PRODUCT REVIEW: SOLARA SUNCARE GO! MINERAL DEFENSE SPORT CERAMIDE SUNSCREEN STICK SPF 30 - BEST SUNSCREEN FOR EYES, BEST EYE SPF
SOLARA SUNCARE | GO! MINERAL DEFENSE SPORT CERAMIDE SUNSCREEN STICK SPF 30
This review was originally part of my blog article titled, New Summer Sunscreens I Can’t Put Down! Cocokind Silk SPF, First Aid Beauty Mineral Sunscreen, Bliss Block Party - Best Lightweight Sunscreens. You can still catch the full piece here.
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I’ve been lucky to have both a ton of work and a ton of play this summer. And have even been able to get away for two long weekends so far — one to stay with good friends at their home in Sarasota, Florida; the other Upstate NY to a super relaxing retreat in the middle of nowhere.
I’ve taken the opportunity on both trips to take along new sunscreens – what are among the best sunscreens for face that I’ve come across this year. And while I believe you need to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun’s UV rays every day of the year, the sunscreen conversation always seems more relevant in the summer.
I get it. The sun is blazing in summer and we burn more easily, making sun damage more apparent and serving as reminder to wear sunscreen. But just because the effects of the sun’s burning UVB rays are more visible in summer doesn’t mean that the sun’s skin-aging UVA rays aren’t penetrating your skin barrier, damaging your DNA, and degrading your collagen all year-round.
As I like to say, if you can see the sun, the sun can see you.
THREE TINTED SUNSCREENS I'M OBSESSED WITH FROM WANDER BEAUTY, BLISS AND SOLARA SUNCARE - BEST TINTED SUNSCREENS
Last week, I shared my top picks of tinted sunscreen for face in an article titled, Three Tinted Sunscreens I'm Obsessed with from Wander Beauty, Bliss and Solara Suncare. You can catch the piece here. Why tinted sunscreens? Well, I haven’t really played around with them much and have really begun to appreciate their usefulness just this year.
In the article, I featured the new Wander Beauty Pack Up & Glow Priming Broad Spectrum SPF 40 Mineral Sunscreen. With its super lightweight texture, the tinted mineral sunscreen is such a pleasure to use. I love the high level of mineral sun protection and ability to unify my skin tone without seeming like I applied anything but skincare. Psst…I love how it temporarily dyes my whiteish beard!
I also highlighted the Solara Suncare Go! Vacation Glow Illuminating Mineral Sunscreen — one of a handful of sunscreen products I took along with me on my trips to Upstate New York and Florida. I’ve loved just about everything Solara Suncare has introduced and always expect really solid products from the brand. Vacation Glow is one of the more interesting sunscreens I’ve come across this year, with the qualities of a conventional BB Cream. Catch my product review of Vacation Glow Illuminating Mineral Sunscreen on the blog here.
The third in my tinted sunscreen collection was the Bliss Block Star Invisible Daily Sunscreen — perhaps the best mattifying sunscreen for oily skin I’ve come across. I’m wearing it as I write this and knew it would be perfect on one of the hottest, most humid days of the year! I’m so into it that I just had to include it among my favorite summer sunscreens in today’s blog. (I invite you to scroll down for the full review!)
As I’ve often said, a well-formulated sunscreen is one of very few true anti-aging products – something skincare marketers never claim in their advertising or their product messaging. There’s a whole billion dollar industry dedicated to over-hyped, over-priced “anti-aging” products — most of them ineffective and driven by big marketing dollars.
Millions are spent annually by big beauty conglomerates like Estee Lauder, Shiseido, Coty and L’Oreal to convince consumers to spend money on minimally effective skincare products that claim to be “anti-aging”. That’s why consumers shell out $200 for a one-ounce jar of Creme de la Mer, which when you look closely at the INCI is little more than Vaseline with seaweed in it.
THE SKINCARMA CHALLENGE: Vaseline vs. Creme de La Mer
What ingredients are best for anti-aging?
In addition to mineral and chemical sunscreen filters like Zinc Oxide, Titanium Oxide and Homosalate, antioxidant botanical extracts and antioxidant vitamins like Niacinamide, Retinol and Vitamin C deliver true, effective and clinically proven anti-aging benefits.
I know there is a lot of conversation around whether or not chemical sunscreens are okay for the skin and the body — and which is better, a chemical or mineral sunscreen. Honestly, whether your sunscreen is mineral, chemical or a hybrid matters little. What matters is that you find a sunscreen you love so much that you wouldn’t even think of skipping it in your morning skincare routine.
The Best Sunscreens For Face
What’s the Difference Between Mineral and Chemical Sunscreens?
