THE 2022 SKINCARMA PRODUCT OF THE YEAR: SOLARA SUNCARE MINERAL DEFENSE CERAMIDE SUNSCREEN STICK SPF 30 - Best Sunscreen for Eyes, Best Eye SPF, What Are Ceramides? What Do Ceramides Do for Skin?
Over the course of the year, hundreds of products came my way. I love skincare, after all, and nothing brings me greater joy – except my 17-year-old cat, Orpheus!
You may know that blogging about skincare isn’t my day job. In fact, it’s not my job at all; copywriting is. Specifically, I work as a copywriter in beauty and have done so for more than 20 years now.
I got my start as a skincare copywriter at Kiehl’s when I moved to NYC in the early 2000s. In the time since that 8-year stint came to a close, I’ve written for dozens of skincare brands, naming hundreds of skincare products that you may know (and even love!). Among the products I’ve named throughout my career are Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment and Ultra Facial Cream, the Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Camo Drops and Dr. Brandt’s Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask.
Beyond naming products, I’ve worked on skincare packaging and product concepts, brand identity, digital and print advertising – just about anything requiring a mastery of English. I’ve also helped to develop dozens of products themselves, advising on active ingredients, product claims and even formula textures.
I know a hell of a lot about skincare products! And that’s why, six years ago, I decided I could and should put all of my experience and insights to work as a skincare blogger. The Skincarma Blog was born.
At the end of each year I designate a single product from the hundreds I’ve tried, and the dozens I’ve loved, as the Skincarma Product of the Year. If you’re curious, you can catch the past winners on the blog here.
There are usually about a dozen products I’ve come across over the course of a year that I consider true stars, for multiple reasons. People ask me all the time what my favorite skincare product is – and which is my favorite skincare brand. The questions abound.
What’s the best face cream for oily skin? What’s the best Vitamin C serum for sensitive skin? My pores are clogged, what’s the best serum for clogged pores? It goes on and on. I hear and ask myself these kinds of questions day in and day out.
But to answer that first question about my favorite product and skincare brand. It just so happens that my favorite product also comes from my favorite brand!
I make no secret of the fact that I’m infatuated with the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster. I’m not ashamed to admit that I go through two bottles of my favorite antioxidant serum a month. Quite simply, it’s the single skincare product that’s had the most positive impact on my skin health. You can catch my review of Paula’s best anti-aging serum (among other benefits!) on the blog here.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE 10% NIACINAMIDE BOOSTER – BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM
I’ve included the 10% Niacinamide Booster in multiple blog articles and TikTok videos. Yet it’s not lost on me that I’ve never named it the Skincarma Product of the Year. Maybe in 2030 I’ll have the opportunity to designate it as the product of the decade!
This year, alongside the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster in my daily routines, five products have given me skincare joy – as well as the assurance that they’re improving and enhancing the health of my skin.
The most important criterion for nominating a product for the year’s top skincare award is that it be supremely pro-skin health. Beyond that, it has to be well formulated; and, well, I do have to absolutely love it – even be infatuated with it.
Each of this year’s nominees has been reviewed on the Skincarma Blog at some point during the year and I invite you to catch my product reviews of the runners-up below.
SKINCARMA PRODUCT OF THE YEAR NOMINEE #1:
The Inkey List SuperSolutions 20% Niacinamide Serum
PRODUCT REVIEW: THE INKEY LIST SUPERSOLUTIONS 20% NIACINAMIDE SERUM
What I like about it: The Inkey List SuperSolutions 20% Niacinamide Serum is one of the best Niacinamide serums on the market – and certainly the best Niacinamide serum for the money. At just $20, it’s a super affordable addition to a pro-skin health skincare regimen. It delivers the entirety of Niacinamide’s broad range of benefits for the skin. Just wow!
What I don’t like about it: At just one ounce, I went through a tube of it in two weeks. But that’s me using it every day not skimping on product during application – and making TikTokj videos with it. If you use just few drops as directed, you’ll get your money’s worth.
Who it’s for: All skin types, especially oily skin types, very oily skin types and acne-prone skins.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase The Inkey List SuperSolutions 20% Niacinamide Serum for $17.99 here.
