Sunscreen Face Powder

EELHOE

Dermatologists have long recommended wearing sunscreen all year around — spring, summer, fall, and winter including cloudy days — wherever the sun touches our naked skin. Sunscreen prevents skin cancer and premature aging. Below I'll link several prior blogs detailing the importance of wearing sunscreen.

Hydra

It's simple to apply lotions with sunscreen before leaving home in dry seasons, but not as much in hot, humid July or August, especially on your face where you don't want to shine. Also when out and about, it can be challenging to reapply sun protection every few hours as advised.

Both issues can easily be resolved by using mineral face powder with sun protection. Various brands come in different SPF factors and price points. You can also get sunscreen face powders in tinted or untinted formulas. The SPF should block UVA and UVB rays. Ultraviolet A (UVA) has a longer wavelength. It causes skin aging. Ultraviolet B (UVB) has a shorter wavelength. It causes skin burning and cancer.

Colorscience

• SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays
• SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays 
• SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays 

Skin doctors often recommend using SPF 30 because they know many people don't reapply their sunscreen as they should. The SPF 30 offers slightly more protection than SPF 15, but you must reapply all sunscreen every 2 hours.

Moreover note that mineral powder sunscreens are not meant to replace traditional lotion sunscreen, which you need to slather on fairly thick when spending time outdoors in the sun. Then use the powder to reapply on top of makeup while away from home.  

The wand mineral screen powder can be shaken (to get the powder to the brush) and applied with a brush stroke while the Physicians Formula compact comes with a mini brush stored in a separate compartment. All fit inside a purse or pocket.

Hawaiian Tropic and Physicians Formula

You can take the wands or compact case with you wherever you go! Reapplying face sun protection just got less messy and more convenient. The power protects wherever you use it, but of course, due to the small quantity of the product, it's more practical for your face.

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Supergoop Dupe: Trader Joe's Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40

Supergoop, featured here on THE SAVVY SHOPPER is the legendary sunscreen known for its ultra-effective sun-shielding ingredients and hailed for its oil-free non-greasy, invisible application. Although it isn't chemical-free, dermatologists universally love and recommend it. Selling for $36 for a 1.7-ounce tube -- cheap it isn't, which matters when you should use sun protection generously every day of the year.

Universally dermatologists are also loving and praising Trader Joe's Daily Facial Sunscreen SPF 40 as an excellent dupe costing much less at $9 for 1.7 ounces. Both sunscreens pass the invisibility test. Both are SPF 40. Both are water-resistant for up to 40 minutes. There is a slight texture difference -- Supergoop is more matt, yet perhaps not significantly so to pay the difference. Trader Joe's dupe is creamier, a tad heavier which some people in side-by-side face comparisons like -- therefore it boils down to personal preferences and what you want to pay.

A few YouTube dermatologists describe Trader Joe's dupe as shockingly similar and the best dupe to the original product they've ever tried. The consensus is to run to Trader Joe's before it sells out.

A legitimate question to ask is why do skin doctors approve of the chemical ingredient sunscreens? Because chemical sunscreens tend to be lighter, silkier, and disappear into the skin better than mineral-based sunscreens. They reason the best sunscreen is the one people will use daily because they like its lightness. 

Conclusion: Save, don't splurge. Buy Trader Joe's dupe for this everyday sunscreen essential.

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Supergoop Sunscreen In A Super Size

Summer isn't over till we say it's over! While enjoying the last of our balmy weather don't forget the sunscreen. To protect our exposed skin from the sun's harmful rays, cancer experts tell us to apply the amount of a shot glass (or one ounce) of sunscreen on our bodies and about 1/2 - 1/3 of a teaspoon on our faces, ears, and necks, then reapply it every 2 hours. Like many other people, I don't use as much sunscreen as I should and forget to reapply it during the day. What's more, sometimes I wonder how a diligent family of 4 has enough sunscreen to follow the recommendations of skin doctors to prevent skin cancer.

As it turns out, one brand sells its sunscreen in the super size families with children (and perhaps friends who came along) would need for a day in the sun.

In 2007 Holly Thaggard developed Supergoop to provide sunscreen for the public school system of San Antonio, Texas. Supergoop is suitable for the face and body plus comes in several formulas and sizes, not just a super-size, so customers can buy the quantity they need. 

The original SuperGoop Play formula with SPF 50 is hydrating, fast-absorbing, as well as, water and sweat-resistant (for up to 80 minutes). There is also an Unseen SPF 40 sunscreen that is 100% invisible and scentless. The brand's expanded line includes other sun-protecting products such as sunscreen powders, glow moisturizing face creams, as well as, accessories like sun hats.

Here are a few cold, hard facts and statistics on skin cancer. They are good reasons to try to prevent it. 

Nowadays sunscreen isn't greasy on the skin. Tubes of sunscreen are effective for up to 3 years and then should be tossed out. Sun protection should be applied to our faces and exposed skin every day of the year (winter and rainy days included). With the proper protection, skin cancer is a preventable cancer.

