Summer Series 02 | SPF focused Skincare
Repeat after me: Thou shall alwayz wear thy sunscreen
I need to get something off my chest—I LOVE THE SUN!! I LOVE BEING TAN!! Trust me, I’m fully aware that this is controversial. I grew up in FL (sh0cker) and didn’t wear sunscreen til I was 18ish. My parents didn’t use it and we never burned. Brown people problems, I know.
But listen, I really fuck with SPF now and try to prioritize wearing reef-safe sunscreen. Although, if I’m not going to do water-adjacent activities I’ll reach for regular stuff. And now I’m going to tell you about all the sunscreens I very specifically fuck with.
For the face
First off, to state the obvious—I am brown. Sunscreen has been notoriously unkind to POC around the world. So everything listed here (unless stated otherwise) does not leave a white cast! You will not look like a clown. I got you!
Also, it’s worth noting that I have so many favorites—none of which are from America. Our formulations are stuck in 1960, meanwhile, Japan and Korea are living in 3024. These feel like skincare instead of some product that sits on top… in fact, they have all these delicious skincare ingredients and are super hydrating so I skip moisturizer (I’m combo oily). And guess what? They’re all under $50 !!! America would never.
My go-to source for Asian skincare online is via Olive Young. I’ve used YesStyle in the past but the shipping is faster from OY.
And now, onto my top 5 for the face!
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun : Rice + Probiotics | SPF50+ PA++++| My gateway drug into the Asian sunscreen world. I thought… I like rice. I like probiotics. Sign me tf up! She feels luxurious but not heavy and somehow doesn’t burn my eyes which is nice because I sweat a lot and now I don’t go blind. A 2 pack is $33.
Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel | SPF50+ PA++++| My current go-to! Lightweight gel consistency wears well under makeup, and is all-around super great for the combo/oily gals! A 2 pack for $29
Beauty of Joseon Matte sun stick: Mugwort + Camelia | SPF50+ PA++++| I call this one Mr. Mattify. It’s a stick that doesn’t feel heavy or leave a residue. A solid choice for the T-zone if you’re extra oily around there. In heavy rotation for me in the summertime due to its size and the fact that it doesn’t budge.
ANESSA Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Gel | SPF50+ PA++++| If you’re dry this is for you! The girlies were going nuts over this stuff in Japan. It was literally under lock and key. A sunscreen. My husband who is notoriously dry uses this and finds he can skip moisturizer after applying it (also confirmed by my friend who is an esthetician)! She’s pricier than the rest at $40 but listen, she isn’t just sunscreen, she’s skincare too.
The Mug Guard Broad Spectrum | SPF 30 | This one is for the beach. Not only is it water resistant but it’s also reef-safe. I do wish the SPF was higher but like the others on the list, it’s lightweight and the ingredients are skincare-focused. This is also the only American formulation on my list for the face category. We can’t win them all but we can come pretty damn close.
For the face: Makeup
So yes, I am naturally melanated. But since I had my epiphany and began wearing SPF daily…. brother I can really get pale. So I turned to all those tanning drops to help me maintain my hue. Sadly they all made me break out except for one.
Enter Salty Face. I saw this recommended by an esthetician on Instagram (sorry idr who) and she wasn’t playing. It doesn’t break me out at all! I’ve been using the face drops every other day in the ‘medium-to-dark’ shade for a little over a year now. Easy peasy. They have a body tanner as well which I’ve used and liked too but my body is just always darker than my face so the face drops are in my main rotation. If you wanna dabble you can use the code BRAZINDA for 10% off.
Gurl its 2024, makeup finally has decent SPF without being shit! Yay! However, I’m only going to speak about the ones I’ve used and enjoyed:
Tinted sunscreen
HydraTint Pro Mineral Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 36 by Alastin. I believe this one falls under ‘medical grade skincare’ which kinda means nothing more than it’s only carried by dermatologists and medical estheticians. However, I do believe there is witchcraft involved in this product because its tint adjusts to your skin tone and the adjustability has range. It’s not too heavy and looks nice. I’m acne prone and this didn’t give me breakouts! And you can skip moisturizer if you use this!
tint & PROTECT medium coverage serum foundation with SPF 50+ by Ciele. This line was developed by a makeup artist whom I’ve followed for a long time so the formulations are excellent +that SPF 50 is a damn sexy number. They have a pretty good color range so there should be a shade for everyone.
Weekend Skin SPF 50 Instant Glow Tinted Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C + Niacinamide by Iris & Romeo. They sent this to me a few months ago and I’ve been using it on and off in the shade ‘warm glow’. It makes my face look healthy and glowy. That being said, this may be better suited for people with dry skin. My oily skin is too strong for this radiant finish.
Blush (there is only 1 good one out there) blush & n PROTECT SPF 50+ liquid blush also by Ciele. This shit slaps. SPF 50(!!!) in a nicely formulated blush is unheard of. I have been using the shade ‘Kirsty’ which I think is named after this girlie.
