Ombrelle Face Cream

Sunscreens by the Ombrelle brand are most recommended by dermatologists for one reason: they have a nice cocktail of sun-blocking ingredients so that the sunscreen stays stable and therefore effective. When you buy an Ombrelle product, you know that you are getting something that really works, and perhaps even works better than the next sunscreen out there.

The key in this case? Mexoryl, that crazy hyped ingredient, partly because the F.D.A. hadn't approved it in the U.S.A. It's also in Anthelios, which goes for a killing on Ebay and whenever I have family over from the States, they stock up on sunscreen.

However, though the Ombrelle Face Cream provides stellar protection against the sun, I found it to be kind of greasy and I would only recommend it to those people who have very dry skin. I ended up wearing foundation and powder over this anyway, but that wouldn't have worked if I brought this sunscreen along on vacation. Keep that in mind!

Banana Boat Sunscreen

Here's the thing: I used to wear Banana Boat Sunscreen all the time, mainly because it was so easy to find and I would sometimes even buy it when I was on vacation. At the time, it was heavily scented, and kind of greasy so eventually I grew tired of it and moved on.

But recently, my attention's been drawn back to Banana Boat and it's all because of their new Dri-Blok technology which absolutely rocks.

I've tried a version for kids and a the sport version, and both are awesome. Of course, the sunblock starts out as a lotion but as you rub it into your skin it basically does turn powdery until you can't even feel or see it on your skin. It's just a dry matte finish and thank goodness because I don't want to look like I've smeared myself in sunscreen.

Plus, I know that I'm not the only one that feels this way - I went on a picnic with a friend and she complained that the only reason she didn't wear sunscreen was because it was just way too greasy! Well she's not complaining about that anymore thanks to me and Banana Boat!

You can find Banana Boat products and grocery and drugstores everywhere!

Sun-Protection

These days I'm using Biotherm Sun-Protection Ultra-Fluid Body Milk in SPF 30 and quite like it because it despite being a light and lovely milk, it is quite moisturizing!


What I'm loving is that it literally makes my skin glow and I know that I'm not going to encounter any dry skin while I use this. There's no white residue or any kind of weird change in skin colour, so that's definitely a good thing as well. Enjoy this, especially if you don't like putting on moisturizer and then sun protection.

Fine Mist

Every morning I've been spraying myself with ROC Minsol Protect sunscreen spray.


It has the finest spray that I've ever seen, and it smells really nice. Not like regular sunscreen, but more like vanilla or some kind of sweet treat. It dries really quickly and leaves your skin perfectly protected. It really is express and with a spray there's really no reason not to protect yourself from the sun.

Coppertone Sport

I know that some of you liked my little tip of using cleansing cloths on your feet, and so hot on the heels of that, here's another unconventional use of a conventional product.

Although I'm pretty good at keeping up at moisturizing and the like, sometimes I just don't have time and I need to rush out the door.

This happens a lot in the summer. I get dressed, get ready to put on my favourite sandals, look down and realize that my feet a really dry and don't look sandal-ready. What do I do?

I grab my Coppertone Sport Continuous Spray sunscreen and spray it all over my feet.

You're probably thinking that this is kind of weird, but it's actually kind of genius!

Why sunscreen? Because my feet always get too tan and they're the part that you forget about anyway.

Why a spray? Because it's easy and it dries super-fast.

Why sport? Because I think that it's the only thing that can stand up to the heat and sweat that my feet might be subjected to.

Put this on your dresser or near your front door - trust me, you'll be using it more than you think and with just a 10 second spray, your feet look more moisturized and you will look put together.

Sunscreen for Your Face

I have been receiving many emails from readers asking me to recommend a sunscreen for their visage. Some of you may be wondering why you even need a different sunscreen for your face, and the answer is that sunscreens that are formulated especially for the face are often less greasy, stay on better, and tend not to wash our your complexion. They will probably also work better with any makeup you choose to wear on top.

At Skinovation, I picked up a sunscreen by Elta MD Skincare. I had never heard of the brand but they make suncare products just for your face.

I have to say that I really love the texture and feel of this sunscreen. It's oil-free and sets to a matte finish. If you're looking for something that's specifically for your face and you have oily or combination skin, you should try this sunscreen.

Biotherm Face Protection

I've also tried Biotherm Sun Protection. It's a nice lotion and more moisturizing than the Elta.
I use it on the days that my skin feels a little drier and I'm not wearing much makeup.