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Anti-Aging Beauty To Put On Your Radar: 3 Products For Daytime

As readers know, a focus of THE SAVVY SHOPPER is to find over-the-counter skincare that really works, i.e., serums and moisturizers which contain all the potent anti-aging ingredients medical science says are effective for less. Not every product is dirt cheap, yet when sold at retailers like Target, Walmart, Ultra, local drugstores, and Amazon, you can take advantage of deals to further lower the cost of already well-priced products. When you see the 2-for-1 deals and markdowns, etc., it's the time to pounce!

The following are 3 Anti-Aging Skincare Items For Your Daytime regiment:

1) Roc Multi Correxion Revive + Daily Glow Vitamin C -  Forumated with 10% vitamin C to brighten and tighten skin. Dermatologists tell us the only true serum we need for our daytime skincare routine is a vitamin C serum with the right combination of other ingredients like vitamin E to help the vitamin C work better. As we age the production of our collagen and skin cell turnover slows down. A potent vitamin C blend used daily helps to speed it up again! The serum is all you really need to buy but in winter some customers may like to apply a heavier cream formula to fight dry skin.

The next 2 recommendations are for 2 sunscreens -- our numero ono, most important, bar none, anti-aging skincare potion. The skin doctors recommend wearing sunscreen every day of the year: summer days, sunny days, autumn days, winter days, snowy days, spring days, and rainy days. Why is something like the sun's golden rays that feels so good so aging to the skin especially noticeable on our face where we don't want lines, wrinkles, and age spots? It just is! 

It's vital to let 15 minutes of the sun hit our skin about twice a week for the very necessary production of vitamin D for our overall good health, yet if the sun hits the area of my face, personally I react like the Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West as she is melting because she got hit with a bucket of water! To avoid the drama and public spectacle, I take the preventative step of wearing visors and hats outdoors in summer for the purpose of shielding my face from the sun, averting the alarm followed by a meltdown; and no one is the wiser!😉

2) Cocokind Daily SPF 32 - A mineral-based sunscreen that uses non-nano zinc oxide; protects against UVA and UVB rays; defends skin against blue light and pollution; plus is lightweight and non-greasy.

3) Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen 30+ (or 50+) Sensitive Skin - A mineral sunscreen containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide offering both UVA and UVB protection for sensitive skin. The formula goes on white yet turns invisible as you rub it into your skin. Sun protection of 30 is plenty. What is important with sun protection is reapplying sunscreen every few hours. The dangers of the higher numbers include they don't provide much more or greater protection to the degree people think, and people then don't reapply sunscreen as often as they should. This brand is also water-resistant.

Knowledge (equipped with plenty of elixir choices) is a consumer's best friend in finding the best deals. You'll know which brands are stellar and recognize a good price. So put these 3 additional beauty products on your radar for daytime use.  When the price is right, try them!

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The most effective anti-aging product on the market today also prevents skin cancer and sunburns.  Can you guess what it is?  If you said, sunscreen, you're absolutely right.  And with summer fast approaching, you should apply a shot-glass portion (or 2 tablespoons) of it on your exposed skin every two hours throughout a sunny day.  Most of us don't reapply sunscreens as we should. And with so many brands available, which one should you choose?  Well believe it or not, it's not always the fancy, overpriced variety that offers the most protection.  Fortunately for consumers, two of the sunscreens rated best, are store brands and relatively inexpensive: 

Consumer Reports tested 12 sunscreens and found 4 to be superior.  The top performers all (1) provided great UVA and UVB protection, (2) were water-resistant and (3) met their SPF claims.  Other considerations included (4) smell and (5) greasiness.  The top 4 were judged to be pleasantly scented and left little residue on the skin.

They are:
Target's Up & Up Sport Continuous SPF 30. - It's a spray and costs $0.88 per ounce.
Walgreens' Sport Continuous SPF 50. - Also a spray.  Cost $1.33 per ounce.
Banana Boat Sport Performance Continuous SPF 30 - A spray. Cost $1.60 per ounce.
Aveeno Continuous Protection SPF 50 - A spray. Cost $2.00 an ounce.

Most dermatologists agree on the following:  Sunbathing is bad.  When you do go out, wear protective clothing and hats.  Buy sunscreens with an SPF of at least 30.  Get a formula that's water-resistant.  Consumer Reports says the ingredient avobenzone absorbs more UVA radiation than do alternatives like titanium dioxide.

And I'll add, make sure your sun protection smells and feels good to you so you will wear it.

Now for a confession:  Although doctors say a SPF 30 is best, I sometimes use SPF 15 because it's not as thick or greasy.  My favorite is Oil of Olay lotion for sensitive skin, with SPF 15 and UVA and UVB protection. I also like Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 30 and Walgreens Sensitive Skin Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70+. None of these made Consumer Reports' Top 4.

Here's my reasoning for using the SPF 15: If your skin will burn in 10 minutes in the afternoon sun without any sun protection, and you applied a sunscreen with an SPF 15, you have 15 x 10, or 150 minutes (2.5 hours) before you'll burn. This still seems like good coverage to me.

The Percentage of Protection from damaging UV rays that you get by increasing the SPF is:

SPF 15 = 93%

SPF 30 = 97%

SPF 50 = 98% – So this one isn't worth the extra money, but when you get value buy it.

So friends, SPF 30 rules. Listen to your doctor to be safe. Enjoy the easy, breezy, long days ahead.

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City Gardener Extraordinaire