THE BEST FACE SUNSCREEN FOR EVERYDAY USE AND WHY YOU SHOULD USE IT.

The summer is fully upon us now. What better time than now to get into sunscreen and start preventing ultraviolet (UV) damage?! No matter what skin colour you are, sunscreen is incredibly important.

What are the benefits of sunscreen?

The overriding benefit is that it helps to reduce your risk of skin cancers (mainly malignant melanomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and basal cell carcinomas). Too much UV light can cause damage to the genetic material within your skin cells and this gradual accumulation of damage can lead to your skin cells dividing uncontrollably and abnormally, thus resulting in skin cancer. 

Followed closely by its benefit in slowing down the ageing process and preventing wrinkles. Persistent exposure to UV light is what contributes to wrinkles through damaging the elastin and collagen fibres within the skin. Elastin and collagen fibres are connective tissue found in the deeper layer of the skin. They are vital in maintaining its elasticity and firmness. Gradually from the age of around 25, your body produces less collagen and elastin is not produced after puberty, with the addition of UV rays causing further breakdown and destruction of collagen and elastin, this results in skin sagging and wrinkling. 

There is a well-known case (published in the New England Journal of Medicine) of a patient who had been a truck driver for 28 years presenting with severe wrinkles on the left side of his face. Because of the constant UV exposure that he would experience through the window on only the left side of his face, this side was considerably more wrinkled with thickened skin compared to the right side of his face that was in the shade. 

Another advantage, one that I find most beneficial at the moment, is that it prevents hyperpigmentation, including sunspots and melasma. Melasma occurs due to overstimulation of melanocytes (cells in your skin that produce pigment) thus producing too much melanin (the pigment), resulting in areas of hyperpigmentation. UV light is just one of the factors that cause this overstimulation. Sunspots, also known as solar lentigines or age spots, occur for a similar reason but tend to be smaller areas than melasma - a bit like large freckles. If you are suffering from acne or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, it is especially important to reduce sun exposure as it can worsen the appearance of these areas and lengthen the time taken to revert to its original skin colour.

So you're pretty convinced now of its importance. 

How can you get SPF into your daily routine?

Sunscreen lotion

- By far the most effective way of protecting your skin UV exposure

- Tends to have high levels of SPF

- Very easy to apply but depending on the brand, it can sometimes leave a white cast on your face (I currently use the Sunprise sunscreen and find that this is not a problem at all)

- Needs to be as the last step in your skincare routine and wait for 10-15 minutes before applying makeup

-  OR on top of makeup, which is not ideal after spending 20 minutes doing the perfect face

- LOWDOWN: In my opinion, it is the best way to apply sunscreen for maximum evenness and protection

Heliocare 360 fluid cream SPF50 | La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF50+ | Etude House Sunprise SPF 50+ | Heliocare 360 Gel SPF50

Moisturisers with SPF

- Tend to have a nicer lighter consistency for your face as well as containing other beneficial ingredients for hydration

- Usually have a lower level of SPF, making it better for colder climates or wearing indoors

- LOWDOWN: Great to use in the winter months when higher levels of SPF aren't necessary

Nivea Day Cream for Sensitive with SPF15 | Nivea Day Cream for Normal with SPF 15 | Nivea Q10 Anti-Wrinkle with SPF 15 | Avene Hydrating Cream SPF 30 

Foundation with SPF

- Tend to have a lower level of SPF due to the difficulties of getting the sunscreen to remain stable in the foundation and mix well

- For this to be fully effective, you would have to apply a thick layer of foundation, which in reality not many of us would do, especially in the summer!

- A good option for winter when there are lower levels of sunlight or if you are spending the large majority of your day indoors away from windows

- LOWDOWN: Any SPF is better than none, and if this is the only way you can get SPF into your routine then I approve

MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF15 | Revlon Colorstay SPF15 | Rimmel Lasting Finish SPF20

Sunscreen spray

- This is something new I've recently added to my collection and have seen the benefit (I use the Garnier Sensitive Advanced Spray with SPF50)

- Tends to be a little greasy compared to normal sunscreen lotion

- Difficult to evenly distribute on your face

- Make sure you either apply the spray to your fingers first before putting on your face or if sprayed directly onto your face then to use your fingers to spread it gently and evenly around

- LOWDOWN: Very useful when you're on the go to top up your sunscreen

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Spray SPF50 | Nivea Sensitive Sun Protect SPF50+ | Garnier Sensitive Advanced SPF50 | Avene Protection Spray SPF50

SPF powder

- Tend to be non-comedogenic, containing physical sunscreen rather than chemical

- Can be applied over make up, perfect for a top-up

- Difficult to spread evenly on the skin

- LOWDOWN: Perfect for a light base of makeup with added UV protection

Bare Minerals Original Powder Foundation SPF 15 | Avene Compact Protection Make Up SPF 50

Can you use body sunscreen on your face? Of course you can. However, the problem that many of us run into is that the skin on our face skin is more sensitive than our body skin. So if you have acne-prone or sensitive skin, body sunscreen can be comedogenic and too heavy to apply on the face. The beauty of face-specific sunscreen is that it is usually lightweight, non-comedogenic and formulated to reduce the chance of leaving a white cast on your face after applying.

The cardinal rules of sunscreen are:

1. SPF 30 or higher is generally required for a good level of UV protection in heavy sun exposure

2. When in direct sunlight it should be reapplied every 2 hours of sun exposure for it to maintain efficacy

3. It should be applied at least 30 minutes before heading out into the sun

4. It is a must 365 days of the year, even if you're in the office or car all day or its snowing outside!

5. Don't forget about your lips!

What are some of your favourite brands of sunscreen? Do you wear sunscreen every day?

