Meet Your Perfect SPF Match

The start of summer typically kicks off certain warm weather buying habits and trends.

By Memorial Day, we re-up on fun new sandals, add a few breezy dresses to the wardrobe and even splurge on that wicker purse du jour that’s been popping up all over Instagram. And since it’s summer, we also stock up on a high SPF sunscreen. Right?

Wrong! That last part, about buying sunscreen because it’s summer, that’s why we are here today —

It breaks my heart to know that most women only think to incorporate sunscreen into their skincare routine at summertime. This burns me up (no pun intended), because, for optimal skin heath, applying a daily broad spectrum sunscreen should be a year-round practice.

According to a recent Olay study, while 2/3 of women acknowledge that they know they should be wearing daily SPF, only 1/3 actually do it. Wow, that’s a big gap!

SPF SCHOOL IS IN SESSION

And without even reading the notes from the study, I can pretty much make an educated guess as to why only 1/3 of the women surveyed wear daily SPF. I’ve been covering beauty for nearly 12 years, and I continue to hear the same sunscreen complaints:

– SPF feels greasy.
– It makes my skin look white/purple/grey.
– The smell is gross.
– Sunscreen looks horrible under my makeup.

The list goes on and on….

And to be honest, the list is accurate. I’ve definitely sampled my fair share of awful sunscreens. But, BUT — I’ve also had the opportunity to try a lot of what’s new and I gotta tell you, these excuses can be put to bed.

LET’S DO THIS TOGETHER

My journey to finding the right sunscreen was not an easy one. So I get it. I truly do. Whenever I’m asked to recommend “the best sunscreen,” I always say that the best sunscreen is the one that you actually WANT TO WEAR. If you don’t want to wear it because you don’t like the smell, texture, finish, etc., the SPF protection isn’t going to work — uhm, because it needs to be on your skin. And who’s going go to wear sunscreen that they hate? No one!

CUSTOMIZE YOUR SPF

With all skincare, I always advocate for customization. Meaning, skincare needs to be tailored to meet your skin’s changing needs. None of you products are one sized fits all forever. As your skin and needs change, so should your products. So, for this reason, my sunscreen journey has lead me to include more than one staple SPF product into my routine. And I encourage you to do the same. I think this actually makes finding your perfect sunscreen match a whole lot easier.

Here’s what I do:

I have one sunscreen that’s on the glowy side and works well for makeup-free days.

I have one sunscreen that I wear that has a primer-like quality and blends seamlessly under makeup.

I have a third sunscreen that’s a lot thicker and provides optional physical protection for when I’m outdoors all day and engaging in activities like running, swimming, etc.

Yikes, imagine trying to make one sunscreen work for all? For me, it’s not possible.  So let’s dive into my two favs for “Fresh Faced Felicia” and “Fierce Faced Felicia”

FRESH-FACED FELICIA

Honestly, most days I’m “Fresh Faced Felicia” — this means I   do like 300hundredmillion skincare steps and then seal the deal and protect my skin with sunscreen. If I know I’m not applying makeup and my sun exposure will be limited to walking from the car to my office, and maybe a short walk to lunch, I use Olay Complete UV 365 Daily MoisturizerBroad Spectrum SPF 15 (normal). This formula is ideal for makeup-free days because the finish is super dewy. It feels light to the touch, yet provides a full day of continuous hydration. Olay claims that the oil-free day cream offers “48 hours of hydration”…but when was the last time you wore a sunscreen for 48 hours? Whoa! But I can definitely vouch for 8-10 hours of plump, hydrated, healthy looking skin. I always wear a serum under my SPF, but if you’re looking for added skin care benefits in your sunscreen, Olay Complete UV 365 Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 15 contains Vitamins E, B3 & C.

FIERCE-FACED FELICIA

For days when I’m playing the role of “Fierce Faced Felicia”, I still do my 300hundredmillion skincare steps PLUS foundation, concealer, blush, highlighter, etc…..so I need sunscreen that provides proper protection but also nourishes my skin without feeling heavy. For days when  my makeup is doing the most, I use Olay Total Effect Whip Active Moisturizer with Broad Spectrum SPF 25. I looooove the feel of this product. A light as air texture is a crucial when you’re also building like 3 layers of makeup on top of your skincare and sunscreen. Olay Total Effects Whip blends seamlessly onto skin and doesn’t make me purple or grey. It’s totally undetectable under makeup. Unlike Olay Complete, which is dewier, Olay Total Effect Whip dries to a soft, matte finish…making it the perfect companion underneath makeup. The primer-like quality perfectly preps skin for foundation. And over time, Olay Total Effects Whip is formulated to improve the early signs of aging like dark spots, fine lines, enlarged pores, dull tone, sagging, hyperpigmentation and dehydration.

YOU GOT THIS

Your journey to finding you perfect SPF match does not have to be a daunting task. Keep in mind, that your perfect match might actually be 2 or 3 different products. Sometimes we drive ourselves bonkers trying to find that one unicorn product to solve it all, but, in reality, 2 or 3 different products might meet your skincare needs in different skincare situations. Don’t be afraid to customize your skincare to address your changing needs. We’ve talked a lot about summer, but for winter, when sin is drier, you might find that you need a moisturizer with SPF that’s even richer. So you see, SPF isn’t one size fits all. Stay in tune with your skin’s needs and stay vigilant in your daily application. You got this!

*This post is sponsored by Olay. Opinion are all my own. As always, please support the brands that help to make ThisThatBeauty possible.