Suncare... an Introduction

Once again, I've been looking through what you're interested in reading about and I've seen an overwhelming number of requests for suncare and summer-related products! I think we're all so sick of the winter that it's more fun to dream about the months ahead. As I was telling a friend today: "We're in mid-February, which means it's almost March, which means it's almost June!" Glad to know that I'm not the only one who's optimistic.

And now for the only time I'll use full caps on this blog:

DO NOT GO SUN TANNING!

There, I said it.

Yes, suntanning causes cancer, but it's also most responsible for skin-aging. Yes, if you suntan you will look older than you really are. That means wrinkles, loss of firmness, liver spots, and discolouration. And right now there is no topical or invasive product that can reverse sun damage. None.

Want to know how bad it could be? Take a look at Rachel Zoe who admits to be a sun worshipper. She claims to be 35, and despite the fact that she probably knocked a few years off her real age and had some kind of work done too, the wrinkles on her face make her look not a day younger than 55. I still think that she's pretty - but I don't want wrinkles like that before my time. (Actually, I don't want wrinkles ever.)

Of course, outdoor activities are fun and it's impossible to really avoid the sun at all costs, but it is possible to protect yourself from sun damage and change your habits to preserve your own health and looks.

I recently learned that doctors are finding incidents of skin damage and skin cancer in younger patients. Sun damage usually takes about 20 years to show, which means that there are more teens who are abusing their skin and they're doing it so badly that the damage is showing up more quickly.

It's a scary thought that you could have skin cancer at the age of 35, isn't it?

Can you imagine being that old and going through chemotherapy or radiation treatments? Because that's what could happen if your skin cancer goes undetected, as it might since those who are young usually don't screen for telltale signs of cancer.

I'll be talking about good sunscreens and other sun-related products soon. Until then - weigh in on this poll. Do you suntan? Have you stopped suntanning recently? What do you think about all this? Leave a comment if you'd like to elaborate on your answer or weigh in.

It's Never Too Late

... it's never too late to buy sunscreen, that is. I just picked this up. That's right La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 60! I was using Neutrogena's Spray which was only SPF 30 but I found that it wasn't giving me the sun protection I needed and I got concerned once I realized that I could be inhaling the spray. (It was hard to hold my breath the whole time I thought the sunscreen was in the air.) So I used most of it and chucked the rest, and I'm moving on to better sun protection.

My friend had warned me about this sunscreen, actually. She said that it turned blue on her skin and she is very dark skinned. Though my skin is at its darkest tan, I found that the same happened to me at first but once I rubbed the product in, it disappeared. It didn't leave behind any oiliness either. It was just gone. I wasn't at all concerned over buying this so late in the summer. The expiry date isn't until 2009 which means that I have a long time to finish it.

Best part: fragrance free! Thank goodness, because it's fragrance month around here and I need my perfumes to do the scenting.

Always Wear Sunscreen

In most places, the sun is now out and beating hard, so it's only fitting that I now talk about some of the sunscreens that I've tried and what I thought of them. I've decided that this summer, I'm going to try to cover up as much as possible so that I don't burn and change colour too much. Not only can it be cancerous but it's irritating when your makeup no longer matches your skin. Plus, tanning at home seems to give one the most control over how dark to be in the summer so that's another reason not to spend too much time out in the sun. But on to the sunscreens!I still remember when Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock came out on the market. I couldn't wait to try it because I was tired of the sticky sensation that usually accompanied slathering sunblock on oneself. The Dry Touch was heaven sent and I found that I could even put it on my face and have it last a long time. Furthermore, it was waterproof and sweat proof so that was a bonus and it also comes in a high range of SPF's. If you're looking for a sunblock you can use on your face and body, this is one to pick up.

I've also tried Ombrelle's sunblock because I had heard about the addition of Mexoryl in their products - it's an ingredient that helps prevent the sunscreen from deteriorating in extreme heat and hasn't yet been approved by the FDA in the U.S.A. yet. Only Ombrelle sunscreens have the ingredient and you can only get those formulations with the ingredient outside of the USA. I was pleased with the sunblock itself. Though it didn't go on as matte as the Neutrogena one, it did absorb into the skin very quickly and that makes it a good pick as a sunblock to use daily.These days I am using Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock - I picked it up simply because it was new on the market and I hadn't tried anything like it before. I'm very happy with the type of protection I'm getting. The bottle sprays a very fine mist of sun protection on to your skin and you just have to let it dry. It absorbs within a few minutes and you're left with a slight sheen on your skin but it's not sticky at all. I like this because it's so easy to apply that I don't even have to think about incorporating it into my daily routine. I just spray and go!