Tips & Tricks | How to chose the PERFECT Sunscreen

Choosing the right sunscreen can be an overwhelming task -- or at least I know I used to feel overwhelmed when I had to choose a sunscreen. There are so many brands, so many different types, so many different options that I've ended up wasting money on sunscreens that were truly awful. 

I've done some light research on how sunscreen works, and what is best for my skin and I've decided to share that with you. Please feel free to correct me if you find anything wrong on this post -- I'm not in anyway professionally qualified to be making this suggestions but I have a background in science and I have some understanding in how these things work.

SPF is not the only thing that matters!

A good sunscreen should protect you from UVB radiation -- the one that gives you sunburns -- as well as from UVA radiation -- the one that goes deep into your skin causing photo-ageing, hyper-pigmentation, wrinkles, degradation of collagen and also skin cancer. 

However, when we look at a sunscreen we usually only the SPF factor. And when you see SPF 30, the 30 basically only refers to the UVB protection factor. There's usually no information about UVA. Here in Europe, the regulations say that UVA protection should be at lest one third of the the UVB protection. This means that a SPF 30 sunscreen is at least a 10 on UVA protection. But if you take a look at any sunscreen bottle, you won't find this information on it because most brands don't descoser it. You know that it has to be at least one third of the SPF and that is it. 

Also, when you apply a SPF 30, you know, the SPF starts to go away after a while -- that's why you need to reapply it. And of course the higher the SPF, the slower the decay rate, the better the protection! HOWEVER, there's no need to by sunscreen with extremely high SPF. 

Sunscreen with an SPF higher than 70 is generally only slightly better than SPF 50-70. Picking a sunscreen with a SPF 80 or 90 may just cause you to spend extra money for a product that is really no better. As the SPF numbers increase beyond 50, the amount they protect only increases very slightly. For instance, a SPF 50 blocks 98% of UV-B rays, while a SPF 100 blocks 99% of UV-B rays.

Water Resistant is also a bullshit label that brands put on their products to trigger you into buying a more expensive product. As soon as you go into the water, the sunscreen on your skin will loose its strength. You always need to reapply your sunscreen after taking a swim. Always!

Oh and btw, do you know how much product you should apply? We should apply 30 ml of product on your skin and reapply that exact same amount every two hours. 30ml corresponds to one shot-glass. No one really applies that much sunscreen, which means the actual SPF we have on our bodies is lower than advertised. Also, if we applied 30ml every two hours that bottle of sunscreen that usually lasts you the whole summer, would be only enough only for one day.

Different products for different parts of your body.

You should at least have one sunscreen specific for your face and one for your body. And both should be appropriate for your skin type. You can find all kinds of sunscreen, including sunscreen specific for you face even with anti-aging agentes.

Regarding of whatever type of product you chose, I recommend that you chose one with 50+ SPF for your face and at least 30 SPF for your body.

Also, if you have a scar or a skin wound that is recovering, you should always consider applying a hypoallergenic sunscreen right over that patch of skin to help protecting it a little more. New skin is forming, new cells are growing. The skin is trying to heal, and is much more sensitive. So it's much more likely to get sunburned! You can get post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, which can cause the scar to go from pink to brown AND you can also increase your risk of skin cancer! 

It should a product that you enjoy using!

Don't go buying a fancy-schmancy, expensive sunscreen that you can't stand because it has a very intense smell, or because it's hard to apply and leaves you all sticky. You should spend your money on something that you are going to enjoy wearing! It should make your skin feel light and nurtured and protected! 

My recommendations. Personally, I really enjoy Vichy's Sunscreen. They are not the cheapest but I think that they are really good, they feel really light on my skin and don't make me all sticky. My favorite line is the Ideal Soleil Bronze, that not only protects you skin but also helps you get tanned faster. Regarding Drugstore brands -- I'm really impressed with the new Garnier Solaire Sensitive Advanced line!