While I prefer a mineral sunscreen, it’s not a dealbreaker for me. What’s most important is that you love using your facial sunscreen product. If you love using a chemical sunscreen, that’s perfectly okay. One of my all-time favorite daily sunscreens for face is the Supergoop! Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 Sunscreen Serum PA+++ — a 100% chemical facial sunscreen that’s such a pleasure to use. As crazy as it sounds, I look forward to applying it! (You can catch my review of Daily Dose on the blog here.)
What’s the difference between a mineral sunscreen and a chemical sunscreen – and is a mineral sunscreen better than a chemical sunscreen? For helpful 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 the two — 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.
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Which Sunscreen is Best?
As we said, the right sunscreen for you is the one you’ll look forward to applying daily. It should be rated SPF 30 or higher and provide broad-spectrum protection to prevent damage from the sun’s killer UVA and UVB rays. Beyond that, to make an informed choice, you need to know how your skin type responds to different sunscreen ingredients and textures: those containing mineral actives, synthetic actives, or a combination of both.
Mineral sunscreens:
Begin to work immediately on application, but must be absorbed to be most effective and to ensure they don’t wipe off on clothing.
Have almost no risk of irritating skin.
May leave a white cast, especially on darker skin tones, but the best pure mineral sunscreens go on almost sheer.
May need more careful, liberal application because of the way they work in formulas. So, go ahead, slather these on for brilliant protection!
Do not penetrate past skin's uppermost layers.
Synthetic sunscreens:
Begin to work immediately on application, but must be absorbed to be most effective and to ensure they don’t wipe off on clothing.
Are generally found in products with thinner textures.
Tend to be preferred for water-resistant formulas because they don’t turn milky-looking when you sweat or get wet. But, as with any sunscreen, you must reapply them often.
Can be sensitizing for those with extra-sensitive skin.
Can penetrate the skin and be absorbed in small amounts that are not shown to have health risks.
Read the full article here.
The Most Important Product You're (Probably) Not Using!
So yeah, I’ve been knee-deep in facial sunscreens over the last several weeks. Sure, I kicked off the season with product reviews of my top picks of tinted sunscreens for face. So I’m excited to share my picks of the best facial sunscreens for summer 2022.
The 2022 best summer sunscreens are: Cocokind’s Silk SPF Facial Sunscreen Fluid, the Bliss Block Star Invisible Daily Sunscreen and First Aid Beauty’s Mineral Sunscreen Zinc Oxide Broad Spectrum SPF 30.
The Cocokind Silk SPF Facial Sunscreen Fluid was only recently introduced by the brand. I was already a big fan of Cocokind’s first-ever sunscreen for face, the Daily SPF Mineral Sunscreen SPF 32 — a straight up mineral sunscreen with a 21% level of Zinc Oxide.
With its blend of moisturizing plant oils and humectants, the Daily SPF formula has such an elegant texture and is a real pleasure to use. And a sunscreen that’s a pleasure to use means you’re more likely to use it, right? Catch my review of Cocokind’s Daily SPF on the blog here.
PRODUCT REVIEW: COCOKIND DAILY SPF MINERAL SUNSCREEN SPF 32 - BEST MINERAL SUNSCREEN FOR FACE
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 the summer heat 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 every single day of the year. 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!
The First Aid Beauty Mineral Sunscreen Zinc Oxide Broad Spectrum SPF 30 has truly been my go-to facial sunscreen this summer, when I’m not in the mood for a tinted one and just want a straight-up sunscreen product. I love this un-fussy mineral facial sunscreen and, as with all of First Aid Beauty’s products, the non-irritating formula made for even the most sensitive skin.
And lastly is the Bliss Block Star Invisible Daily Sunscreen, which I reviewed last week and couldn’t resist including here among my picks of the best summer sunscreens. With its mattifying properties, it’s literally perfect for a hot, humid day.
I’m also including a favorite new sunscreen for the eye area, the Solara Suncare Go! Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick SPF 30. While it’s not necessarily marketed by the brand for use around the eyes, it really is perfect for just that. Find out why below!
Let’s have a look at the Solara Suncare Sunscreen Stick – the best sunscreen for the eye area and one of the best sunscreens of summer 2022…
Solara Suncare | Go! Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick SPF 30
Solara Suncare’s Time Traveler Ageless Daily Face Sunscreen SPF 30 is one of my all-time favorite sunscreens for face. I first featured Time Traveler in a blog article on what I referred to at the time as my dream skincare routine titled, A Complete $175 Clean Skincare Routine with Herbivore, The Inkey List, Solara Suncare & More! That was more than three years ago!
I love the Solara Suncare brand — and the incredibly functional, well-formulated sunscreens that the brand’s founder, Stephanie DiPisa, has created. With clean formulas and elegant textures, the brand is reminiscent of the leader in sunscreen products for face and body, Supergoop!
So it was no surprise to me that the new Solara Suncare Go! Vacation Glow Illuminating Mineral Sunscreen reviewed in last week’s blog would be so exceptional and be among my top picks of tinted sunscreens.
