Recently, skincare has gotten incredibly popular, and more people have begun to invest in a skincare regime. However, no matter how many serums, toners, or essences someone uses, they might notice no change in their skin condition. People often forget an essential step in their routine: sunscreen.
Past protecting your rays from the sun’s harmful UV rays, sunscreen is beneficial in preventing aging as well. This is because the absorption of the sun’s UV rays by your skin can cause mutations, and lead to skincare cancer, but it can also lead to premature aging. This premature aging includes spots forming, dryness, and wrinkles. By allowing your skin to be exposed to these harmful rays, you are effectively reversing any of the beneficial properties of a skincare routine.
It’s not difficult to introduce sunscreen into your routine, but it is slightly difficult to pick a sunscreen. Past the various price points that exist, the science of sunscreens seems unnecessarily complicated. To simplify everything, there are two things to consider when buying sunscreen, the type of sunscreen it is and the SPF.
Sunscreens typically fall into two categories: chemical and physical. While chemical sunscreens contain ingredients that absorb the UV rays instead of allowing your skin to do so, physical sunscreens block, and reflect the harmful UV rays. Typically, choosing between the two categories is a personal choice, but people with sensitive skin types tend to avoid chemical sunscreens as they can sometimes burn. In terms of SPF, or sun protection factor, it is best to find a sunscreen with a factor of 30 or higher.
To make the process of finding sunscreen a bit easier, I have compiled a list of recommended sunscreens with various prices:
- Elta Md
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Even though it’s slightly pricey, this sunscreen is recommended by many dermatologists and is tinted which prevents a white cast.
- La Roche Posay
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Similar to the Elta Md sunscreen, this product is recommended by numerous dermatologists but can be seen as being slightly pricey.
- AHC Sun Stick
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This sunscreen is a Korean brand offered in a stick form, making its application and reapplication easier.
- Black Girl Sunscreen
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By far the cheapest sunscreen on this list, it is perfect for people with darker skin and will provide a perfect dewy look.
- Beauty of Joseon
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Another sunscreen from a K-beauty brand, this package offers two tubes of sunscreen for the price of one.
Like every skincare step, there will be a bit of trial and error before finding the right sunscreen. After finding the right one, all you have to do is apply about half a teaspoon to your face and neck as the last step of your morning skincare routine, fifteen minutes before you leave the house. Even though you should reapply every two hours, applying it once a day is a good start and the perfect way to stay skin safe this summer.