A Sunscreen Fanatic's Favorite Sunscreens
Sunscreen is my favorite skincare topic. It might even be my favorite topic to talk about in general. That’s how much I love it. So after receiving a request in Mixed Makeup’s private Facebook group to share my favorite sunscreens, I decided to compile this list.
A little background on me: I’m a redhead with extremely pale skin who also grew up in Hawaii. Hawaii was probably not the best place for my highly skin cancer-prone skin – it’s close to the equator which only intensifies the risk of sun damage and burns. Thankfully, my mother was militant about applying sunscreen on me as a child and regularly reminded me to wear it when I got into my teen years. I would apply it whenever I went to the beach, before sports practices and games, and any time I knew I’d be in the sun for a long period of time.
Unfortunately though, I wasn’t so great about applying it on a daily basis until my mid-20s despite my mother’s constant reminders. It wasn’t until I started working at a beauty magazine after college that I truly made it a priority. You have to practice what you preach. And I also realized that the sun is the number one contributor to skin aging – wrinkles, dark spots, and more!
So after years of research and trying tons of sunscreens, I present you with this list of my current favorite sunscreens.
I’m not the biggest fan of Supergoop’s extremely popular Unseen Sunscreen, but I stayed open-minded when I tried this one. I’m glad I did because it’s one of my go-to sunscreens now. It goes on smoothly, has a primer-like texture, and since it’s tinted, it doesn’t leave behind a white cast. Just note that when I say tint, I don’t mean coverage. This will not hide any imperfections on the skin.
This one falls under the tinted moisturizer category of sunscreens. I love the light coverage it provides, but I especially love that it meets the dermatologist-recommended SPF 30 minimum because a lot of tinted moisturizers don’t. It’s also a mineral sunscreen option that comes in 20 shades ranging from very fair to very deep.
Most mineral sunscreens can feel really thick and pasty, but this one has a serum-like texture that easily smooths over the skin. It provides full spectrum coverage meaning it protects against UVA and UVB light, blue light (from our phones and computers), infrared, and pollution.
I’m typically a fan of keeping my moisturizer and sunscreen separate, but I changed my mind after I tried a sample of this one. It has a luxurious texture that doesn’t feel too heavy or greasy on the skin. And this chemical sunscreen also contains antioxidants that provide even more protection from the sun.
I was a little skeptical of this one at first because it didn’t have “SPF” or “sunscreen” written on the bottle. But after some research, I found out that this missing information is because the sunscreen chemicals used in this formula aren’t approved by the FDA to be categorized as sunscreens in the US. (They’re seriously behind the times, by the way.) This smooth, serum-like formula is actually considered SPF 50+ PA++++ in Korea. I love the way it feels on my skin and it’s a favorite in the Mixed Makeup office and private Facebook group too!
If I had a dollar for every time someone in our private Facebook group asked about how to reapply sunscreen throughout the day, I’d be able to take myself out for a very fancy dinner. The truth is, the average person just isn’t going to ruin good makeup by reapplying a liquid sunscreen. That’s why this product is a must-have. You just brush it on across your skin (every two hours like your dermatologist recommends) and you have SPF 30 coverage. Bonus: it helps mattify your skin if you get a little greasy throughout the day. This one is on the pricey side, but there are similar, more wallet-friendly options from Supergoop and other brands.
What’s your favorite sunscreen? Tell me in the comments!
