If you are going to the beach this summer, bear in mind that the sunblock you use in the city—no matter how high the SPF—may not be sufficient on the beach and the great outdoors, especially if you’re into marathon and extreme sports.

 

For the beach and outdoors, you will need sunblock that has high-spectrum protection SPF+++, which covers both UVA and UVB.

 

It has to be water-resistant so it can withstand and keep out  perspiration; it must also protect you even if you are in the pool or ocean.

 

Very oily skin? That is kryptonite to sunblock and breaks it down. If you plan to do a lot of swimming or stay under the hot sun for long periods of time, you need one with high SPF and a waterproof formula that is harder to dislodge with perspiration and water and takes a lot more skin oil to make a dent.

 

Waterproof means the sunblock is thick and harder to spread and a pain to wash off; but it’s the closest thing to denim we have in terms of sun protection.

 

Why not let everyone use waterproof all summer long even for daily city use? Waterproof sunblock suffocates your skin so you will feel really warm, look ultra-greasy and get clogged pores. It also hurts the eyes and has a thick whitish cast that messes up foundation. It also has this strong plastic odor that is off-putting.

 

So stick to high-SPF, water-resistant sunblock for use at work, home and running errands.

 

Some recommended waterproof  sunblock brands for outdoor sports and prolonged stints on the beach are Beach Hut SPF 100, Nivea Sport SPF 50, Belo SPF60, VMV Armada Sport SPF 70 and Banana Boat SPF 70.

 

For city use, recommended brands are VMV Armada SPF 45-60 (waterproof but very matte and odor-free) and Celeteque SPF Range (SPF 50 and Matte sunblock SPF 30; even if I consider it having low SPF at 30, it soaks up grease, hides my pores and acts as an excellent primer for my foundation).

 

Limit the SPF 30 to indoor affairs like hotels, offices and houses.

 

For facial use only, recommended is Lancome UV Expert GN Shield SPF 50+++, which lasts for 12 hours and doubles as makeup base, giving you perfect and subtly lighter skin.

 

I also use Nivea DNAge SPF 50 for my face, neck, décolletage and back of hands to repair and prevent skin from sagging.

 

SunPlay SPF 130 is also great for the face: It does not feel thick and heavy. But it breaks down so it’s too weak for the beach or needs to be applied generously every 90 minutes.  I reserve this for my face, neck and back of hands when outside on a sunny day.  Also try Sunplay’s SPF  50 with powder finish so skin looks velvety matte and whiter. Sunplay SPF 65 has a cooling effect so you don’t feel like you are roasting.

 

What do I put on my face and neck under sunblock before night cream? Skin brightening/whitening serum that repairs the damage.

 

Even if you use an SPF 100 there are still some rays that manage to penetrate the weakened shield, hence the slight skin-darkening and the freckles. When properly applied and reapplied every two to three hours, sunblock will block most rays, but some still slip through the cracks.

 

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