Sunscreen

One of the most important skincare products that I can't live without is probably sunscreen.  I used to use daytime moisturizers that included sun protection, but I remember reading an article or seeing something on the news about how people don't typically use enough moisturizer with spf to allow the spf to be that effective.  So I started using sunscreen on top of a moisturizer instead.  The problem with that is that I felt like regular sunscreen was too greasy to use daily, so I started a search for the best sunscreen and moisturizer combo.  Last winter I was using the Elemis Liquid Layer Sunblock on top of the Shiseido Pureness Matifying Oil-Free Moisturizer.  I discovered the Elemis sunblock on a random trip to the beauty counter at Bergdorf Goodman during some beauty event they were promoting.  The sales associate sold me on the product when she told me that the product protects against the sun for about 8 hours.  I'm not really sure how true that is, since I thought SPF 30 is supposed to last somewhere between 1-2 hours, but I figured if it's supposed to last longer than the average SPF 30 it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. 

I found that the Elemis sunblock was too heavy on top of my Kiehls ultra facial moisturizer, so I went to Sephora to pick up something light, something that I would typically use during the summertime.  I really liked the texture of Shiseido's matifying oil-free moisturizer, it feels like a liquidy gel, and the scent was really appealing.  The combination of the two was really perfect for the winter. 

During the summer I had to switch my sunscreen regimen, for several reasons.  First, I really didn't want to have to layer two products during summer, since it gets so hot and sticky in the city.  Secondly, I didnt know if I could find anything lighter than the Shiseido lotion that would satisfy all my skincare criteria (I'm really picky).  Since I wasn't comfortable using the Elemis sunblock on its own, which to my understanding does not provide moisture, I decided I needed to switch to something else.  I went back to Sephora to check out other options and found the Shiseido Smooth Sun Protection Cream SPF 38.  Based on the description it seemed that it was primarily a sunblock, but also "quenches dry skin".  I went with the SPF 38 and not the SPF 55 version because I figured it was less heavy.  I don't find the Shiseido sunscreen to be greasy, but I still ended up dusting some powder on top (I do this even in winter with the Elemis Shiseido combo) because I prefer to step out of my apartment with a more matte look. 

I really think that sunscreen or some sort of sun protection is important (in addition to exfoliation, noted in an earlier posting) because it helps keep your skin looking young.  In addition to being fearful of pimples, I also fear wrinkles.  Even though wrinkles is probably more of a hereditary thing and also based on skin type, etc, there are a few things you can do to prevent them or at least keep them away as long as possible, and one of those things is keeping out of the sun.  I try to stay out of the sun when possible, I'll only expose my face to the sun if I'm at the beach or sitting by the pool (even then I still wear a giant hat half of the time), I try to sit in the shade if I'm in the park, and also I won't face the sun if I'm having lunch outdoors and have my back to it if possible.  Sounds kinda crazy, but so far all of this is working for me.  Even if you don't care about wrinkles it's still important to use some sort of sun protection daily to protect yourself against skin cancer!