottle that fits in the palm of your hand. The fact that it’s infused with 10% Vitamin C in the form of 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid. And the way it transforms on the skin.
Like my favorite Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk, it’s quite otherworldly and makes me feel like it’s right outta J-Beauty — PA rating and all!
But I think the most notable characteristic about the Supergoop! Daily Dose is that it’s such a pleasure to use. How often would you dare say that about a sunscreen? Usually they’re a pain, feel uncomfortable on the skin, and are tough to blend in. The fact Daily Dose is fun to use makes it exceptional IMO — and what makes it an exceptionally terrific pick for my collection of springtime sunscreens in 2021.
You may know that Supergoop’s motto is “Every Single Day,” implying that you should use sunscreen no matter what’s going on outside.
That goes for a cloudy day, a rainy day, the dead of winter. You gotta wear sunscreen…Every. Single. Day. You know I support the brand’s messaging 100%!
And Daily Dose is so dope, you kinda really want to use it every single day.
I’ve loved, loved, loved applying Supergoop’s Daily Dose on many mornings over the last several weeks. And as the product begins to run low, I’m developing serious #dailydosefomo. Yeah, that’s a thing.
The Daily Dose silky serum transforms on the skin to give you what appears to be a radiant veil that lasts for hours. The only drawback? It’s formulated with four chemical sun filters, nary a mineral sunscreen in sight. But somehow I still can’t resist getting my Daily Dose. Seriously, it’s that good.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Supergoop! Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 Sunscreen Serum PA+++ for $46 here.
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
COOL CLEAN FACIAL SUNSCREENS TO KEEP US SAFE AND SMILING IN THE SUN!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
Glossier | Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen+ SPF 35
Honestly, there’s nothing scarier than someone who doesn’t wear sunscreen! I’ve made it my mission to try every sunscreen on earth in an effort to uncover the best sunscreens for face all year long.
In fact, I’ve created a new navigation category on the Skincarma Blog site called the Best Sunscreens for Face. It’s available in the “burger” — the three menu bars at the top of a website. You can now browse my entire collection of the best sunscreens here.
No Skincarma Blog review about sunscreen products and the importance of sun protection would be complete without mention of Jeanne and Susan, identical twin sisters.
Seriously, I can’t imagine a Skincarma Blog article about the best facial sunscreen products for spring without an introduction to my friends Jeanne and Susan — identical twin sisters.
No, they're not my actual friends; in fact, we’ve never met. But I feel like I know them. As good friends would, they inspire me to be better — and to wear sunscreen. If you need proof of the very real effects of sun damage on your skin, look no further than these two ladies.
The sisters looked exactly alike growing up. But Susan has spent her life in Florida worshiping the sun (she’s also a heavy smoker!) while sister Jeanne lives in Ohio and has generally avoided overexposure to the sun (and smoking) throughout her life. While both were 61 when the adjacent photo was taken, a scientific study of Susan’s skin at Case Western Reserve University showed an 11-year age difference — Susan has extreme hyperpigmentation (sun spots), deeper wrinkles and degradation in skin elasticity.
Be a Jeanne, not a Susan!
Among the multitude of sunscreens I try over the course of a year, about a dozen really stand out.
Generally, there are only a handful of straight-up non-mineral sunscreens that blow me away. There has to be something truly special about a chemical sunscreen for it to make the cut.
Several weeks ago, I wrote about a non-mineral sunscreen from New Zealand-based Skinnies that I was infatuated with all winter long.
The waterless Skinnies Sungel SPF 30 is quite an extraordinary sunscreen. I mean, no water?! Amazing! You can read more about it on the blog here. In fact, I featured it in my series on my day and night “slugging” picks titled, My #slugging Essentials: Skinfix 911 Ointment and Skinnies Waterless Sungel SPF 30.
So among the chemical sunscreen discoveries of 2021 that I really can’t help but love is the Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen+ SPF 35. Similar to the Supergoop! Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 Sunscreen Serum, the texture is literally everything.
Glossier’s Invisible Shield is a super lightweight gel that’s actually more like a thick serum. It’s not at all sticky and, yes, it’s completely transparent on the skin. Glossier describes it as “sunscreen for people who hate wearing sunscreen.” I’m totally down with that!
