I know, this is a weird topic. You’re probably thinking, “Wtf are you talking about, Mary?”
I’ve become a sunscreen/sunblock addict ever since I started noticing how sensitive I am to the sun. Sensitive in the sense that, yes, I do burn if I’m out in direct sun for an hour or 2 (which isn’t THAT bad), but even worse – I GET SUN SPOTS!
You’ll know this already if you’ve been following my skin lightening journey.
So yeah, I wear sunscreen almost everyday. That means I’ve tried a whole bunch.
You know what sucks about wearing most sunscreens though?
The fact that they make me cry. I will literally be standing there, having a great conversation about botox (or something similar) with a friend, and my eyes will start tearing up, I start sniffling and rubbing my eyes, and it just WON’T STOP.
I don’t even have to be sweating a lot for sunscreen to get in my eyes. I think it naturally just “slides” and shifts after applying it for a few hours and bits of it gets into my eyes.
I’m not the only person that this has happened to.
One time, my husband and a group of his friends went to the park on a summer day. One of them happened to wear sunscreen. Him and his girlfriend were walking way behind the group. They all turned around to see what was going on, he was on his one knee and his girlfriend was standing up.
Naturally, they all thought, “OMG he’s proposing!”
Nope, sunscreen in his eyes, was so painful that he had to get down on one knee while his girlfriend tried to find him eye drops. LOL.
Most sunscreens do this. I’ve accepted it.
I have, however, discovered some that didn’t kill my eyes.
Sunscreens that don’t sting your eyes
Coppertone Sport
This formula contains a chemical sunscreen, so if you’re sensitive to those, try the ones I recommend later on.
I wore this in Hawaii, walked around, went snorkelling, and didn’t get the dreaded sunscreen in eyes pain.
Banana Boat Natural
This one can be a little hard to find. It’s a waterproof mineral sunblock that comes in a baby and kids formula. The ingredients look the same, so I don’t really know what the difference is.
Green Beaver Natural Mineral
This one, I haven’t personally tried, but I heard it’s the best. It’s an organic natural mineral sunblock, that’s waterproof and non-whitening. Definitely something to get into if you’re looking for an organic solution.
Since this is a Canadian brand, it’ll be hard to find this if you’re in the USA.
Check out their official website for more info.
So, why not just wear these formulas everyday?
I find that the natural mineral sunblocks and the waterproof sunscreens to have a heavier feel and coating to them. I don’t want to wear that EVERYDAY, as I feel like they’d probably clog my pores. (I don’t care if a product claims it’s non-comedogenic. If you have pores and put something on top of your skin, that stuff is going somewhere).
I prefer to wear a lighter-weight moisturizer with a broad spectrum SPF in it, even though they make me cry. These types of sunscreens are usually made specifically for the face, and work well under makeup.
It’s the worst when I have to go to the gym. Thankfully, I’ve discovered Vero Brava headbands which totally help absorb sweat and keep it out of my eyes.
So, is wearing sunscreen as bad as sitting in a room full of chopped onions for you? What’s your favourite? Let me know in the comments!