freecia

Putting on lotion first might help it spread more easily. Or perhaps mix some in? Some mineral sunscreen formulas are so oily (also ew) but it sounds like you have a tube of the extra thick and somewhat dry kind.

Hoyaheel

I tried it over my serum (which works for my daily BB cream that's a little tough to spread) but it just sat on top of my skin. Ah well - at home, it'll be ok.....

whitearrow

Elta MD UV Clear 46 every day under my makeup. I love it because it's really a moisturizer with a sunscreen in it. It goes on well under makeup, has no scent or sticky feeling to it at all.

Neutrogena Beach Defense for pool or beach.

wrp96

So I feel this is the appropriate place to share my bad sunscreen story from this weekend.

I ran out of sunscreen last Saturday, but the store was out of the brand I normally use. So I grabbed a bottle of spray Coppertone Sport that says "Stays Strong Even When you Sweat."

As soon as I sprayed it on, it felt (and looked) like adhesive on my skin. I've never had this happen with any other sunscreen, spray or otherwise. So my immediate thought was, "well yuck, I'm never buying this again," but I didn't think anything else about it.

Until I got out of the pool and it still looked exactly like it had when I sprayed it on. And it still didn't come off my skin (or out of my hair) after a shower. I literally was sticking to the fabric of my couch (some of it transferred to the sofa fabric) after the shower. I took yet another shower and tried scrubbing it off with dish soap. It still didn't come off. Every time I moved in bed that night the sheets came with me because I was sticking to the sheets (it transferred to the sheets - I'm afraid to put them in the washing machine). I took another shower the next morning scrubbing again. The only way I was able to get any of it off was by scrapping my skin with my fingernails. In the pool that evening it softened enough for me to finally get the rest of it out of my hair. What came off in my hand looked like pieces of caulk. And then another shower that evening, with another scrub with dish soap and Epsom salts finally got most of it off my skin. Although it is now coating my bathtub and I don't know that it's ever coming off of there.

So 2 hours in the pool, 3 separate showers, another 3 hours in a pool, and yet another shower over two days to finally get the stuff off my skin. And my skin is now raw from all the scrubbing, especially my back. I have to think it was a bad batch, but this has just been a miserable experience.

Buster

Yikes, that's awful. In the future, you might try oil - for some of the more persistent Japanese sunscreens, an oil cleansing is the only thing that will remove them. Depending on sensitivities, coconut, olive or mineral oil would be what I'd try.

freecia

That sounds horrible! I wonder if there's a silicone caulk-like curing which just got more durable with water, air, or time.

Oil cleansing does help get most mineral sunscreen for sports off. I use an inexpensive cleansing shampoo (Clarifying Suave) to clean the bathtub of oils and silicones.

If that doesn't work, possibly move into automotive care and use some bug/tar remover and clay your tub. Poorboy's Bug Squash is the only thing which gets some really stubborn dried tree seed pod droppings to break down enough for me to wipe it off my car with a microfiber towel http://www.autogeek.net/poorboys-bug-squash.html https://www.amazon.com/47ml-16oz-Bug.../dp/B000KJPTHU

ysolde

With summer almost upon us, I thought I would revive this thread. I have received a couple of new sunscreens that I have been playing around with of late (Sephora's VIB Rouge sale may have had something to do with this). When I go out and do my make-up (primer, foundation, etc.), I have been wearing Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40. I have to say, if ever something has come close to a Holy Grail this may be it. It's a gel, so no whitcast. It does not sting or burn (I use a separate sunscreen specifically formulated for eyes by Shiseido, so don't know how the Supergoop would work there). It sets and is ready for make-up in under ten minutes. No pilling or messiness. No interference with make-up whatsoever. It has a bit of that blurring effect on my skin, acting almost like a soft focus. At my age, we want soft focus, not high def, so this makes me so happy. Really beautiful stuff, actually. And an effective, broad spectrum sunscreen. I am impressed.

When I am just staying home, I have been wearing Drunk Elephant's Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30 (quite a mouthful, huh?). I purchased the sheer version, not the tinted version, as the tinted version is simply too dark for my skin. Now, on days like today, when all I am doing is sitting at my desk, running down to the lobby to check the mail, loading up the dishwasher, etc., I will wear the Drunk Elephant sunscreen and follow that up with my beloved Giorgio Armani Luminessence CC cream. This sunscreen is a physical sunscreen (20% titanium dioxide) and therefore takes longer to set than others,* but that does not matter to me on days when I am staying home. Once set, there is no pilling or balling of make-up that I can see. It is a great value for money, does not sting or burn, has minimal whitecast (which bothers me very little, especially given how pale I am by nature), and works beautifully at protecting the skin until it is removed. Because it is a good value for money, I feel comfortable applying it liberally to my arms, hands, and neck each day.


