Sunscreen on my face has been part of my daily routine for years and it always surprises me to learn how few people put it on regularly! I understand face sunscreen is a pain – those icky products, but here are 7 of the best sunscreens for your face as well as some tips to help you get into the habit of daily application!
When I used to get facials regularly in LA (I haven’t found a place or the time since moving!) my facialist, Sara, always asked if I wanted sunscreen. I was always so dumbfounded when she did so. Why wouldn’t I want sunscreen on my freshly cleansed, moisturized face?
I asked her if people say no, and she said that yes, people turn down sunscreen all the time. WHAAAAAT?!? Now. I’m not perfect about putting on sunscreen on my body – I’m working on that too – but my face is non-negotiable everyday.
So, besides the obvious reason of wearing sunscreen to protect yourself from skin cancer, there are a few other reasons to add it to your routine.
One, you don’t want to get silly tan lines. I wear my sunnies day in and day out. Without sunscreen, I’d start to get some different hues.
Two, if you have sensitive skin, sun exposure makes it worse. Your skin can become even more temperamental with products and everyday life!
Three, if you have any discoloration or hyperpigmentation, guess what?! Sun exposure can make it worse. Check out these great products for hyperpigmentation.
So if the scientific, medical reasons aren’t enough, do it for your beautiful face to make makeup application easier!
Best Sunscreens for your Face
But sunscreen is annoying to put on!
Oh, I hear ya! There are so many different kinds of sunscreens. I hate the ones that are thick and I really hate the ones that are thick and white (like regular sunscreen). I don’t need to look whiter, that’s for sure!
Luckily, people in the beauty world hate it too. I love tinted sunscreens or tinted moisturizers with spf. You want to aim for at least SPF 30 in any sunscreen though, which can be tricky!
So, here’s the thing (for me at least). Most moisturizers with enough SPF usually aren’t moisturizing enough for my taste (at least not for use every single day). There are two options…
First. Mix your preferred moisturizer with the SPF. Just make sure you’re adding in enough SPF for your whole face and mixing it in thoroughly before applying it to your face.
Second, and this is my latest practice, apply your moisturizer first. Then as your last step, rub the SPF between your fingers and pat it onto your face. Sunscreen should be the final step in your skin care routine, so think of it as a seal for everything else!
UnSun Tinted Sunscreen
This lightweight, tinted sunscreen is a mineral SPF that’s supposed to blend into all skin tones – fair to the darkest brown without leaving a trace. The UnSun website also offers separate light/medium and medium/dark blends.Suntegrity 5-in-1
I used this one while I was pregnant and loved everything about it. The tint is subtle; the consistency is easy; and it’s easy to dispense the SPF onto your hand and use up everything in the tube.Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint
With an SPF 40, this tinted sunscreen is a great clean beauty brand sunscreen. It’s also packed with hyaluronic acid and squalene to help improve the look of your skin!Dermalogica Pure Light
This SPF 50 is about as lightweight as you can get for sunscreens and yet it offers a lot of sun protection. This is one that mixes in easily to your moisturizer!Josh Rosebrook Day Cream
Josh Rosebrook is on my list of clean beauty brands to try. One of the many things that makes me love this brand is that the founder talks about the science of ingredients and good ingredients constantly on Instagram.Drunk Elephant Daily
I used Drunk Elephant for the first time about 5 years ago. It was one of the first clean beauty brands I ever tried and it’s still such a popular one! This daily defense has SPF 30 and is a great physical sunscreen.Arcona Reozone 40
Arcona is one of my favorite clean beauty brands. The company is based in Southern California and has beautifully scented products. This lightly tinted sunscreen offers SPF 40!Coola Sun Silk Drops
Coola is a great sun protection brand from head to toe. This face sunscreen is reef-safe and the glass packaging is a much more sustainable option than all the rest.If you’re interested in learning more about why sunscreen is such a hot topic in environmentalism (not just because of packaging), this Consumer Reports article is a great start!
And if you have questions about getting chemical face peels, read this!
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