travel blog, minus the bull$hit

I know, I know. We all love the sun (except maybe for my Asian aunties out there with your sun visors and umbrellas…but they have a fair reason for that!) Presently, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends the use of broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at the very least 30 for photoprotection.¹ The tip is to apply sunscreen generously and ideally 15-30 minutes prior to sun exposure.² Water-resistant sunscreen should always be explored as needed!

Don’t worry if you end up buying a whole bunch of different brands to try out- the US FDA regulates sunscreen as a drug due to the drug claims of reducing skin cancer, anti-aging, and sunburn prevention. The FDA requires sunscreen to be stable for at least 3 years, with appropriate stability data available for review.³

Long story short, put on some damn sunscreen. And don’t forget to patch test if you have sensitive skin!

My skin type: dry, eczema

Sunscreen preference: REEF. SAFE.

Some of the links on this page are affiliated links wherein I may receive a commission when items are purchased through my affiliate links. #CommissionsEarned

Beauty of Joseon

My latest holy grail from the K-beauty world. But unfortunately these are also not waterproof/resistant so I would not recommend for my water babies out there.

Relief Sun SPF50

• I’ve been wearing this pretty much everyday lately- it’s enriched with 30% rice extract and grain-derived probiotics and I have no idea what that means but this stuff is MOISTURIZING. If my skin wasn’t so damn dry all the time from living in the Bay, I might even use this as a 2-in-1 moisturizer/sunscreen.
  • Yesstyle – cheapest option, I like to get the 2 pack (code: MAYBEKRYS1)
  • Beauty of Joseon
  • Amazon

Matte Sun Stick SPF50

• Glides over makeup quite well, gives a nice matte finish and smoothens skin with mugwort and green tea extracts
  • Yesstyle (code: MAYBEKRYS1)
  • Beauty of Joseon
  • Amazon

Supergoop!

This brand has a GORGEOUS line of sunscreen products that can cover you from head to toe! Also, they’re sweat/water-resistant for 40 minutes! Just in time for a quick reapplication after resurfacing from a good ole scuba dive. Here’s a list of what I personally use:

Body: PLAY Everyday Lotion SPF 50

• Glides on just like normal body lotion, with a lovely sunflower scent to it. Since this container is pretty large (Don really bought me the value size to “save money” LOL), I prefer to repackage mine into a smaller travel container – I use this airless pump jar I bought off of Amazon. I go through my products fairly quickly and only fill up as much as I think I’d need so I personally don’t have major concerns over stability in relation to product containers.
  • Supergoop
  • Sephora
  • Amazon

Face: Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

• Holy grail for when I’m about to hit the water or when I’m in my natural habitat (tropical weather)- this sunscreen pretty much doubles as a make-up primer due to the silicone added to it making it a perfect pair with foundation.
  • Supergoop
  • Sephora
  • Amazon

Lips: Lipscreen Sheer SPF 30

• Yes. Lips too. Smells great although I personally find the taste of this lipscreen a bit odd, but others find it minty and refreshing! Considering my lips are almost always chapped, I do pair this with a lip balm/gloss.
  • Supergoop
• I think this is exclusive only to the Supergoop! website. Another great option would be the PLAY Lip Balm SPF30 that has fantastic reviews
  • Supergoop
  • Amazon

Face retouch: (Re) Setting Refreshing Mist SPF 40

• I like to keep a mini size of this in my bag at all times, if not a sun stick. Easy SPF touch up if you want to stay handsfree/want to ensure your make up doesn’t budge at all
  • Supergoop
  • Sephora
  • Amazon

Shiseido

Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50+

• I’ve been using this sunstick since maybe 2017 or 2018, and found it incredibly odd when it was suddenly always out of stock at Sephora… then I found out it went viral on TikTok. I was livid. Girlboss, gaslight, gatekeep. Emphasis on the GATEKEEP. But it’s too late for that now. Here’s the holy grail of my youth. Glides on great over make up and is water resistant!
  • Sephora
  • Ulta
  • Amazon

TOCOBO

Cotton Soft Sun Stick

• Definitely one of the up and rising K-beauty sun sticks out there! More of a matte finish, but also moisturizing in a way. I would be weary of applying this over make up. This is also not water resistant.
  • Yesstyle (code: MAYBEKRYS1)

Some of the links on this page are affiliated links wherein I may receive a commission when items are purchased through my affiliate links. #CommissionsEarned

Citations:

1. Sunscreen FAQs. Des Plaines (IL): American Academy of Dermatology Association; 2020. Available: www.aad.org/media/stats-sunscreen (accessed 2020 Aug. 16)
2. Sander M, Sander M, Burbidge T, Beecker J. The efficacy and safety of sunscreen use for the prevention of skin cancer. CMAJ. 2020 Dec 14;192(50):E1802-E1808. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.201085. PMID: 33318091; PMCID: PMC7759112.
3. [43 FR 45077, Sept. 29, 1978, as amended at 46 FR 56412, Nov. 17, 1981; 60 FR 4091, Jan. 20, 1995]

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