*Do not apply make-up to your face until your sunscreen has set. It will pill, ball and look awful, and you will be removing your sunscreen, which defeats the purpose.

cubbie

Can I ask why you are using sunscreen on days when you are indoors all day, at the computer, popping down to the lobby to check the mail, loading the dishwasher, etc.?

princeville

Thanks for the reminder to use my VIB code! Since the Supergoop is a gel, I assume it's not very moisturizing? Do you put it on over serum and moisturizer?

ysolde

Oh, honey, I put it on over all my serums (vitamin C and multi-serum), moisturizer (currently Sisley's shea butter cream) and oil (three drops of Sisley's black rose oil). I'm about to turn 50, so I need all the moisturizing I can get . . .

ysolde

Sorry for the double post. Didn't see this earlier. I am quite cautious when it comes to sun exposure because I have very fair skin that always burns within a few minutes (Celtic type). I have already had skin cancer and have a history of melanoma in my family. I grew up in the Caribbean and had multiple severe sunburns (the blistery kind) as a child. Our condo unit has floor to ceiling windows, and I love the light, but am aware that even this sun exposure is a risk -- so I take precautions. I cannot undo the damage I have already done, nor do I want to live in darkness. A good sunscreen, coupled with a visit to the dermatologist twice year (sigh) is the best I can do to minimize my risk.

CDTraveler

Our experience with spray-on sunscreens was even worse. Back when my kid was little, we went to an amusement park for the day and being a dutiful parent I brought along a new bottle of suncreen. During one of the shows I sprayed it on the back of my son's neck and shoulders. Within minutes that area was bright red and he was crying and wheezing. In the first aid building the EMT and I stripped him down to his shorts and basically stuck his head under the faucet while repeatedly washing the effected area with Dawn dish liquid. I also had to give him Benadryl and was about 2 wheezes away from using an EpiPen on him.

After that I had a lengthy correspondence with the maker of the sunscreen. We finally determined it was the additives that make the stuff sprayable that he reacted to, especially after they said they'd had "multiple reports" of similar reactions. Amazingly enough, that crap stayed on the market for about 4 years before they reformulated it, but we still don't go near spray-on sunscreens.

Hoyaheel

I use sunscreen every day, all year round. I've mostly nagged my husband into the same. Even though I'm inside at a computer for my job, I get sun exposure on my 60 mile commute, walking into the office, getting the mail, etc. It's just my routine - I want to protect my skin as best I can.

We continue to love supergoop! - every year I get the big pump bottle! (I got it during a sale at the supergoop site last month). Right now on my face, I'm using Paula's Choice RESIST Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 Anti-Aging Moisturizer, Broad Spectrum Sun Protection. I had been using a tinted la roche posay but was having flaking problems - I hadn't reached the expiraton date on the bottle but maybe it was stored in heat or something? Or I just didn't like the way the texture reacted on my skin. My husband uses the supergoop all over -head, face, arms etc. I use it on the weekends on my body (I garden so am outside a lot more on weekends) During the (office) work day, I have a couple of spf 15 body lotions in my office and I'll put a little on my hands/arms if I go for a walk at lunch. I have an eye cream with spf I use for daytime too, can't remember which it is (though I have a supergoop option up next, also bought during their sale last month - last year I bought a sample pack of different products and liked the eye cream, plus their samples are a great size for travel!)

freecia

@ysolde - You may want to look into a hydrating toner and the 7 skin method prior to the serum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wTGzrBqsIk I sometimes do a few toner layers after a long flight if I don't have sheet masks/don't bother packing them. It is nice in hot & humid environments.

My physical Japanese sunscreen was discontinued (Orezo Natural by Rotho) so I picked up a small bottle of Shiseido Anessa 2018 UV Mild Milk SPF 50+ PA++++ which has some added UV filters beyond Titanium Dioxide & Zinc. It is fairly viscous for a physical sunscreen compared to the non-Asian variants which are more like creams.

Sephora - I ordered a few things during the last major sale and fulfillment was not only slow (over 5+ business days from initial order), it was missing an item which was marked fulfilled. Twitter showed a lot of similar complaints. It might be worth hitting the store in an off hour or calling in to get them to pull your order & hold.

DragonSoul

How are some of these when it comes to staining clothes? I've found some great sunscreens but at the expense of clothing.