SKINCARMA PRODUCT OF THE YEAR NOMINEE #2:
Paula’s Choice C5 Super Boost Moisturizer
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE C5 SUPER BOOST MOISTURIZER
What I like about it: The Paula’s Choice C5 Super Boost Moisturizer is certainly the best new Paula’s Choice product of the year. And as such, it’s among the best brightening face creams I’ve tried. I’m infatuated with its gel-lotion texture. (Catch me demonstrating it on my TikTok channel here.)
What I don’t like about it: Honestly, I love the stuff as much as my newest Supreme T-shirt. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Who it’s for: All skin types, especially sensitive skin and skins with low tolerance for Vitamin C.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Paula’s Choice C5 Super Boost Moisturizer for $45 here.
SKINCARMA PRODUCT OF THE YEAR NOMINEE #3:
Glow Recipe Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Acid Serum
PRODUCT REVIEW: GLOW RECIPE STRAWBERRY SMOOTH BHA + AHA SALICYLIC ACID SERUM
What I like about it: The Glow Recipe Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Acid Serum is one of the most gentle exfoliating and pore-clearing treatments that I’ve come across. I love its blend of mild acids and pore-clearing actives. It’s the ideal daily pore maintenance treatment. And it’s such a pleasure to use it’s almost ridiculous!
What I don’t like about it: I love everything about it.
Who it’s for: All skin types, even sensitive, oily, and/or acne prone skins.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Glow Recipe Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Acid Serum for $40 here.
SKINCARMA PRODUCT OF THE YEAR NOMINEE #4:
Peach & Lily The Good Acids Pore Toner
PRODUCT REVIEW: PEACH & LILY THE GOOD ACIDS PORE TONER
What I like about it: The Peach & Lily The Good Acids Pore Toner is among the best treatment toners for sensitive skin. I love its complex of lower levels of Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid combined with high concentrations of soothing botanical extracts. It’s one of a very few treatment toners that I would recommend for daily use.
What I don’t like about it: I like everything about it.
Who it’s for: All skin types, especially sensitive skin.
SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Peach & Lily The Good Acids Pore Toner for $39 here.
SKINCARMA PRODUCT OF THE YEAR:
Solara Suncare Go! Mineral Defense Sport Ceramide Sunscreen Stick SPF 30
I anguish all year long about which of the 200+ skincare products I experience deserves the title of the Skincarma Product of the Year. Somehow it got even harder this year. I was really blown away by all five of the finalists.
Five years ago, I was wowed by The Ordinary 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder. There was simply nothing else like the brand’s $5 pot of pure Vitamin C on the market at the time. Last year, I was mesmerized by Herbal Face Food’s The Serum I Radical Youth Concentrate. Again, I had experienced nothing like it. In fact, I recall joking about the possibility it might be made with alien technology!
And while there’s nothing exceptional about a mineral sunscreen stick, the Solara Suncare Go! Mineral Defense Sport Ceramide Sunscreen Stick SPF 30 is the perfect Skincarma Product of the Year for bringing innovation to something as basic as a facial sunscreen with Zinc Oxide.
The Best Sunscreens For Face
But what I love about this year’s designee is its appeal as something it’s not even marketed for. I don’t use it as an SPF for face. I don’t use it on the go, at the gym, in my travels. I use it around my eyes – every single day. And it’s become my absolute favorite sunscreen for eyes EVER.
That’s no small feat.
Which sunscreen is best for eyes? Well, I’ve had only a handful of eye SPF products that I’ve reached for religiously each morning for years; among them are the SkinCeuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50 and the MDSolarSciences Mineral Tinted Sunscreen Stick SPF 30. A third, the Supergoop! Bright-Eyed 100% Mineral Eye Cream SPF 40 has also regularly made the cut. In fact, I have long recommended these three products as the best sunscreens for eyes on the blog here.
Each is ideal for the eye area with thick formula textures that stay put and don’t bleed into your eyes – the top reason people give for not wearing sunscreen in the eye area. I get it. It burns!
But the solution isn’t and can’t be to not use sunscreen around your eyes. The solution is to find an eye area sunscreen that doesn’t migrate into your eyes. The Solara Suncare Go! Mineral Defense Sport Ceramide Sunscreen Stick SPF 30 is the perfect option. In fact, it’s even better than my three go-to eye sunscreen products. Its wide, rounded format means it glides easily and comfortably around the orbital bone. In fact, it’s so ridiculously comfortable and easy to use that I simply don’t want to use anything else.
