I am known in the family as the “sunscreen Nazi.” I spent my childhood summers on the beaches of Southern California, and I’ve now spent the last 10 years trying to undo all that damage (for me, as well as a ton of other women my age who spent their childhoods worshipping the sun)– so I try very hard to make sure my children and the rest of my family are well-protected against the sun (try explaining to your 18-year old daughter that “pale” is really the new “tan”).
Every day without fail, my morning routine includes applying Epionce Active Shield SPF 30+ to my face and neck, followed by a dusting of mineral makeup (with natural SPF 20). I love Active Shield with micronized zinc oxide, homosalate and octisalate — it absorbs very well and it has just enough moisture for my oily skin that I don’t need a separate moisturizer product in the morning. The tube is only 2.5 oz though, so I generally don’t use it on the rest of my body — I use a different product to cover body parts.
We went on our first river rafting trip on the Fourth of July, and I bought several different types of my favorite body sunscreen from Neutrogena to protect the family. I purchased Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 45, along with Active Breathable Sunblock SPF 30 and Ultra Sheer Body Mist SPF 45. I was intrigued by Age Shield Face SPF 55 with Helioplex technology (a combination of Avobenzone and Octisalate which helps boost UVA protection), so I decided to try it on my face that day … Well, unfortunately by the afternoon, my eyes wouldn’t stop watering (I thought it might have been the wind on the river) — then by the drive home, I was burning and tearing and fogging up (I wear contact lenses and didn’t pack glasses like I should have). I couldn’t wait to get home, cleanse my face, and put in a new set of contacts. After I cleansed, I finally felt better. The rest of my skin was fine; in fact, I was the only one with a weird reaction to any of the sunscreens. I think it might have been the Avobenzone that irritated my eyes — it is a good broad-spectrum sunscreen ingredient, but it does tend to cause reactions in some people (never happened to me before).
So … I’m going back to my tried and true Epionce Active Shield SPF 30+ for my face … and I will stick with Neutrogena for the rest of my body.
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