Is this a trend? I have friends who use mineral sunscreen on their faces and chemical protection on their bodies. It’s like the sunscreen version of being mostly vegetarian but still enjoying a barbequed hamburger in the summer.
I have no horse in this race as I am an equal opportunity sunscreen user and will go to any lengths to protect my skin from UV rays. Chemical screens are, admittedly, much easier to wash off. The tenacity of mineral sunscreen is something to behold. I use a gentle exfoliating cleanser, like Tatcha’s Rice Polish, $84, Sephora, to remove it.
This sunscreen duo, above, is a perfect summer pairing for full-on protection when you’re out being active. Vichy Idéal Soleil SPF 60 Sport sunscreen, $29.95, Shoppers Drug Mart, is sweat and water resistant for 80 minutes and the light lotion formulation absorbs virtually instantly when applied (it feels like sorcery. No lie.) It leaves a faintly satin finish on your skin which is the polar opposite of those 1980s tanning oils that sat on your skin like you’d been dunked in a deep fryer. If you basted yourself with Hawaiian Tropic or Bain de Soleil during regrettable backyard teen tanning sessions you know what I mean.
I handed the Blue Lizard Sheer Lotion Face SPF 50 Mineral sunscreen, $22, Shoppers Drug Mart, off to a friend for her to test out on the water. She swims in Lake Ontario year round (impressive, right?) and wants a high SPF face sunscreen because her olive skin freckles quite easily, so anything under 50 SPF is a no-go. Blue Lizard, from Australia, home of the world’s most discerning sunscreen consumers, is also water-resistant for 80 minutes and while it “goes on white, it does sink in after about a minute” and most importantly “doesn’t migrate into eyes” which is critically important when you are in the water or sweating on a bike or tennis court.
These two are perfect for a day on the water (Lake of Bays, Ontario.)