When heading to the beach or pool, sun protection is not an option for me...its essential! I inherited my dad's Eastern European, very white/very sensitive skin. Due to overexposure in my teenage years, I've recently had a dozen or so skin cancers removed (not a pleasant experience). In the good ole days, my friends and I would douse ourselves in oil and "sun bake" for hours. Well, those days are over, lesson learned! Now, I slather on the SPF & sit in the shade.
When it comes to suncare products, I'm somewhat "picky". It has to smell good, and it can't be too thick or greasy. These are my current favorites.
*Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 50+ is my everyday go-to moisturizer. I love it because it has the highest SPF I could find in a daily moisturizer that was also gentle on my very sensitive skin. It's non-comedogenic, non-irritating, and fragrance free so it won't cause breakouts. Its lightweight, fast absorbing, and doesn't leave your skin feeling oily. This one is not ideal for a day at the beach. It is not water resistant and needs to be re-applied frequently. I asked my Dermatologist's opinion on the best anti-aging moisturizer money can buy. His reply?...sunscreen! I love, love, love this product!!!
Cetaphil
Cetaphil
*Coola Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Matte Finish is a new sunscreen that I've been experimenting with. It has a light cucumber scent and a line-smoothing matte finish which is great if you have oily skin. I like it because its organic and environmentally friendly. They have developed their line of products using organic, sustainable, and locally sourced ingredients that are free of parabens, paba, petroleum, and phthalates. And... they donate to the Melanoma Research Alliance and Healthy Child Healthy World, so you can feel good about your purchase! I don't wear make-up everyday, but when I do, I prefer to wear Coola underneath. Its water resistant for 40 minutes so its great for a beach day! I love what this company stands for and I look forward to trying other products in their line! Check out their complete line of products!
*Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lip Therapy, I love this stuff! It smells amazing, and feels great on my lips. It doesn't have any sun protection in it. I prefer to use my facial sunscreen on my lips and apply this on top!
Vaseline Lip Thrapy
Vaseline Lip Thrapy
*Neutrogena Beach Defense Water + Sun Barrier Lotion My Dermatologist recommended I use Neutrogena suncare products. This one has it all! I cannot stress enough how much I love this product! It smells wonderful, is water resistant for 80 minutes, lightweight, fast absorbing, oil free, and PABA free. It provides beach strength UVA/UVB protection with Helioplex technology. It is available in several different SPF strengths and lotion, stick, or spray-on application. I started using this product about a year ago, and it works great. Everyone who "borrows" some from me always comments on how great it smells. I highly recommend this for your next beach vacation!
*Coppertone Sensitive Skin Faces SPF 50 this product was very popular on our recent Cancun trip! I purchased it for my daughter, who was having an allergic reaction to another sunscreen she had used on her face before our trip. Good thing I did! A few of the other girls in our group were also having a similar reaction to their sunscreen of choice, so needless to say, this was like liquid gold! I like it because it is hypoallergenic, and water resistant for up to 80 minutes. This one is my new favorite for a day at the beach!
*Bobby Brown Beach Eau De Parfum Fragrance I realize this isn't a suncare product, but since I'm talking about some of my favorite products, I figured I'd throw it in! Ahhhh...if you could bottle summer, this is it! Sephora.com describes it as "a light, happy and nostalgic scent that evokes warm sunshine and the sea breeze". It is a blend of jasmine, sea spray, and mandarin scents. It smells exactly like classic, old school Coppertone! I wear this everyday. Every time I spray it on, I feel like I'm at the beach! I wear it alone, or combined with other fragrances.