This is the kind of chemical sunscreen that makes me want to chill on the whole mineral vs. chemical thing. Honestly, if you find a chemical sunscreen you love, you’re more likely to use it. I say go for it!
What’s the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreens?
For some real insights, there’s an excellent article by the Paula’s Choice Research Team titled, Mineral vs. Synthetic Sunscreen Ingredients available here. In the piece, the experts explain the differences and benefits between mineral and chemical sunscreens — and even dispel a myth or two:
“The two types of sunscreen ingredients are mineral and synthetic [chemical], and both are equally protective. Further reassuring is that each can be included in formulas created for every skin type. For example, if you have normal to oily skin, there are weightless, non-greasy options; if you have normal to dry skin, it’s possible to find skin-smoothing, hydrating SPF products.
What’s the Difference Between Mineral and Synthetic Sunscreen Ingredients?
The differences aren’t about which type is more effective; rather, it comes down to personal preference and how sensitive your skin is—mineral sunscreens are considered the most gentle options.
Mineral sunscreens: There are only two mineral sunscreen ingredients: titanium dioxideand zinc oxide. They work in skin's uppermost layers to both absorb and, to a lesser extent, deflect and scatter the sun’s harmful rays. These mineral ingredients are sometimes referred to as physical sunscreens or physical blockers, although that’s not a factual representation of how they work.
Synthetic sunscreens: There are over 30 synthetic sunscreen ingredients, all of which absorb into the top layers of skin, where they work similar to mineral sunscreens: by scattering and deflecting the sun’s harmful rays, and by converting UV rays into heat and “deactivating” them. (Don’t worry, you won’t feel a thing.) Common synthetic sunscreen ingredients include oxybenzone, octinoxate, octisalate, and avobenzone. These are sometimes labeled “chemical sunscreens,” which is both misleading and false. All skin care ingredients, even water, are chemicals.
Interestingly, the Invisible Shield sunscreen actives are micro-encapsulated and burst when massaged into the skin. You can’t really feel that, but it’s cool! Glossier says that makes it ideal for makeup wearers.
I think the Invisible Shield makes for a terrific sunscreen for oily skin types, too. There’s also a trio of antioxidants, including Vitamin E, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract and Broccoli Extract — but they’re so far down the INCI I wouldn’t rely on much antioxidant protection from Invisible Shield. It would appear that the antioxidant shield is rather invisible, too.
If you’re a makeup wearer or have oily skin, the Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen+ SPF 35 could be just what you’re looking for. It’s the best sunscreen for oily skin that I’ve come across this year.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen+ SPF 35 for $25 here.
COSRX | Aloe Soothing Sun Cream
Yeah, this was love at first site. If you know, you know. COSRX is a favorite of K-Beauty fans, me among them. Oddly, I haven’t given the brand enough love and am committed to exploring more from COSRX in the year ahead.
One of my favorite fermented toners of all time is the COSRX Galactomyces Alcohol-Free Toner. If you haven’t tried it, you’re really missing out. The COSRX Galactomyces Alcohol-Free Toner is a simple formula, comprising just 10 ingredients. (Funny, it’s all “top ten”!) Its star fermented active, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, is the second ingredient — after water. It’s simply divine.
I don’t actually know when COSRX introduced their iconic Aloe Soothing Sun Cream. Yes, I’m just getting around to trying it for the very first time and I can’t put it down. Hey, as they say, better late than never, right?!
But you know what? I really want to know, so I googled it and discovered that the COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream was first introduced in 2015 as COSRX’s first and only sunscreen until recently. So it took me six years to finally experience this magnificent K-Beauty sunscreen.
The formula is a blend of five sunscreen filters, four of which are chemical. Only one of the filters is commonly found in the US. The others are all Asian or European sunscreen innovations, including: Amiloxate, Ensulizole and Tinosorb S. The lone mineral filter is Titanium Dioxide.
I know many people prefer to avoid chemical sunscreens. As I’ve said, what’s important is that you find a sunscreen you love to use so much that you wouldn’t even think of skipping it. If it’s a chemical one, so be it.
What makes the COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream such a stand-out is its refreshing texture. It’s not overly lightweight, certainly not as light as the Supergoop! Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 Sunscreen Serum or the two J-Beauty icons the Skin Aqua Super Moisture Milk and Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence.