The funny thing is the Mineral Defense Sport Ceramide Sunscreen Stick isn’t marketed by Solara Suncare as an SPF for the eye area; it’s the whole package — accidentally. And accidentally is exactly how I discovered Solara Suncare in the first place. The universe continues to work its magic.
I first came across the brand nearly four years ago, just as it was coming on the scene. I’d been reading an industry trade magazine one morning on the elliptical at the gym. I’ve grown to love Solara Suncare — and the incredibly functional, well-formulated sunscreens that the brand’s founder, Stephanie DiPisa, created. With clean formulas and elegant textures, the Solara Suncare brand is reminiscent of the leader in luxury sunscreen products for face and body, Supergoop!
The first product I ever tried from the brand, Solara Suncare’s Time Traveler Ageless Daily Face Sunscreen SPF 30 is one of my all-time favorite mineral 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!
PRODUCT REVIEW: SOLARA SUNCARE TIME TRAVELER AGELESS DAILY FACE SUNSCREEN
A lot of people ask me what ingredients are best for anti-aging?
Well, the best anti-aging cream is always going to be a well-formulated sunscreen. Not a $200 jar of Creme de la Mer, a relatively basic moisturizer that I spoofed in a 10-part series on my TikTok channel. In addition to mineral and chemical sunscreen filters like Zinc Oxide, Titanium Oxide and Homosalate, 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 a sunscreen is mineral, chemical or a hybrid of the two matters little to me. 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.
And that’s how I feel about Solara Suncare’s Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick. I never skip it!
The Most Important Product You're (Probably) Not Using!
What’s the Difference Between Mineral and Chemical Sunscreens?
While I prefer a mineral sunscreen for face, chemical filters in a sunscreen are not a dealbreaker for me. I truly believe what’s most important is that you love using your facial sunscreen. If you love using a chemical sunscreen product, that’s perfectly okay. One of my all-time favorite daily sunscreens for face happens to be chemical, or synthetic: the Supergoop! Daily Dose Vitamin C + SPF 40 Sunscreen Serum. My new all-time favorite sunscreen for eyes is Solara Suncare’s Mineral Defense SPORT Ceramide Sunscreen Stick – made with the 100% mineral sunscreen filter, Zinc Oxide.
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.
—
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.
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.
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.
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 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 Best Sunscreen for Eyes!
The first ingredient after Zinc Oxide in the INCI of Solara Suncare’s Mineral Ceramide Sunscreen Stick is Coco-caprylate. According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team Coco-caprylate “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. All superbly replenishing for the skin.
With two waxes, the sun stick has a firmer, denser texture that adheres to your skin and stays put after application so it never bleeds into your eyes. 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. So obsessed with it, it had to be the 2022 Skincarma Product of the Year!
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 the perfect hack. 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, but if it were, I’d like to see the citrus oils removed. They’re at a very low level and have never caused any irritation in my own eye area and I’ve used it daily for weeks without interruption.
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.
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
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
COOL CLEAN FACIAL SUNSCREENS TO KEEP US SAFE AND SMILING IN THE SUN
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUMS FOR CLOGGED PORES AND A BRIGHTER COMPLEXION
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE SKINCARMA PRODUCT OF THE YEAR: BALM LABS 3-STEP REGIMEN - BEST ACNE REGIMEN, BEST CBD SERUM
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
SKINCARE HACKS: GLYCOLIC ACID IS THE NATURAL DEODORANT THAT WORKS!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
COOL CLEAN FACIAL SUNSCREENS TO KEEP US SAFE AND SMILING IN THE SUN!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL 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
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
THE BEST HYALURONIC ACID SERUMS FROM PAULA'S CHOICE, THE INKEY LIST, GHOST DEMOCRACY & MORE
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF
A SELFCARE SUNDAY NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART – WITH THE PAULA’S CHOICE 25% AHA PEEL!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW
MY 2021 VITAMIN C PICKS + THE BEST VITAMIN C SERUMS TO BRIGHTEN UP THE COMPLEXION!
ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE
