Last June, our editor Alana rounded up some of our favorite sunscreens in a big review. Along with a new year have come some truly lovely additions to our sun protection family, which we’ve described below.

Sunscreen to me is worth a solid investment, but I know how hard it can be to find the right one. Because of this, I decided to dedicate the past several weeks to finding the perfect sunscreen from the Amazingy range. I tested them out to determine which one could be my summer saviour and cover all my sunscreen needs.

Every morning on a freshly washed face I sampled a selection of sun- creams, oils, gels, tint and moisturiser. What I looked for, was a sunscreen that provided adequate sun protection for my face, back of hands, upper chest and neck. To pass my test it couldn’t be too greasy, couldn’t appear white, and couldn’t feel as if it was caked on. I like my sunscreen to feel nourishing and sit nicely under my daily make up, which for me is powdered bronzer and blush, mascara, eyeliner and an eyebrow pencil. For my body, I usually use a sunscreen that doesn’t leave white marks or is too drying. I like it to be moisturising to the skin, and if it leaves a nice shiny glow and smells good, even better!

I have an olive tone, combination skin, and freckles. For me, this means I need a sunscreen that’s not too greasy or drying to the skin, non-whitening, but at the same time gives enough sun protection factor (SPF) to prevent my freckles from darkening and my skin getting damaged. I prefer to go for non-toxic and natural sunscreen. They’re better for me, and of course better for the environment. If you’d like to learn more about the ingredients in sunscreen and how they work, continue reading here.

While there is a sizeable difference between a SPF daily moisturiser and a SPF 50+ water resistant sunscreen, I aimed to find a nice balance that could work for me in my daily routine; while riding my bike, working indoors or spending my lunch break outside. I didn’t include for times spent hanging on the beach. I based my opinion on how it felt and looked on my face and body and how it went with my skin type and tone. If you’re not sure what your skin type is, take the test, and to find out what your skin undertone might be, check this article.

Eco Cosmetic’s Natural Sun Oil SPF 30

The oil that comes out of the convenient spray bottle is relatively thick and the type of oil I would usually be hesitant to apply to my face. Even though it left a shine at first, I was surprised as to how quickly it was absorbed. I only needed a small amount that I massaged in, which gave a good coverage over my face, neck and chest. I had to wait before applying make up, but once applied, it felt nice and breathable to my face and actually worked as a nice primer to my lightweight makeup. Judging by how little I used, it would seem this small bottle would go a long way. I probably wouldn’t use it as a daily sun oil for my face, but the nice smell and slight yellow tinge to the oil gave it a summery feel.

Eco Cosmetic’s Neutral Sun Lotion SPF 50 – perfume free

While it goes on white and has a greasy feeling to it, this lotion absorbs quite fast, leaving a shine-free, non-whitening matte finish. However, it was drying to my face and felt as though it was sitting between the lines on my face and, thus, overemphasising my (oh gawd) creases. The reason; this lotion is not a moisturiser; it’s primarily a sunscreen, and a SPF 50 at that! Since I felt the need for more moisture I mixed it up with Eco’s sun oil and massaged the oil under and around the corners of my eye. There was still no question that I could feel I had a cream on my face, but it gave a nice even finish and sat nicely under my make up. For the high sun protection factor it contains, this lotion would be great for a day spent out doors, but it would be over-doing it if you were just going to the office.

Eco Cosmetic’s Transparent Facial Sun Gel SPF 30

As a gel, its smears on with an oily feeling, which I found a bit heavy for my face, but at the same time it felt highly nourishing and moisturizing. Like Eco Cosmetic’s sun oil, you only need to use a small amount. Make sure to spend the time working it into the skin to get good coverage and to ensure it is well absorbed. It has a nice fresh citrus fragrance and gives a healthy glowing shine to the skin. The nourishing denseness of the gel felt better when applied to my body than to my face. It might be more suitable for normal to dry skin than it was for my combination slightly oily skin on the T-zone during summer time.

Kimberly Sayer’s Ultra Light Facial Moisturiser

This lightweight moisturiser comes with the added bonus of being SPF 30. It features a delicious lemony scent and is breathable, quickly absorbing into the skin. It is non greasy, leaving the skin soft and moisturised. Even though I don’t have acne prone or overly oily skin, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it balanced out my skin. It was the right amount of moisture my face needed before applying my make up. I applied a generous amount to my face, back of hands and neck. Judging from the 120ml size pump bottle, I suspect I would work my way though the bottle quite quickly. Others say it just the right amount of ml for the whole summer period before they switch to a richer moisturiser for the fall. I’ll admit, the sweet lemon scent makes you want to apply more!

Kimberly Sayer Anti-Oxidant Daily Moisturizing Cream SPF 30

Unlike the ultra light facial moisturiser, the daily moisturiser is a thick cream that applies as a heavy base on the skin. It’s meant for dry, sensitive, and normal skin. It feels very moisturising and also comes with a SPF 30. While some parts of my face do tend toward dryness, I felt it was too heavy for my face (but certainly would do wonders for those with drier skin). It has a pleasant lavender smell and comes in a small tub. However, I personally favour a pump bottle, as I prefer not to dip my fingers into a product.

Eco by Sonya All Natural Sunscreen SPF 30+

A natural coconut based sunscreen, which also gives it a delicious smell. It’s rich in zinc, water resistant, non-greasy, and highly sun protective – which also means this suncscreen goes on white. While the initial white paste does fade to become more neutral looking, it was still too noticeable for my olive tone skin.
Note: Avoid putting on eyebrows and too close to the hair line, I made this mistake and it stuck to my hairs leaving an extra whitening look.

Because it was so whitening I experimented with mixing the sunscreen and coconut oil: Since it’s already coconut based, I saw no harm, and it worked surprisingly well! It didn’t leave a single white mark and my skin felt moisturised and gave it a nice glow when I stood in the sun – so it’s worth considering using this product like this. Plus coconut oil itself has a SPF 8 and will also make the tube go a lot further.

I couldn’t apply my powder-makeup straight after and even after waiting for it to absorb I still felt like there was a layer between my make up and my face. Even with the addition of coconut oil, I probably wouldn’t use it on my face everyday, unless I was planning on spending the day in the sun, doing sports, or heading to a lake or beach. Note: I don’t know if mixing the coconut oil makes this product less water resistant.

Exciting New Arrivals

While the sunscreens above were reviewed by our lovely health editor Alana, you’ll have to trust me (Emma) for most recent addition recaps.

Alga Maris Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30

This sunscreen I actually reviewed on my vacation in Thailand. I honestly had no complaints. It felt like a high end product: it was effective, attractive, and smelled lovely. I have to be honest and say that I love this coconut based brand. Everything they sell smells so delicious and goes on so smoothly, not too heavy. They proudly carry the title of being the first cosmetics line to contain the extremely powerful antioxidant property of Alga-gorria (an active principle derived from red algae). Apparently, this algae-fueled super antioxidant contains 13 times more power than it’s counterpart. Combine that with a nourishing mineral filter and you’ll be strapped to find a better product on the market. The product line also includes a special face sunscreen, a sunscreen for children, a sun screen spray (trust me these are convenient), and an after sun balm which is truly to die for. Alga maris, you’ve got a friend in me.

Soleo Organics – All Natural Sunscreen

This product is hot off the press, the most recent arrival to the Amazingy family. It is quite something too, coming to us all the way from the ever-sunny Austrailia. It is organically produced, with 100% natural contents and 100% biodegradable ingredients. The packaging is made from, you guessed it, 100% recycled materials. OK, so it looks like the kind of thing that is going to be quite heavy duty so I was initially quite intimidated. Turns out, the contents are gentle and entirely unthreatening. The thick white cream blends like magic–I thought I would have to be rubbing for ages but before I knew it, it was all gone. The bottle is a tad pricy, but it is a very generous amount that is sure to last you quite some time.

Final wrap

These are the sunscreens that I found worked well on my particular skin type, but it is different for everyone. If you have fairer skin, dryer, darker, or tend towards an oilier complexion, it will differ how each sunscreen sits and reacts with your skin. It also comes down to the simple matter of personal preference, of course.

It’s important to bear in mind that even with SPF on, you can still burn and risk premature skin ageing. Avoid the sun at noon, stay in the shade, wear a hat and sunglasses to prevent crow feet. Choosing to wear loose, light, and bright clothes made out of fine cotton, linen or silk will help to keep the sun’s rays at bay. Making a habit of these fashionable choices will not only prevent sun damage but will also stop the sun from heating up your skin. Sunscreen should be viewed only as additional protection.

I hope you find this useful and that it helps you to make the (tough) decision of what sunscreen to use this summer. What is your favourite sunscreen? Let us know!

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