I can finally say that I can provide you with the best sunscreens I’ve tried and tested. I didn’t start using sunscreen until I turned 30 (which I wrote about in this blog post) but now I think of myself as a sunscreen advocate. I’ve tried several sunscreens, some I’ve loved, some I haven’t.
I’m assuming that you already know the importance of wearing sunscreen on a daily basis. If you don’t, let me provide some quick facts about sunscreen.
The Benefits of Sunscreen
- It reduces exposure to ultraviolet light. UV rays places you at a higher risk for skin cancer. The same UV rays can also damage skin cells.
- It reduces premature aging.
- It helps prevent sunburns.
- It is a vital part of your skincare routine especially when using actives like retinol or PHAs and AHAs. It ensures that the benefits are not being negated.
Now let’s get to the good part.
The Best Sunscreens
1. make p:rem UV Defense Daily Sun Essence 50+
If you asked me if I could only have on sunscreen for the rest of my life, I would have to say the make p:rem UV Defense Daily Sun Essence 50+. There is no ifs, buts or maybes about it. I just know that if I was forced to only have one sunscreen for the rest of my life I would not hesitate one second. I even wrote an entire blog post about it, I love it so much.
It covers both UVA and UVB rays. It has an SPF of 50+. It also has no white cast on me. For reference, I am a lighter skin toned Filipina, if that helps.
But overall, this is the product that made me fall in love with putting on sunscreens. I think it’s important to actually like your sunscreen because you have to reapply it at least every two hours. The application is just divine and I now that I’m reminiscing about it, I feel like I have to repurchase it again. Hands down, the best sunscreen I’ve ever tested.
You can purchase this product at Stylevana and Amazon. The price varies on Stylevana, as I’m writing this they are actually having a sale for $9.99, but it can go up to the regular price of $27.99.
2. Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen
The hype is real on this one. I wasn’t sure if it would be deserving of how much hype it gets, but it truly deserves all the flowers that it receives. Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen feels like Vaseline at first but blends into a powdery finish and then just disappears.
I remember when I first started out my skincare journey. I went out to Sephora as one does and I looked around for some products to pick up. I was looking at the Supergoop display for entirely too long and a Sephora employee comes and just proclaims her love for it. I wasn’t convinced. I purchased it, but it stayed on my shelf for months as I used several other sunscreens on my roster.
I ran out of sunscreen one day and just decided to use it. Why not. It has been sitting there for months. It was time to see whether the hype was real. The hype was real and I’m definitely not looking back.
You can purchase this product at Sephora , Amazon , or Ulta.
The Worst Sunscreens
Before I dive into these sunscreens, I wanted to say that these aren’t necessarily the enemy. I just don’t think they worked for me. Some of these I’ve actually enjoyed at some point, but then decided that it wasn’t worth the hassle. The products on this list are just the opposite of the best sunscreen, if that makes sense.
See, I believe that if you are investing your money and time on your skin, then you should enjoy the experience. How many times have we skipped our skincare because we got too lazy to do it. My mentality is that if you actually enjoy the products that you use, then you would actually do your skincare routine.
1. Hello Sunday The One That’s Got It All Sun Primer
I tried so hard to love this product. I tried. I feel like it had the potential to be like Supergroup’s Unseen Sunscreen but essentially just missed the mark. It has that same Vaseline feeling in the beginning, but then it doesn’t melt away. It just sits on the skin. It feels entirely too heavy and sticky. Forget about the reapplication process because when I use this sunscreen, I don’t even want to reapply it.
2. Cay Skin Isle Glow Face Lotion SPF 45
I actually liked this product at first. For a long time. And I still kinda like it now. The reason why I don’t recommend this product anymore is because it pills. It pills so bad. At first, I thought it was because I was using it with the wrong moisturizer. Apparently the moisturizer I was using was notorious for pilling.
So I switched it up. I waited in between my moisturizer and my sunscreen application. It still pills. Not just a little bit of pilling, but chunks of sunscreen just coming off of my face at times. I wish this wasn’t the case because the glow that this gives is just divine. I feel sun kissed even from working from home all day. I don’t really wear make-up so I wonder how the application would be with makeup, but for now it is a definite no.
I’m still using this product. I am someone who enjoys finishing products until the end, which is what I did even with the Hello Sunday sunscreen. If I figure out a way that will stop the pilling, I will update this post with the good news.
3. Farm Stay Cica Farm Nature Solution Sun Cream SPF 50
I loved the application of this product. It never made my skin feel too oily. It never felt too heavy. It had only one major problem. It made my eyes burn. Every time a little bit of product got into my eye, my eye would burn. Sometimes to the point where I would have to keep my eyes closed for a certain amount of time. It really is quite unfortunate because if it wasn’t for this simple fact, then this product would be on the best sunscreen list.
Overall thoughts
The best sunscreen will always be the sunscreen that you put one your skin. I wanted to highlight the best sunscreens I’ve tried while including ones that you may want to avoid. Let me know your thoughts!