FOUNDATIONS I'VE BEEN LOVING

I thought my first post back could be on the same topic that it ended with in 2014: foundations. Almost four years later, unsurprisingly, I've changed the foundations I've been loving based on how my skin has changed. Compared to four years ago (when I last posted): I have a lot less acne, my acne scarring has reduced but there's still some hyperpigmentation, my skin is less oily, but I seem to have more clogged pores... I would say that's a slight success. So here's a rundown of my current faves and how they've worked for me.

FENTY BEAUTY PRO FILT'R SOFT MATTE LONGWEAR FOUNDATION | SHADE 330 | £26

I have never been complimented on my skin so much as when I'm wearing this foundation, from my boyfriend to my mum's friends to my friends to random people who see me on placement - everybody can't get enough of it! As I'm sure everyone is aware by now that Rihanna and her team did an amazing job bringing out this foundation (and the whole Fenty Beauty range to be honest), not only is it fully inclusive of all skin tones and shades but it is an incredible formula. A little really goes a long way with this foundation and it is totally buildable in coverage. I tend to save this foundation for special occasions or night outs or days where I need my foundation to be heavy duty and long lasting, i.e. I wore it for one of my best friend's weddings from 7am to 12am, a whole 17 hours it lasted. Plus it looks flawless in photos. At £26, I wouldn't even say it's overly expensive, it's not quite high street prices but it's similar to the likes of MAC Studio Fix Fluid (my old favourite).

My only qualm is that if I wear this foundation for weeks and weeks in a row, my skin does start to break out a little. I would probably put it down to a combination of the foundation being so full coverage and my skin being slightly sensitive.

KIKO UNIVERSAL FIT HYDRATING FOUNDATION | WARM BEIGE 90 | £5.90
This is my holy grail foundation, I am in love with it and for such a cheap price as well, it ticks every single box! It is a fabulous everyday foundation and it applies onto the skin so easily - I use my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. It comes in 20 different colour shades, again could probably do with a couple more darker shades. I wear this foundation in the winter because warm beige 90 is literally my skin colour. It makes your skin look smooth and it has good coverage without looking cakey, but can still be buildable. It works well with other face products and doesn't go patchy. If you look on the Kiko website, it's rated the best of their foundations and has so many reviews praising it. If I had to find a negative, I guess it would be that it's not like stand out amazing (like Fenty/Clinique) and lasts throughout the day well but I wouldn't wear it on a night out for example. For an affordable everyday foundation, this is the one.

CLINIQUE EVEN BETTER GLOW LIGHT REFLECTING MAKEUP SPF 15 | SHADE 68 BRULEE | £28
After my skin cleared up and my acne scarring started to fade, I needed an everyday foundation that wasn't too heavy and was breathable, but was still able to give enough coverage for me to feel confident. This foundation did that for me. I wear this most days and I have also frequently been complimented on 'how nice my skin looks' (not quite as much as with Fenty) when I'm wearing this. Considering it's a light/medium coverage foundation, that's pretty good going in my eyes. It has the added bonus that it contains SPF, making it perfect to wear in the summer (and winter) - as each year goes by, I'm really starting to see the importance of protecting your youthful skin! I 100% agree with the marketing of 'even better glow', it really makes your skin look radiant, which is ideal for that fresh dewy look this summer. The shade range is good, and it caters for all undertones, maybe could do with a few more dark shades. My only issue is that when I first bought it, I didn't go into store to match my colour and instead watched YouTube videos to help find my right shade, it was slightly too dark, hence I've only recently been able to wear it everyday whilst I'm more tanned so I'm going to need to look for my winter shade.

----Quite often it does seem to be discounted on FeelUnique, I think when I got it it was around £23.----

LEFT: the foundations in normal light. RIGHT: foundation with flash.

As you can see the Kiko foundation is definitely my winter shade. The Fenty foundation has the least flashback and you can tell it has the fullest coverage. Whereas the Clinique one actually has quite a lot of flashback, most likely due to the SPF 15 in it, but you can see how glowy it truly is!!

Q. What are your favourite foundations, both everyday and heavy duty?

new favourite: revlon colorstay 24hrs foundation

REVLON COLORSTAY 24HOURS FOUNDATION for COMBINATION/OILY SKIN in TOAST | EBAY | BOOTS

For a while I have been looking for a cheaper alternative to my usual MAC Studio Fix Fluid with SPF 15 in NC44, as spending £21.50 each time is kind of not looking nice for my student bank account anymore. After a bit of research, I saw that a lot of people were saying that Revlon Colorstay in Toast was the equivalent colour of NC44. I also really liked the fact that there was two varieties for different skin types - Normal/Dry and Combination/Oily - perfect for me having combination skin. So I riskily ordered it off eBay without trying out the colour in the shop first (this was mainly because the Boots and Superdrug near to me didn't have the shade Toast in stock and also because it was about £5 cheaper buying it from eBay) and when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised at how well it matched my current skin colour.

PROS:

+ Has a lovely medium coverage, it doesn't feel super heavy or sticky on my face and I don't feel so much of a cake face

+ It's advertised as being 24 hour and long lasting and that it is for sure! I feel like I can go through all the challenges of the day and it would still look as it did when I first applied it

+ My skin doesn't get oily throughout the day, it generally stays nice and matte and I don't feel like I have to apply my translucent powder at all

+ At £12.49 in most high street stores and only as little as £7.25 on eBay, it is a steal for such a high quality foundation

CONS:

- I didn't find that a little goes a long way with this product, I felt like I use more of it on my face than I did with my MAC Studio Fix Fluid

- It doesn't contain any SPF in it, meaning that I'd have to put on suncream in addition to foundation, but I guess that's not the worst