Greetings to ONLY the people who wear sunscreen! Wearing spf sunscreen is one of the most important steps of any skincare routine. Yet somehow, I believe it’s the most underrated part for many people out there. That’s why I’m so happy to see really hype brands like Fenty Beauty promoting the use of spf to their audiences by including them in their base skincare kits! There are some legit reasons as to why people are turned off by sunscreen. Still, it doesn’t give you an excuse to stop trying to find the product for you. In today’s post, I’ll explain why sunscreen is important as well as some of my favorite products!
Growing up, I was put on by Neutrogena’s Visibly Even SPF 30 ($14) by my grandmother on my dad’s side. She’s always been a skincare goddess who I looked up to when it comes to healthy beautiful skin. I remember going with her to The Lion Store at Franklin Park Mall in Toledo, Ohio. I was only 8 years old. She would wear the classiest long-sleeved gloves even in the summer heat! She told me as I got older how important it was to wear spf sunscreen and avoid the sun when possible. The idiom “black don’t crack” was well known, but she stressed how avoiding the sun would preserve our young-looking skin forever! Some of my brothers and sisters of color think you don’t have to wear sun screen because of the melanin in our skin, but don’t be silly! Open a text book or ask your local dermatologist. 5 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year and that includes dark folk!
Sunscreen Concerns!
There’s a lot of reasons to use spf sunscreen. However, there’s also a lot of reasons why people don’t like to use it. I used Visibly Even for years and years, not realizing that it was the cause of some minor skin irritation. Luckily, I didn’t use it often. I realized it was becoming a problem once I started taking my skincare seriously this past year. One of the reasons why people don’t like sunscreen is because it tends to irritate the skin. I definitely recommend that you experiment with different travel sized brands. That way, if your skin doesn’t like a certain spf, it isn’t a big waste of money.
Other issues people tend to have with spf sunscreen is the white cast that remains when you apply it. I can’t say that I relate to this issue, because I’ve been BLESSED to have found multiple products that don’t leave a white cast when applied. This is especially troublesome for people of color, but everyone can experience this annoyance. Another big one that I’ve had the luxury of missing out on is “pilling”. Pilling is what occurs when your sunscreen doesn’t fully absorb into the skin, causing a grittiness or flakiness to appear on your skin! This can happen due to lack of exfoliation, too much product or the presence of silicone in skincare products like makeup.
Why Sunscreen Is Important
I’m sure you’ve been beaten over the head many times with why it’s important to wear sunscreen. I’m going to tell you again. Sunscreen can help protect against UVB rays from the such which causes burns on your skin. This is fantastic, because sun burns are one of the easiest ways to develop skin cancer. And before you lay your sun-damaged hands on the key board to tell me about how “my base tan is all I need to prevent sun damage”, please consult with a dermatologist! After you’ve been burned already by the sun aka “getting that base tan”, your body will then overreact to sun exposure. This then accelerates the aging process. Don’t do this. Wear sunscreen.
Outside of the most important thing which is burning, sunscreen also protects you from UVA rays, These sun rays causes rapid development of wrinkles and sun spots. While there’s no shame in natural aging, there’s such a thing as premature aging. This is caused by a lack of good diet, skincare and the absence of frequent spf sunscreen use! If anti-aging is a skincare concern of yours, the FIRST thing you need to do is find a good spf. Sure, niacinamide and BHA are great at giving you a healthy complexion. And yes, retinol is the best at reversing signs of aging. But never forget, sunscreen is the #1 product at preventing it!
Don’t Let The Sun Kill You
Like I mentioned previously, picking out the right spf sunscreen can sometimes be like playing Russian Roulette. It takes a bit of trial and error before getting to the product that is best for your skin. I definitely recommend that you play around and test out several by purchasing travel sizes or getting your hands on some samples. Also, my personal preference is to use sunscreens that are multipurpose in effect such as protecting against UVA/UVB but also moisturizing the face. That way, it eliminates one beginning step in your morning routine.
In a future post, I’ll detail how to go about picking out your very own spf sunscreen. Chemical or mineral? SPF 30 or SPF 60? It can be a bit confusing to some, which is why it deserves its own post. For now, I’ll leave you with the two products I recommend: Paula’s Choice Essential Glow Moisturizer SPF30 ($29) as well as the Paula’s Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF50 ($33). While I would love for you to use the above affiliate links to purchase your products, please do check the prices on PC’s website to ensure you’re getting the best deal! Using my affiliate links above is a FREE way for you to support me monetarily, and I appreciate you for doing so! So let me know, do you use SPF daily? Which brands have you had positive results with? Negative? And do you want to see my guide on how to shop for SPF sunscreens? Let me know over on Instagram!