But the Aloe Soothing Sun Cream has got a really nice, silky texture that’s more of a thick lotion than a runny milk or serum.
As the name asserts, there’s some aloe in the formula in the form of Aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract. (What happened to our old friend Barbadensis? She on vacation?) I wish that the chemists at COSRX had simply replaced the water at ingredient number one.
COSRX’s Aloe Soothing Sun Cream is not a perfect formula — with both denatured alcohol and a tiny amount of fragrance as the last ingredient in the INCI. Nor does it contain the kind of antioxidant botanical extracts I would expect from Korean skincare products. Hmm. Where’s the centella asiatica and the licorice root extract?
It’s clear that the COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream is more of a straight-up, no-frills facial sunscreen. And at just under $13 a bottle, you kinda get what you pay for.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream for $12.58 here.
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A COMPLETE K-BEAUTY ROUTINE WITH THE BEST FACIAL SKINCARE FROM PURITO, COSRX, MISSHA & MORE!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
Bellflower | Watermelon Fresh Sunscreen SPF 50+ / PA++++
Similar to the COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream, the new Bellflower Watermelon Fresh Sunscreen SPF 50+ is a classic K-Beauty sunscreen. They're both super effective sunscreens — and super affordable at just about $10-12.
But unlike the six-year-old COSRX formula, Bellflower’s Watermelon Fresh Sunscreen formula has a bit more pro-skin health goodness going on in it. IMO it feels like an upgraded version of that iconic Aloe Soothing Sun Cream.
Watermelon Fresh has, as the name indicates, a lovely, refreshing texture that’s quite pleasurable — and wearable. Not exactly unexpected for a Korean facial sunscreen product. The Koreans love a good refreshing texture!
As I said, it’s a bit of an upgrade with humectants Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate and Watermelon Fruit Extract. There’s a healthy dose of brightening Niacinamide, too, at ingredient number seven — perhaps 3-4% of the formula. You really can’t get enough Niacinamide in your skincare routine so that’s a welcome extra 4%!
For sunscreen filters, Bellflower relied on both Tinosorb S and the A-beauty UVA rockstar sun filter, Uvinul A Plus — manufactured by BASF, a German multi-national chemical manufacturer. Regrettably, of course, this new state-of-the-art sun filter isn’t available for use in US-made and marketed sunscreens because the FDA hasn’t approved a new UV filter since like 1786 — just ten years after the nation’s founding. So I bought it illegally on the internet.
What is Uvinul A Plus?
I found the following info on the US distributor’s website:
Uvinul® A Plus Granular is the only photostable organic UVA-I absorber that covers the long wavelengths of the UVA spectrum. It has good solubility in cosmetic oils and also a unique solubility in ethanol. It is compatible with inorganic UV filters like Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide. The outstanding photostability of Uvinul® A Plus Granular provides reliable and efficient sun protection for the whole day.
Sun care products with added anti-aging benefits have a special appeal. Uvinul® A Plus provides not only reliably filters the sun’s dangerous UVA rays, but also provides outstanding protection from free radicals and skin damage. The oil-soluble granular offers excellent formulation flexibility and easily qualifies for EU UVA-PF/SPF recommendation. It is free of preservatives and highly efficient at low concentration. Uvinul® A Plus is ideal for long-lasting sun care and face care products with anti-aging efficacy.
BASF Personal Care offers a wide range of products in various personal care market segments such as Antiperspirant/Deodorants, Body Care, Oral Care, Sun Care, and more. These high-performing products enable the development of formulations that fulfill consumer’s needs.
Features & Benefits of Uvinul® A Plus Granular
Efficient shielding against UVA radiation for prevention of skin damage
Outstanding photo-stability for reliable and long-lasting protection
Excellent formulation flexibility and solubility
Easy achievement of EU recommendation
Does not contain preservatives
Helps to prevent long term skin damage
High efficiency at low concentrations
Bellflower actually has two refreshingly lightweight sunscreens — the Watermelon Fresh Sunscreen SPF 50+ and Carrot Mild Sunscreen. Both are quite nice, but there’s something about watermelon that just reminds me of the warmer summer days ahead.
