Tips For Choosing A Facial Sunscreen

With so many facial sunscreen options - making a selection can be daunting! Here’s a few tips by skin type to make your process easier.

Oily:
Lightweight formulas that absorb into the skin work best. Common active ingredients are avobenzone, octinoxate, and oxybenzone. Avoiding physical blocks like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that sit on the surface of the skin can make all the difference in making a formula tolerable and not too“greasy” for an oily skin.

Acne prone:
A lightweight formula is again a must, but be cautious of oil-free formulas, many contain pore-clogging ingredients like isopropyl myristate. Resist the urge to skip the sunscreen, UV protection allows the skin to focus resources elsewhere, keeps inflammation down, and will reduce that post-pimple discoloration.

Dry:
Look for physical blocks like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide- they sit on the surface and can feel great as well as providing a bit of protection for dry skin. As dry skin is very often sensitized as well, look for a formula safe for sensitive skin, or one boasts some barrier-repair or anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Combination:
The skin with a bit of both worlds can usually tolerate various formulas–including some that blend both physical blocks and those that absorb into the skin. Combination skin can also benefit from some multi-tasking, look for antioxidants or other skin boosting ingredients added in.

Tips for everyone:
If you don’t like it, whether it’s the smell, feel, tint, or whatever, move on! Sunscreen that sits on your shelf isn’t helping anyone. Utilize your esthetician/skin therapist as a resource! Most will happily sample you, or do a free consult- or take a test run of something you’re considering post-treatment, and see how it feels that day.

* As you you read this I'm in the middle of a digital detox! Please forgive a slight delay in responding to comments or messages. I will be back 5/26!