Are you one of the people having the hardest time finding a sunscreen you like? I’ll help you find the perfect sunscreen in a one easy step!
Yes, I know the sentences above sound like an agony aunt promising to help you find your special someone. But all flippancy aside – that was me for the longest time. (Not the agony aunt. The one bemoaning a lack of suitable sunscreens.) I mean, what I wanted had to be out there, right? A light, traceless sunscreen with modern filters, great UVA protection, no alcohol and no fragrance? Is that too much to ask?!?!
Compiling our sunscreen cheat sheet disabused me of that notion real quick. Because, you see, modern filters are oil-soluble. And nothing in this wide world will change that. What I could change, though, were my preconceived notions and beliefs. And that’s what I challenge you to do, here. Because that’s the secret I want to share with you.
Find the perfect sunscreen for YOU
Change just ONE parameter on your sunscreen wish list, and you’ll come much closer to finding one you really like to wear.
And before you come at me: this is not for you if you have serious skin concerns like diagnosed allergies etc. Sorry. (But maybe you want to browse all our sunscreen reviews, collected here?)
Bias 1: alcohol denat.
I’ve somewhat sensitive skin that had not a great track record with sunscreens including alcohol denat. high on the ingredient list. That was unfortunate for me, because, of course, alcohol denat. makes sunscreens with modern, oil-soluble filters lightweight and pleasant. Now, like a lot of skincare lovers socialized by Paula Begoun, I had rather internalized ‘alcohol is bad and I can’t use products with it’. Picture my surprise when I realized that in fact, I can. The world doesn’t stop turning and my skin isn’t angry. Formulation makes big steps forward all the time – and so, I hadn’t realized that alcohol denat. doesn’t have to be aggravating. (Case in point: Garnier and Eucerin.) More about alcohol in skincare at Michelle’s.
Bias 2: filters
Ooooooh, I know, a controversial topic. But I won’t even make a case for Octocrylene here. Use products with filters you’re comfortable with. But I’ll ask you to use common sense here. If sustainability is high on your priority list, and reef safety a must: is that really important on days when you won’t dip into the ocean?
Or, if you always use mineral filters, but aren’t happy about the texture of your sunscreen – try a hybrid sunscreen (with a mix of mineral and chemical filters)!
Also, please don’t get hung up on the fact that maybe your fave SPF is from an US brand and uses FDA-approved filters. Those work fine! They will protect your skin! Use the sunscreen you like!
Bias 3: fragrance
Yes, I think it’s actually garbage to use essential, and potentially photo-sensitizing oils in sunscreen. Also, essential oils have a rather high allergen potential (that’s the reason they have to be named separately in inci lists), too. I think knowing our own skin is key, here: if you’ve observed that your skin reacts to essential oils or fragrance, don’t use products with them.
But: I don’t let that hinder me from trying a potentially great sunscreen. If ‘fragrance’ is very low on the list, I’ll definitely try the product. (Try is the operative word here: I can’t stand overly fragranced skincare and can’t stand having a scent wafting around me the whole day – especially as that often fights with my perfume.) Some fragrances dissipate really quickly once applied, and then, I absolutely don’t mind.
Bias 4: clinging to your beliefs!
Drugstore? Horrible textures. Asian SPFs? Unregulated. US ones? Old filters. European ones? Thick.
I had at least two from that list of biases – I wouldn’t think highly of drugstore SPFs, and for the last years, I was completely uninterested in EU formulas. But lo and behold, things have been changing!!1111
And here’s my general advice: question your own skincare bias. Formulation advances all the time, and what might’ve been valid a few years ago isn’t anymore. And pushing just one of the parameters mentioned above will broaden the pool of sunscreen you can choose from and that will make it easier for you to find one you really, really like applying.
Please note that this post 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.