Face powder
filter & PROTECT SPF 30+ finishing and setting powder by Ciele. Sensing a pattern here? Someone has the market cornered. This is nice but I wish they offered it in a pressed form. I just really hate loose powders. But damn, it’s NOICE.
100% Mineral (Re)setting Powder SPF 35 by Supergoop. She’s the OG. It’s been around a while. She’s fine, not life-changing but +5 pts because it’s SPF 35 as opposed to Ciele’s SPF 30. I wear the shade ‘medium’.
Natural Finish Pressed Foundation SPF 20 by Colorescience. She’s pressed!!! I like her, she’s my preference in terms of powders mainly because she’s pressed. She’s not bad. She’s not amazing. I expected more SPF from Colorscience of all people. But this seems to be the only pressed powder on the market with a shade range & SPF.
Lip balm
Sun Balm SPF 30 Broad Spectrum Lip Balm by iNNBEAUTY PROJECT. I think this brand is kinda trending rn but maybe it’s just me. 30 is pretty decent in terms of SPF plus the colors are really pretty. She’s a good one. I like the color latte.
Anti-Aging Lip Gloss SPF 40 by Paula’s Choice is a fucking powerhouse with that SPF 40. She’s my go-to. 10/10 no notes. I find myself turning to Paula’s Choice for a lot of my ‘lip care’ needs.
For the body
Earlier you were probably like, “Gabriela why should I give a fuck about reef-safe sunscreen?” and that would be a fair response because we aren’t educated on this even though major beauty corps know why it’s necessary (yay capitalism!!).
I learned about it thanks to a speedo-wearing man I met 6 years ago who can only be described as a Mexican Joe Pesci. My husband and I went diving with whale sharks. You know those beautiful, majestic creatures who filter feed. Senór Mexican Joe taught us how not wearing reef-safe sunscreen in the water with these sharks would be the equivalent of someone pouring perfume into your soup! Yucky! No one wants to be that person. I then corroborated this information by watching the Netflix doc Chasing Coral. That doc shows you how damaging it is to ecosystems that live in those natural bodies of water. So, SAVE THE CORAL!
Further explanation here.
And now onto the sun creme recommendations (plz read that with a posh British accent so ‘Sun Cream’ sounds less weird)
Reef Safe
Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen Lotion - SPF 50+ Easy to find. That sexy 50 number. BUT it leaves a white cast. Sadly that is super common with mineral sunscreens. But I’m willing to be a little white cast so Nemo has a home. Ya dig?
The Bod Guard Invisible Gel SPF 30 by Dune Suncare. Created by some cool surfer chicks. No white cast! Water-resistant and hydrating!
Reef Repair Sunscreen SPF 50 is TSA-compliant (rare for a body sunscreen), water-resistant, and has minimal white cast.
Thrive Reef Safe Sunscreen SPF 50 is Hawaii-compliant (+10pts), has minimal white cast, and has a nice price point.
Eco Sun Spray SPF 50+ by Seventyone-Percent. This shit is cool. Don’t ask me how I found it because it was a few years ago and I don’t really remember. But it’s a French surf brand (I know, it just got cooler), not heavy and the spray is convenient.
Regular Sunscreen (when you aren’t going into natural bodies of water)
Dry Sun Oil SPF 30 also by Seventyone-Percent. As the name suggests, it’s an oil. It’s hydrating. It isn’t heavy. Water resistant. You look sexy and protected after.
Eucerin Advanced Hydration Sunscreen Lotion - SPF 50 might seem like a boring choice but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it? Feels more like a body lotion than an SPF but has that 5 0 number weeeee. Also wallet-friendly.
Vacation Sunscreen Classic Whip - SPF 30 is really fun if you want a little drama. Nothing is sexier than SPF in the form of whipped cream.
For the hair (surprise!)
This will be quick I promise! But did you know UV rays can also be damaging to your hair? It’ll dry that shit out. And as someone who has long wavy/curly/frizzzy hair. That’s the last thing I need so here are some products I’ve used and liked for days when I know there will be long term sun exposure to the tresses so they don’t stresses…. *cOmEdy drUm*
Hair In The Sun by Sachajuan. Makes my hair impossibly soft and hydrated. Also does tame frizzzzz. Basically a nice leave-in conditioner with UV-blocking capabilities. I’ve been using this for about 10 years.
Guava Rescue Hair Heat Protectant Spray by Ceremonia. This one does the most. 4-in-one super-spray detangles, protects against UV and heat, and prevents frizz (great to take on vacation). And it smells like South America. I love it.
EXPENSIVE Hi-Shine Gloss Treatment by IGK is something I was recently introduced to by my hairdresser. Full disclosure, this isn’t sponsored at all but my hairdresser is a co-founder of IGK. He gave it to me because he doesn’t want me washing my hair a lot (it’s thinning) and this is meant to help protect it from the constant wet dry wet dry states it goes in and out of from working out. It makes my hair impossibly shiny and protects it from UV rays. But, this is more of an after-sun exposure treatment.
Okie dokie, I’m all SPF’d out now. Summer series 03 coming soon xx
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