Critically Curated: Sunscreens

For applying liberally and often

I write this post barefoot on my apartment floor. Frayed denim shorts, messy top knot. When my eyes stray from my screen I glance out the window. First to see an endless, pale blue sky. Then, to see a shimmer hovering just above the sidewalk, undulations of heat visible to the naked eye. Everything has a corona to it. A vibrating, pearlescent sheen of heat. Shining, shimmering, humid.

In other words: It’s fucking hot. 

If you’re not retreating into the cool, dark corners of your home and drawing the blinds and are instead considering going outside into the bright, blinding UV that is the summer sun please apply copious amounts of sunscreen. 

If you like numbers and exact dosages, then I’ll say that the correct amount of sunscreen for your face is a generous ¼ teaspoon. SPF is tested at 2mg/cm2. Meaning that in order to get the SPF you see advertised on the bottle, you need to apply 2mg per centimetre squared of your skin. When math-ed out to the average % a human face and neck takes up as a % of your total skin surface, it calculates out to about ¼ of a teaspoon. And if you don’t feel like having a dedicated ¼ tsp in your bathroom for sunscreen measuring, using two finger lengths also works great. 

The following are my favourite sunscreens for slathering on my face. My general parameters when looking for a sunscreen are that they leave little to no white cast, tons of glow/sheen, and basically function as a daily moisturiser as a dry skin gal.  

Isntree ‘Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel SPF 50’: This is my go-to. I like its thin, gel-like formula that feels light and lovely to apply. It dries down to a nice satin finish which works for my dry skin type. 

Naturium ‘Dew Glow Moisturizer SPF 50’: As its name implies, this is a very lovely daytime moisturiser with SPF that leaves a glowy finish and no white cast. It’s on the thicker side of a formulation and has a ‘sunscreen’ feel to it but wears well under makeup. Pro Tip: The dip in the cap is designed to be the the correct dosage for face and neck application. Genius. 

La Roche-Posay ‘Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen SPF 60’: LRP is a classic brand with products I consistently love. Their sunscreen lines are vast (and borderline confusing). But this milky one is a favourite. 

Beauty of Joseon ‘Relief Sun SPF 50’: This one is outrageous and gloriously hydrating, leaves an incredibly dewy finish, and leaves your skin plump. I do find that this one is slightly prone to a white cast, but not much on me. 

Ultra Violette ‘Fave Fluid Ultralight SPF 50’: One of the lightest and easiest sunscreens to apply I’ve ever used. The texture is just sublime and it blends in so easily. 

A note that what works for me may not work for you. For instance, I find I really don’t like the ever popular Supergoop! ‘Unseen Sunscreen’ because it feels too gummy and primer-like for me. That texture and matte-ification just doesn’t work for my dry skin - it’s not the finish I want. But that may not be the case for you! 

And a final reminder is that the best sunscreen for you is the sunscreen that you’ll use — and that you want to reapply (every two to three hours!).