PRODUCT REVIEW: SOLARA SUNCARE GO! VACATION GLOW ILLUMINATING MINERAL SUNSCREEN
As I said in my review, Solara’s Go! Vacation Glow reminds me of a BB cream with SPF. The new Vacation Glow is much, much more than a facial sunscreen. It’s infused with multiple pro-skin health ingredients at relatively active levels. The INCI’s top ten is loaded with water-binding humectants and two solid antioxidant botanicals, including Acai Fruit Extract, and tried-and-true Green Tea Leaf Extract — one of the best antioxidant ingredients in skincare.
Antioxidants are anti-aging and as essential to skin health as sunscreen actives like Zinc Oxide. Both should be key components in an effective daily anti-aging routine.
What’s the first place on the face to show signs of aging? The eye area! And the reason why we develop fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes before anywhere else on the face is two-fold: the skin around the eyes is thinnest and most of us make the mistake of not using sunscreen in the immediate eye area. That’s a double whammy!
The Best Sunscreens For Eyes
So I’m always on the hunt for great eye SPF products. Among my long-time favorites are the SkinCeuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50 and the MDSolarSciences Mineral Tinted Sunscreen Stick SPF 30. Both are ideal for the eye area with thick formula textures that stay put and don’t bleed into the eyes – the main reason people don’t wear sunscreen in the eye area.
I get it. It burns!
But the solution isn’t and can’t be not using sunscreen around the eyes. The solution is to find an eye area sunscreen that doesn’t migrate into the eyes. The Solara Suncare Go! Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick SPF 30 is the perfect option.
While the Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick isn’t marketed by the brand as an SPF for the eye area, it’s kind of the whole package — accidentally. The super wide, rounded stick first perfectly inside the orbital bone for an easy, comfortable application.
With 20% non-nano Zinc Oxide, Solara’s Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick offers SPF 30 protection for the delicate skin around the eyes. Is SPF 30 enough? Yes, it is. It’s a common misperception that you’re not doing enough to protect your skin, whether around your eyes or over your entire face, with anything less than an SPF 50.
The truth is, there’s a minimal difference between the level of UVB rays blocked by SPF 30 and SPF 50. It’s literally something like one percent. (Of course, anything is a step up from not using sunscreen at all!)
In addition to its mineral sun filter, the Solara Suncare Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick is infused with multiple pro-skin health actives which moisturize and replenish the thinner skin around the eyes. Thinner skin also retains water less effectively, meaning dehydration is a more serious concern in the eye area. Hence, the appearance of “fine dehydration lines” around the eyes.
The Best Summer Sunscreen for Eyes!
What’s the percentage of UV rays blocked by sunscreen?
SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays
SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays
SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays
So, the difference in UV rays blocked by SPF 30 and SPF 50 is about 1 percent.
The first ingredient after Zinc Oxide in the INCI is Coco-caprylate, which according to the experts in the Paula’s Choice Research Team “is the mixture of esters that occur when the fatty alcohols derived from coconut alcohol reacts with the fatty acid caprylic acid.” Also in the top five are moisturizing Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Seed Oil, and Sunflower Seed Oil.
With two waxes, the sun stick has a firmer, denser texture that adheres to the skin and stays put after application so it never bleeds into the eyes — unless you rub it! And, perhaps my favorite characteristic is its slightly iridescent hue that helps to brighten the look of dark circles under the eyes.
The one drawback to the formula is the inclusion of a tiny amount of fragrant plant oils in the form of Tangerine Oil and Orange Oil. It smells great, but if you have an extreme sensitivity to fragrance and essential oils, I’d skip it.
Me? I’m literally obsessed with it!
What I like about it: The Solara Suncare Go! Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick SPF 30 is my favorite new eye cream with SPF. While it’s not marketed for the eye area, it’s literally perfect. The rounded applicator fits perfectly inside the orbital bone. It’s loaded with pro-skin health actives and its slightly iridescent hue is ideal for brightening dark circles. What a dream!
What I don’t like about it: Again, it’s not marketed for the eye area, so I’d like to see the citrus oils removed. But they’re at a very low level and shouldn’t cause any irritation. I haven’t seen any myself.
Who it’s for: All skin types, except those who are super sensitive to fragrant plant oils.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Solara Suncare Go! Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick SPF 30 for $16 here.
SHOP THE BLOG
The Ingredient List of the Solara Suncare Go! Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick SPF 30:
Active: Non-Nano Zinc Oxide, 20%
Inactive: Coco-Caprylate, Beeswax/Cera Alba*, Jojoba Esters, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Lauryl Laurate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Dihydroabietate, Stearyl/Octyldodecyl Citrate Crosspolymer, Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Ceramide NG, Ceramide NP, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Silica, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Tocopherol
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