SWEAT PROOF SUNSCREENS FOR YOUR ACTIVE SUMMER NEEDS
Lucky me. I get to write this post poolside for a little inspiration. Yeah, I know … so tough. And, it just so happens to be the hottest day of the year. There is not a cloud in the sky. That sun is just beaming down on my skin. Skin that I have spent time and money trying to restore with the help of the “laser guru", Jillian Norton, at Modern Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in King of Prussia. I'm hiding under a hat and an umbrella. I have tons of sunscreen on my body. Which sunscreen am I wearing today? Well, I have been testing out a bunch of sunscreens all week long during my outdoor workouts and activities. Read on to hear about my favorites …
I love outdoor runs, tennis matches and those outdoor fitness classes that have sprung up all over the Main Line recently. After my entire childhood and well into my 20’s (and maybe 30’s) of my mom telling me not to go outdoors without sunscreen, I finally get just how important it is to properly protect your skin. So I teamed up with a few ladies who know much more about these things. They helped me choose the best sweat proof sunscreens for my active lifestyle. And then I got to put them all to the test. For you. So here are my thoughts on the ones that I have been using. You can find most of these in my Amazon Shop under the new heading “Fitness Finds”. (While my Amazon Shop is an affiliate shop and I will make a small percentage of commission from any resulting sales, I only include items that I use, blog about and love). You will want to stock up on these now so you don’t need to give it another thought during the summer of your life!
My aesthetician, Jillian Norton, recommended a few of the EltaMD sunscreens for really effective sweat proof protection. She loves them because “they’ve really mastered their zinc formulation. Their comprehensive line of zinc-based, broad-spectrum sunscreens are for all skin types, conditions and lifestyles. They are affordable, sensitivity-free, fragrance-free and paraben-free so every skin type and every age can enjoy them.”
I grabbed the UV Aero Broad Spectrum SPF 45. While sprays don’t always provide the best protection because its hard to see where you apply it, this one is different. It goes on a little white so you can see it, but then it completely rubs in. I really love this spray. It doesn’t leave you with that sunscreen look or feel, and I found it to work very well. It goes on easily, blends nicely, has transparent zinc oxide and provides water resistant UVA/UVB protection for 80 minutes. I do find that sprays get used faster than lotions but this one has a decent price point for the quality of the product. I also love the convenience of this spray. It takes seconds to apply. Efficiency seems to be my most valued attribute these days. For these reasons, this sunscreen is one of my top picks.
EltaMD used to make a Sport Lotion but they recently changed the blend and now call it “Active”. You can still find the Sport Lotion (see my Amazon Shop) but it has been discontinued by the company. The new EltaMD UV Active Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ blend has been reformulated for use by both children and adults to provide the ultimate water and sweat resistance. It’s a 100% mineral sunscreen (the discontinued “Sport” blend is a hybrid). EltaMD Active doesn’t rinse off with sweat or sting when you sweat. It's great for those reasons, but because it is so waterproof, it does look white on your skin. If that doesn’t bother you, this is a good, effective option. I am not a fan because I don’t want to have that white-recently-applied-sunscreen look all day or after I shower! But I will be using it on my kids at the pool this summer.
I love the UV Sheer Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ blend for a really effective every day facial lotion.
For a few years now, I have been using the Supergoop sunscreens. They have so many different options. Glowscreen gives a beautiful shimmer. Unseen Sunscreen goes on clear and really disappears the second it touches your skin. Bright Eye 100% Mineral Eye Cream protects, moisturizes and brightens the sensitive under eye skin. But my overall favorite sunscreen from Supergoop is Play. I buy the giant 18 fl.oz. tub and carry that thing everywhere with me. I love how easily this sunscreen goes on. It feels more like a moisturizer than a sunscreen when you apply it. And the sunflower extract in this lotion smells soooooooo good. The formula is water resistant and sweat proof for 80 minutes. Supergoop is purported to be a “cleaner” brand. My only complaint is that when I sweat, it can be a little sticky on my skin. It doesn’t absorb as nicely as some of the others that I tested, but I still love it (probably because it smells so stinkin good).
Let’s talk about two clean sunscreen options. Clean beauty is becoming more and more important to people recently, myself included. The more I use the Beauty Counter products, the more I find myself switching to clean beauty. Beauty Counter is my go-to for clean products. I trust them to be healthy and actually work (like the Clean Deo deodorant, which is the only natural deodorant that I have found to stand up to my sweaty workouts), while being safer than the products I could pick up on the drug store shelf. My BC consultant is my good friend, Deane Mariotti. She really knows her stuff. I always go to her when I want to understand the safety and science behind the BC products. She recommended that I use the Countersun Daily Sheer Defense For Face SPF 25. I use this sunscreen every single day as my daily moisturizer, and I absolutely love it. It goes on easily, blends nicely and doesn’t feel like I am wearing sunscreen. This sunscreen has all the good stuff in it to fight antioxidants and hydrate your skin while protecting it from UVA, UVB and Blue Light. I do wish the SPF was higher but I am always told different things about what that number actually means and how much it matters… bottom line, you need to reapply sunscreen often. The Countersun Daily Sheer Defense For Face SPF 25 is one of my top favorite sunscreen picks.
I also tried the Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Mist SPF 30. This spray is different than most in that it contains non-nano zinc and has a lower risk of being inhaled in spray form. Also, the mist is powered by compressed air and is free of the chemicals found in aerosol cans. So if you like to quickly spray down the kids, this is what you will want to use on them. BC’s mineral based formulas are water resistant. This spray is not as clear as the UV Aero Broad Spectrum SPF 45 but its a good, effective and safe product. I also love this healthy option for my kiddos. Cue picture of cute toddler’s foot.
You can shop all of my favorite Beauty Counter products here. Any new to Beauty Counter customers will receive 20% off of their entire first order. And this weekend only, there is a free gift with purchase.
So those are my favorites just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday filled with friends and family, outdoor activities and lots of smiles because summer is finally here! Enjoy.