There’s also a tiny amount of centella asiatica extract for additional hydration and antioxidant protection. It’s not a lot, but I’ll take it.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Bellflower Watermelon Fresh Sunscreen Spf 50+ / PA++++ for $11.12 here.
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE YEAR’S BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS WITH PAULA'S CHOICE, SUNDAY RILEY, THE INKEY LIST AND MORE!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
Biore | UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++
Don’t quote me but I think this is the top selling sunscreen in the world. Biore’s UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence is a cult sunscreen from the world of J-Beauty. It’s been dubbed the best sunscreen in all of A-Beauty — with that lightweight silky serum texture that’s so characteristic of Asian sunscreen formulas.
People are obsessed with it. I found a hilarious article on Marie-Claire website titled, I Waited 4 Months for This Japanese Skincare Product to Ship to Me and It's Changed My Life. In the piece, the author, Chloe Metzger, proclaimed that the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence transformed her complexion — including fading difficult-to-fade acne marks.
“I've now worn the Biore sunscreen every single morning for almost a year, and my skin has truly never looked better. All of my old dark marks and hyperpigmentation from old zits have faded, and my skin tone has evened out. Overall, my face just looks healthier and happier, as if it’s drinking more water, getting decent sleep, and finally calling its mother. Plus, it's completely free of cancer, which is a major plus.”
Sadly, unless you're planning to move overseas soon, you'll have to either stock up Asian sunscreens in bulk, like me, or wait until the FDA approves new sunscreen ingredients. Which, let's be honest, probably won't happen until your face looks wrinkled and leathery on its own. At least there's Amazon, though, amirite?
For the record, I didn’t wait four months to get mine. Thank you, Amazon! Yet, while Amazon can reliably ship a product in a day or two, the site isn’t exactly a reliable source of information. There’s just a single ingredient listed for the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence: hyaluronic-acid. And a rather cryptic cautionary disclaimer:
【before use】 ● Please do not use people with weak skin especially.
Personally, I don’t think it’s very nice to use people at all. Let alone those with skin weaknesses.
So, analyzing the formula takes a bit more effort than usual and only adds to the mysterious allure of the iconic sunscreen. To start, Biore’s UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence relies entirely on chemical sunscreen filters, full stop. There are four of them, in fact, including Uvinul A Plus, the next-gen sun filter developed to provide very high UVA protection. The sun’s UVA rays are the most insidious — and skin cancer causing.
Biore says its UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence is “powered by the innovative Micro Defense formula to prevent uneven application.” I gotta say, the stuff is quite easily spreadable! I’ve never seen a brand formulate a sunscreen to prevent you from “missing a spot”. You have to appreciate that. Perhaps no one takes sun protection as seriously as the Japanese.
Aside from the slew of chemical filters and the certain UV defense they deliver, there is some pro-skin health goodness in the formula, including humectants Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate. And even some nourishing Royal Jelly Extract, the preferred delicacy of Queen Bees everywhere!
Interestingly, denatured alcohol is omitted from this iteration of the formula, replaced by a form of alcohol that’s just as drying — ethanol. Alcohol always seems to find its way into J-Beauty skincare formulations. I’m not generally into Japanese skincare for that exact reason. There’s also an ingredient called Polyvinyl Alcohol that I’ve rarely seen in an INCI. It’s popular in those crazy peel-off masks that also happen to peel off your face. Kindly avoid them at all costs.
According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, it’s “a synthetic polymer of vinyl alcohol that functions in cosmetics as a gel-based thickener, film-forming, and binding agent. Used quite a bit in peel-off facial masks, this type of alcohol may pose a risk of aggravating skin unless combined with other ingredients that offset this potential, such as glycerin, emollients, or other skin-repairing ingredients.”
I have to admit, the formula’s flaws aside, I haven’t found it drying at all. It’s such a pleasure to use, you almost want to give it a pass…
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ for $10.44 here.
That’s it, guys! I hope this helps you to find a sunscreen you love — and that you’ll use it as religiously as Jeanne has to preserve her youthful complexion. Be a Jeanne, not a Susan.
💟 SKINCARMA
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE BEST HYALURONIC ACID SERUMS FROM PAULA'S CHOICE, THE INKEY LIST, GHOST DEMOCRACY & MORE
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE