Sunscreen in winter?! There’s no topic that decisive with my non-beauty lover friends when I share that I’m wearing sunscreen in winter. Let me explain, and also share my favourite ones.
Sunscreen in winter – why?
When it comes to sun protection, it’s never a bad idea to look to Australia. They’re dealing with extremely high UV: due to atmospheric conditions, they’re exposed to 15% more UV than Europeans. Their regulations for sunscreen are among the strictest in the world, and when the Australian Meteorologist Office’s advice is that below a UV index of 3 (apart from being outside for an extraordinary amount of time) sun protection isn’t necessary, then I listen.
In Europe, during winter the UV index is generally under 3, so sun protection for cancer prevention is rather unnecessary.
But, honestly, why?
If you want to reap the anti-aging benefits of sunscreen, it’s a different matter. UVA will be around even the sun doesn’t shine, it’s cloudy and a miserable 7C (looks outside). I still wear sunscreen in winter on most days, because a) I’m sitting at a desk directly in front of a huge window, and b) and I can’t be arsed to apply sunscreen if I spontaneously decide to go out – so I automatically apply it every morning. (I found Labmuffin’s post about wearing SPF inside really helpful to determine if I want to do that.)
Your mileage may vary, of course: people’s preferences, lifestyle, living conditions and budget all come into play here. What also comes into play, I found repeatedly, is having a sunscreen that you genuinely like and doesn’t make you groan when you reluctantly apply it.
We tested an incredible amount of different sunscreens in 2021, and here are the ones I used most this winter.
Best sunscreens for winter
The one I didn’t like in summer: Hello Sunday full shield drops
Yeah, my review of HS full shield drops wasn’t really favourable at the time. I didn’t like nearly all aspects of it: I found the dropper bottle not ideal for a sunscreen, I was baffled at the lacking UVA protection, and I emphatically didn’t like the finish. It was too sticky and oily for my face, only being tolerable when I blotted it. (It became rather tolerable when I used the ultimate secret weapon for wrangling annoying sunscreens – Paula’s Choice’s Shine Stopper.)
Lo and behold, the performance actually is a lot better during the cold months of the year. The oiliness and tackiness is much reduced, and I (GASP!) liked it on days when I didn’t wear makeup and stayed at home.
The moral of the story: try the sunscreen that was too rich for you during summer in winter!
The one that makes sense: Evy Technology Daily UV Face Mousse
When I tried Evy’s SPF30 mousse sunscreen last Spring, I (again) was a bit meh about it. And yes, it’s still fiddly to figure out the amount you should use for full protection (I use one cap full of mousse). The finish, though, is rather nice in the colder months: it looks like healthy, dewy skin with a minimal amount of tackiness and also is great under foundation.
What I love, though, is the incredible UVA rating. It always bugs me to use SPF50 to reap the usual 1/3 of the UVB broad spectrum amount you’ll get with most US and EU sunscreens.
Evy’s SPF30 has a Boots 5 Star rating, meaning it has a UVA of 27 or more. In winter, when I’m mostly concerned about UVA to prevent signs of aging, that’s exactly what I want: A low UVB with a high UVA.
When I wrote my review about Evy they were somehow hard to get: in the meantime I’m happy to see that they’re available at both Cult Beauty and Douglas now.
My all-rounders: Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel and Skin Aqua UV super moisture milk
Ahhhhhh, my all-time faves when it comes to finish and texture: Canmake’s Mermaid Skin and Aqua Skin’s moisture milk. These are two Asian sunscreens that never give me hassle when applying them. They never pill nor apply streaky, and work well with foundation over it. On stressful mornings these will always be the ones I’m reaching for, because they have a minimal drying period, a skin-like finish and are always fuss-free and dependable.
Please note that this review is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods, or money, for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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