Looking For: Sunblock

[rsadelle]

The reality of my life is that I don't go out in the sun much. Mostly, I get a little sun on the way to and from my car, and when I go walking at a time when the sun is at the right angle to get at me instead of my route being totally shaded.

However, sometimes, I spend enough time in the sun that I actually need some sunblock, and it's getting to be that time of year. I dislike sunblock for two reasons:

1. I hate the way it smells, and I'm sensitive to scent, so I really notice it, especially when it's on my face.
2. I have very oily skin, and most sunblock is pretty greasy.

I also don't think there's enough evidence yet on the long-term effects of nano-particle sunblocks for me to be willing to try that.

Any suggestions?

Comments

[hederahelix.livejournal.com]

I haven't found one that I really like--not for my face. In addition to the oily skin problem, which I so share with you, most sunscreens burn like hell when I sweat and they run into my eyes--say, at the gym, or outside when it's really hot (like 120 degrees hot and I'm in and out of the water), or, you know, at the end of the day before I wash my face. So I have no luck with the whole face sunscreen problem, except to say that the book I rec'd on make up--Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me does have info on sunscreens too, since we're all supposed to be wearing them every day.

As far as body sunscreens, the ones that make me break out the least are the new kind that come in aerosol like bottles. They seem to be based in alcohol rather than goopy, pore-clogging whatever. They're spray on and go on more evenly, and with the high alcohol content tend to be less offensive to me and my oily skin than other kinds. I can't speak too much to scent. They are scented, but they're generally not the heavy "Here, have a boatload of cocoa butter scent" that so many others are. Coppertone makes one in a few different SPFs and I think Neutrogena makes a 45. I'm told that anything about 30 doesn't prevent more UV from reaching your skin, but it might have its 30 SPF effect longer if it's higher than 30. ::shrugs::

Let me know if you find anything non-greasy and sting proof for the face, esp. something light enough to wear on a daily basis.

I think right now I use a neutrogena 15 SPF moisturizer (living in LA, I have to use that on my face year round), and it's either not scented or so lightly scented that I don't notice it, but my Begoun book is old and I keep meaning to go read an updated one and look for new stuff.

[rsadelle]

I read an article last year that suggested gel sunblock for oily skin, but then I never saw any in the store. I did see some yesterday when I was half-heartedly browsing at Raley's, but I'd have to do some research on what's in them to see if I want to put them on my skin.

The problem with Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me is that the last edition (and she says in the intro that it's the last one she's going to do) came out in 2003. When I bought other stuff based on her recommendations, I made a list of what she recommended, and then bought whatever from that list that was still on the market. I'm not sure if the information on her website is any more up to date. I think I looked at sunblock in there, too, and she didn't have anything that was really highly rated for oily skin. I'll have to look again. Her website does have an ingredients glossary, which is helpful.

I really want something I can use for my face, which is why I haven't bought the spray-on kind. I've heard really good things about them, though. I use so little sunblock that I'm not sure I can justify buying two kinds that will expire before I use them up!

Other people have recommended a moisturizer sunblock to me. I just don't really need a moisturizer, so I'm a little hesitant about that.

[hederahelix.livejournal.com]

Trust me, unless the humidity gets really low, I don't need a moisturizer either (by really low, I mean, you know under 30%, which is sadly often does dip to here. On the upside, for my super oily skin, that's a good thing.).

What I have found is that the moisturizers with SPF 15 or 30 are generally less likely to make me break out than the sunscreens that I've been able to find. If you find an excellent gel sunscreen that I could use daily, I'm all ears. But most of the products that are sold as straight up sunscreen, esp. those for the face, and heavier and oilier than the lighter moisturizers with sunscreen in them--or at least, they are when they come into contact with my skin.

They are still pretty darn greasy to me, and the only tried and true method I've found that actually works to stop oil, keep my cheeks from itching from the dryness without anything, and still give me SPF coverage is: some milk of magensia on a make up sponge applied in a thin layer under a non-greasy foundation with SPF 15 or better. Of course, if I'm going to do that, I might as well do full make up, and it's a bitch to get it all off at night, so I put up with a slightly greasy face because with this much sun, I figure that's the least evil of the three for everyday life.

And yeah, I guess that is getting a bit outdated, but I find the ingredients list helpful. And you're right--that's what I was trying to get at with the bit about sparkly eyeshadows when you asked about make up: her tips do tend to skew more to some groups than others, and those of us with really oily skin, I guess, aren't that high on her list of priorities.

For me, it's not a matter of feeling like I need to justify the expenditure. Last summer, after a three day trip to the Colorado River in the desert, i actually polished off a whole bottle of sunscreen. I think that was the first time I ever did it. But even if it's just a once a week bike ride, my skin is so fair and the sun here is so strong, that if I go out even for a 45 minute ride without sunscreen, I'll come home red. When I lived in the northeast, I could get away without buying new sunscreen every year even if I didn't use it all up--I could use it for more than one year. But not here. The UV index is just too high.

Anyway, good luck, and please (she says in desperation) do let me know if you find anything better. I'm always on the lookout for something better than the crappy half-solution I have.

[meacoustic.livejournal.com]

You want something oil-free, non-comedogenic, and PABA-free. Have you seen this (http://911skin.com/ddf-matte-finish-photo-age-protection-spf-30.html)?

I know you don't want to wear makeup, but the BareMinerals foundation is SPF 15.

[rsadelle]

That is very expensive!

[jcalanthe]

I'm hugely sensitive to fragrance, so I have 2 suggestions:

1) The one I liked the best was an alcohol-based one, which oddly we originally ended up with from Kaiser when they told B to stay away from all artificial flavors/colors/fragrance. I guess B found it again in a nonmedical context cuz there's a new bottle, hooray!. It's SolBar PF - SPF 30, PABA & fragrance free. Being alcohol-based, it's of course got a strong alcohol smell at first (I usually just keep my eyes closed for a bit), but once that evaporates off, it's great.

2) Zia Suncare Solar Intelligents Face - SPF 30 gel. It has a very slight smell which fades over time - in my fantasy world, it wouldn't have any smell, but I can tolerate this one. It's what I was wearing regularly last summer - I just apply the least amount possible. This one says it's Cruelty Free, the container is recyclable, and it claims to be Very Water Resistant.

My skin is oily but not out of control oily - I don't remember either exacerbating it. Definitely way better than I remember mainstream sunscreen being - not even in the same ballpark.

I hope this helps - sunscreen is one of the hardest things to find truly scent-free, and one of the worst when it's not.

[rsadelle]

Hmm... I'll have to look for those. I've read elsewhere that alcohol-based things aren't good for your skin, which is what has me hesitating about gels.

[jcalanthe]

Yea, as I went to use a sunscreen yesterday, I went with the Zia gel instead of the very alcohol-based one, which would have dried my skin too much. I've not noticed a problem from the gel with medium-term regular use - I think it has moisturizers in it to offset the harm, and a lot less alcohol - I don't notice an alcohol scent with it. And it turns out that when I'm not having a hypersensitive day, I don't notice the smell after a few minutes, which was a wonderful thing to find.

Your skin & mileage may of course vary. :)