"If I could offer you only one piece of advice for the future, sunscreen would be it." wrote Mary Schmich, and her speech was made into the song everybody is free to wear sunscreen. If you'd ask be for the most important beauty tips, I'd tell you to drink lots of water, eat healthy and wear sunscreen. Lets talk about sunscreen today.
The problem is that it's actually not that simple. It's not enough to "just wear" sunscreen. The application is crucial: rubbing on a very thin layer of sunscreen will give you just a fraction of the SPF promised on the bottle. Most people don't apply enough, you need one teaspoon for the entire face, which is more than you think it is. Here is how to apply sunscreen right.
However there is hope in sight: nano-free mineral sunscreens that doesn't leave a white cast are appearing on the market. Usually the titanium dioxide and zinc oxide particles are smaller, but not nano. One such sunscreen is from John Masters Organics, about which I'll talk in the second part of this post.
On that note, I'd like to talk about the sunscreen I am using at the moment. I took me literally years to find a product that I liked enough to actually use it every day. I already mentioned the John Masters Organics sunscreen among my May favourites, but it totally deserves its own review.
John Masters Organics Sunscreen has a light, creamy consistency. It applies very evenly, and soon sinks in almost completely. I apply an extra layer around my eyes (area prone to wrinkles) and above my upper lip (where I always get discolourations). The sunscreen leaves a very slight hint of whiteness on my face, so I usually dust hide-a-pore on it to even out the colour and matte it completely. Here it how it looks like:
John Masters Organics Sunscreen is moisturising, and you will not to wear a moisturiser underneath unless your face is really dry. I have not had my pores clog up. It does not accentuate lines, pores or skin flakes, it does not migrate or shift into lines. Can be used around the eyes because it doesn't contain drying alcohol or irritating fragrance. I have never had it irritate my eyes (I'm a contact lenses wearer).
The product comes in a handy bottle with a pump. I usually use three pumps on the face and to on the neck and decollete. The decollete is very important, I'm sure you have seen elder women with smooth, beautiful skin on the face and wrinkles and discolourations on their upper chest.
The sunscreen smell is very very slight -- I have a very sensitive smell and it bothered me a lot in most other mineral sunscreens, but with this one I can barely smelly anything (most people will probably not smell anything at all).
Its EWG rating is 2. The box recycled paper and soy ink. The John Masters Organics Sunscreen is cruelty-free and vegan. It is USDA certified.
I always apply the sunscreen before I go out, and I'm teaching myself to do it on overcast days too, since clouds don't block UV rays. I use my ex-favourite sunscreen oil from Eco Cosmetics for my shoulders when they are bare.
Which sunscreen are you wearing this summer? Which one would you recommend to other women?
The problem is that it's actually not that simple. It's not enough to "just wear" sunscreen. The application is crucial: rubbing on a very thin layer of sunscreen will give you just a fraction of the SPF promised on the bottle. Most people don't apply enough, you need one teaspoon for the entire face, which is more than you think it is. Here is how to apply sunscreen right.
Also, you shouldn't be applying just any makeup. Chemical sunscreen is often not photostable, mimics hormones and may promote skin cancer. Some get destabilized by certain makeup ingredients, and many have insufficient UVA protection. All have to be reapplied during the course of the day (how in the world are you supposed to do this if you wear makeup?).
Mineral sunscreen do not have these issues and do not have to be reapplied if you don't touch your face. Besides, zinc oxide is probably the most effective at blocking all the rays of the UV spectrum. However, mineral sunscreen often is very heavy and leaves a white cast on the face. If it doesn't it is likely to contain nano particles -- these have not been sufficiently researched yet but it is know that they easily penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream, and also that nano-sized particles do not behave like regular sized ones. For these reasons I stick to nano-free mineral sunscreen.However there is hope in sight: nano-free mineral sunscreens that doesn't leave a white cast are appearing on the market. Usually the titanium dioxide and zinc oxide particles are smaller, but not nano. One such sunscreen is from John Masters Organics, about which I'll talk in the second part of this post.
At this point you might be thinking: so much bother! Why is being a woman so complicated? First it took me ages to find a bra that fits, and now I'm to spend a decade reading sunscreen ingredients lists?
Well, it really is worth the bother. If you want to slow the ageing of your skin, sunscreen is the most powerful tool you can use. Prevention is always much more effective that the cure. And cheaper too.
This guy was a truck driver for 25 years, and one side of his face was continually by the window. Full article here.
Review: John Masters Organics Sunscreen
I mentioned this sunscreen in my May cosmetic favourites post. Now, let's go over with why this product is awesome.John Masters Organics Sunscreen has a light, creamy consistency. It applies very evenly, and soon sinks in almost completely. I apply an extra layer around my eyes (area prone to wrinkles) and above my upper lip (where I always get discolourations). The sunscreen leaves a very slight hint of whiteness on my face, so I usually dust hide-a-pore on it to even out the colour and matte it completely. Here it how it looks like:
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| John Masters Organics Sunscreen, on its own |
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| Dusted with Hide-A-Pore from Sweetscents Minerals |
John Masters Organics Sunscreen is moisturising, and you will not to wear a moisturiser underneath unless your face is really dry. I have not had my pores clog up. It does not accentuate lines, pores or skin flakes, it does not migrate or shift into lines. Can be used around the eyes because it doesn't contain drying alcohol or irritating fragrance. I have never had it irritate my eyes (I'm a contact lenses wearer).
The product comes in a handy bottle with a pump. I usually use three pumps on the face and to on the neck and decollete. The decollete is very important, I'm sure you have seen elder women with smooth, beautiful skin on the face and wrinkles and discolourations on their upper chest.
The sunscreen smell is very very slight -- I have a very sensitive smell and it bothered me a lot in most other mineral sunscreens, but with this one I can barely smelly anything (most people will probably not smell anything at all).
INCI: Titanium Dioxide 7.5%, Zinc Oxide 5.0%, Aqua (water), aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice,* capric caprylic triglycerides, ethyl hexyl palmitate, glyceryl stearate, glycerin, cetyl alcohol, jojoba oil,* shea butter,* panthenol, tocopherol acetate, allantoin, sodium pca, green tea extract,* magnesium aluminum silicate, hyaluronic acid, calendula extract,* ethyl hexyl glycerin, benzyl alcoholTitanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide are the sunscreen. Especially zinc oxide is important because it protects against UVA. There are a couple of moisturisers: aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf juice, panthenol and hyaluronic acid. The aloe vera gives it a nice slip, similar to silicones. The oils are capric caprylic triglycerides (coconut oil and glycerin), jojoba oil and shea butter. It doesn't contain alcohol or fragrance, both of which don't do my fragile capillaries any favours. Does contain palm oil, which is an ecological issue.
Its EWG rating is 2. The box recycled paper and soy ink. The John Masters Organics Sunscreen is cruelty-free and vegan. It is USDA certified.
I always apply the sunscreen before I go out, and I'm teaching myself to do it on overcast days too, since clouds don't block UV rays. I use my ex-favourite sunscreen oil from Eco Cosmetics for my shoulders when they are bare.
Which sunscreen are you wearing this summer? Which one would you recommend to other women?
