Sunscreen Searches: Pharmacy Edition

In the beginning of summer, several local pharmacies had sun product promo sales. I jumped at the opportunity to get some backups and to try a couple of new items. I've been on a mission to incorporate some form of sunscreen into my daily routine since the end of last year, and so far, so good.

The summer solstice and midsummer festivities are a huge part of Northern European culture. It's about appreciating nature and each other, culminating in various celebrations – no doubt imbedded in our pagan DNA. The white nights are stunning and mystical. I suppose we're prone to be insomniacs, when we're used to the sun “setting” at nearly 11P.M. I say that with irony because it doesn't get completely dark even after sunset.

Just because it's summer, we don't always get summery weather. It's not uncommon for it to be barely 10C with rain and hail during midsummer, but this year, the first in quite a few, the weather was perfect. Warm, but not too hot, with cool breezes and clear skies. The epitome of Northern summer.

The effects of light and warmth have been profound. Well, on me. My mood is better, I'm calmer and more optimistic. I doubt there's science to back this up, but even if it's a placebo effect, I'll take it.

It's important to protect your skin, wether it's from pollution, free radicals or the damaging effects of the Sun. However, I think some Sun exposure is beneficial. I take vitamin D year round and still feel sluggish and unmotivated, but when I have two weeks of sunny days, I feel like I can take on the world.

Currently I apply sunscreen on my face every day, but I don't re-apply. If I were to go to the beach, I would, but on a day-to-day basis, I don't. I think it really depends on where you are in the world. Central and Southern Europe (and equivalent locations in the rest of the world) get much hotter, and the Sun feels a lot more intense. Even on the hottest day, say mid-July, the UV index here is 5-6 at most. That's still high, but it's not the same as 9-10 on the same day somewhere in France or California. So take my sunscreen routine with a grain of salt – it's my routine, and I'm not claiming it should be everybody's. Now, let's have a closer look at the sunscreens I picked up, I have thoughts.

This whole shopping spree was prompted by how much I liked the Eucerin Oil Control SPF 50+ and how much I wanted to have a back-up. I still adore the packaging and texture – it's creamy and light – and on my oily combination skin, this is a truly mattifying formulation. In fact, sometimes I need to use moisturizer on some of the drier areas of my face first. I love it, people with dry skin – walk away.

The La Roche Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Lotion is another repurchase. I first tried the SPF 30 version of this sunscreen a few years back on Sardinia (I'm actually tearing up – how I wish I could go back...) and was very impressed. I was even able to tolerate it on my face. The SPF 50+ version feels greasier and well, neither was ever ideal for the face. In extremely hot climates I don't mind the greasiness as much because no matter what you do, you're going to be sweating buckets, so it's not as noticeable. I really wanted this to work for me as a daily facial sunscreen – it would be considerably more affordable than any of the ones I've tried made specifically for the face – alas, I can't deal with how greasy it feels when there's no Mediterranean weather to distract me. It may work for someone with dry skin though. As for me, I love it on the body and can tolerate it on the face in a pinch (again, it doesn't actually irritate my skin, I just haaaaaate how greasy it feels).

The La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 50+ Invisible Fluid is a freaking cult favourite. I had to see what the big deal was... And, well... It's fantastic. But. I have one major gripe about this sunscreen (in addition to the fact that it's so expensive), and that's the runny formula. It's not the product's fault – it's clear that that's what your'e buying from the packaging and instructions to shake it up before application, but I find it really cumbersome to actually get from the bottle on to my face. I've tried aiming it directly at my face with little success, I've tried squeezing some out on the back of my hand or into my palm, and as of yet, none of these are comfortable in my opinion.

What I really love about this sunscreen is that it it feels like a complete moisturizer after it sinks in, which is what I think the ideal facial sunscreen should be – it should feel like your morning moisturizer, just with SPF. That's no easy feat! SPF usually feels like... SPF – it rarely feels like just skin care, and this LRP does. I think it should be perfect for normal to dry skin and manageable for oily skin – on me it does lean a little on the greasy side – nothing crazy, totally manageable with powder and blotting papers, but I'll be reserving it for the cooler months to come. Maybe by that time I'll outsmart the packaging too.

Last and unfortunately least, we have the Bioderma Photoderm AKN Mat SPF 30. This isn't a terrible sunscreen, I think the texture is fine and the packaging is really simple and easy. Of the products mentioned, this is my least favourite one for three reasons. The first – unlike the claims on the label, I don't find this at all mattifying. When I wear this, my skin doesn't get as greasy as with LRP, but it pales in comparison to Eucerin's Oil Control sunscreen. Second, it is so white! You really need to work it in for it to not have a white cast. I'm super pale and even I find it too white! Finally – I loathe the smell. I was so shocked and put off by the fragrance, I couldn't believe it. I had to look again at the packaging to see that it was actually my fault for not realizing there would be fragrance in this sunscreen – it says so right on the tube. I just assumed that a pharmacy brand would be fragrance-free by default, but I was wrong. The super potent, artificial cucumber scent dissipates quite quickly, but I do hold my breath during application. It's not a terrible sunscreen, but I have to challenge myself to use it up (almost there!), and I wouldn't repurchase it.

So, those were my thoughts – there are some really good sunscreens in the mix, ones that I actually enjoy using, and ones that are just okay. I hope you enjoyed this overview, learned something new and more than anything, I hope you are able to go outside and catch some summer rays (with SPF of course) wherever you are!

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