Favorite sunscreens

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am super duper pale. In fact in a recent photo, my entire face got blurred by the flash of the camera mixed with my bright white skin. #storyofmylife

Anyway, because I'm so pale, I use sunscreen all the time and have tried a lot of different kinds. I've rounded up three of my all-time favorites to share. All of these can be found at the drugstore and are about $10 each. Don't waste your money on high-end sunscreen. There are plenty of oil free, non-greasy options at the drugstore that work just as well, and are 1/5 of the price.

Let's get started.

Coppertone Oil Free Sunscreen Lotion

My favorite sunscreen ever. This is perfect for people with sensitive skin. It's not greasy at all, and is oil free, fragrance free and hypoallergenic. And it's broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection - something that should be a must when looking for sunscreen. I get the SPF 30 kind, and it's gentle enough to use on my face too.

Here's what the marketing stuff on the bottle says:

- Oil free, fragrance free, hypoallergenic
- Broad spectrum, UVA/UVB protectoin, with photostabilized Avobenzone <-- I have absolutely no idea what that is. Hopefully nothing that's slowly killing me.
- Helps prevent premature skin aging from the sun
- Won't clog pores or cause breakouts
- Waterproof, PABA-free
- Light, non-greasy formula absorbs quickly

Banana Boat Ultra Defense Sheer Protect

I tried this sunscreen because Target was out of the Coppertone one I usually buy and this seemed like the closest thing. The formula is a little liquidy - is that a word? I don't think so - but it rubs in easily and is really moisturizing so I don't mind it. It's not greasy and perhaps it's just me buying into what's written on the label, but it feels like it's doing good things for your skin. Again, I got this in SPF 30.

What the Banana Boat people say:

- Water resistant (80 minutes) - It doesn't say waterproof because Banana Boat is already converting to the new sunscreen labeling laws which don't allow use of the word "waterproof." Here is an overview of the guidelines from Refinery 29 - one of my favorite sites. Bookmark it if you don't read it already - you won't regret it.
- Lightweight and hydrating
- Broad spectrum
- Antioxidant vitamin E
- Hydrating formula
- Oil and fragrance free - Even though this says it's fragrance free, to me it definitely smells like sunscreen - but I like that smell so it doesn't bother me. Perhaps it's the aloe vera in it.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock

I bought this last year because I wanted to try a more luxurious sunscreen and was willing to spend a little more money on it. You get 3 fl oz for about $10 - with the Coppertone and Banana Boat kinds mentioned above, you get 8 fl oz for the same price. For me, I don't think it's worth the extra money, but if you like Neutrogena and want to splurge a little, this definitely is a good product.

You really have to work to get this one rubbed in (that sounds really inappropriate), but once it is, it feels like there is absolutely nothing on your skin. I have this in SPF 45, and since my bottle is almost empty, recently I've just been using it just on my face to give a little more protection.

Time for marketing talk:

- Lightweight, clean feel
- Fast absorbing
- Leaves skin soft and smooth
- Waterproof, sweatproof
- Won't clog pores
- Oil free
- PABA free

Oh! One last thing about this. Because this comes in a 3 fl oz bottle, it's great for throwing in a carry on for a weekend trip. I took this to Atlanta and didn't get a bit of color. Success!

A few words about spray sunscreens:

More and more when shopping for sunscreen, it seems like most of the options available are spray versions. Personally, I'm not a fan. I just don't see how you can get good coverage from something where half the product ends up flying around in the air.

I do own a couple spray sunscreens, though, that I use only for re-applying frequently throughout the day. I always start out with sunscreen lotion, and then use the spray kind if I'm at the beach or an amusement park - or anywhere I don't want to have to re-apply lotion. I just make sure to spray the product very carefully and rub it in with my hands afterward.

So if you're in the market for new sunscreen, I recommend trying out one of the three above. No matter what kind of sunscreen you use, just make sure you use it. And re-apply! You are not going to get away with putting on sunscreen in the morning and then spending 8 hours in the sun. You will burn. Trust me.

Use a lot and use it often. Your skin will thank you and you'll be happy you don't look like an old leather handbag in ten years.

Disclaimer so I don't get locked up: All opinions are my own.

Congratulations! You're super pale!

I am pale. Really...really...pale.  And I get a lot of comments from other people about it. You say that my legs are ghostly? Really? I thought I was super dark! Thanks for setting me straight. Phew!

To me, tanning – whether it’s in a tanning bed or outside – is kind of like smoking. I get why years ago before people knew what it really does to you, it was popular. But now, we know it’s terrible for your health, and it just doesn’t make sense to me to do it.

I didn’t always think this way. In fact, in high school, I worked at a hair/tanning salon and would tan in the beds myself. I liked the golden glow I got from it – it does make you look skinnier, and I certainly loved to have nice tan skin in the summer for all my mini summer clothes. But now it’s just not worth it to me – for a number of reasons.

Beyond not wanting to turn into an old leathery woman, when I was 18, I had my first check with my dermatologist for skin cancer. I had noticed a small spot on my chest that hadn’t been there before, and it worried me. Turns out I was right to be worried - it was pre-cancerous and had to be removed. I never tanned again – not in a tanning bed, not outside, nothing.

Six years later, after getting skin checks every six months and being diligent about my sunscreen use, my dermatologist found a cancerous spot on my back. This time, I had to have actual surgery for it, and now have a three-inch pretty nasty scar on my left shoulder blade to remember it by.

One of the most annoying things is when people who don’t know me very well try to give me tips on how I can get tan in the sun without being burned. They see that I am pale and immediately tell me “you need to get some sun.” Do I? How would you like some cancer?

For some people, they can get tan all of their lives and never have a problem. But those people are few and far between. I refuse to risk my life to be tan – especially when I can get the same look from a bottle (I don’t self tan often, but when I feel like I do want some color, I'm pretty good at not turning myself orange or splotchy. Nailed it!)

I know that until I was actually faced with the fact that getting a tan was damaging my health, I thought I could get away with it – and I think that’s what most people who still tan think too. No one wants to give up having fun outside, going to the beach or enjoying the summer, but you don’t have to bake yourself to a crisp in the process.

Just visit a dermatologist, and in your first five minutes in the waiting room, you’ll see what too much unprotected time in the sun does to people. The number of bandages over fresh wounds on patients’ faces from removing spots will make you think twice.

It's pretty easy to be safe in the sun:

      1. Wear sunscreen whenever you will be exposed to the sun. Not that Hawaiian Tropic Golden Tanning Lotion SPF 6 stuff (which was my go to as a teen - it's basically coconut scented baby lotion). Get real waterproof, SPF 30 or higher sunscreen lotion. You can find really good, non-greasy kinds at Target or the drugstore.

      2. Try out self tanning products. There are so many good options and if you know how to apply it correctly, you can look like you just came from the beach and not get heat stroke in the process.

      3. Never ever go into a tanning bed. Just don’t even think about it.

Next week, I’ll have a post on my favorite sunscreens. I’ve tried so many, and I have three go-to picks.

Enjoy frolicking safely in the sun!

Disclaimer so I don't get locked up: All opinions are my own.