Sunblock is the most important tool we have for anti-aging, like I mentioned before – the sun may not be visibly affecting your skin right now but it’ll bite you in the ass in the form of premature wrinkles and sunspots when you’re older. It’s the one true anti-ageing cream and it should be a daily staple of your skin regime.

Read on for all you need to buy a good sunscreen!

You should be wearing sun block every day you’re outside as you need protection from both the UVA and UVB rays of the sun. UVA is always present, even on cloudy days so you MUST wear sunblock – whatever the weather outside. Nowadays there are literally hundreds of sunscreens available to you but a startlingly large amount of them provide inadequate protection from the sun. I’ll list a few of the best ones I’ve found below.

When looking for a sunscreen you need to look for the following things:

1. Good broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection. In the UK you’re looking for something offering four or five star protection. In Asia and parts of America you’re looking for PA+++ protection.
2. A good SPF for where you live and your skin type. If you’re prone to burning and live in sunny climes, choose a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 or above. If you live in a country with relatively low amounts of sun, you can get away with SPF 20. If you’re not prone to burning it’s still good to use an SPF of 20 or above as even the darkest skin only has a natural SPF of around 8 – not enough.
3. A good finish. You need to apply 1/4 of a teaspoon of sun screen to your face and 1/4 of a teaspoon to your neck in order to get the protection listed on the bottle. If you use less than that, you’re getting a LOT less protection than you think. If you’re using 1/4 teaspoon of sunblock on your face you want something that doesn’t leave your face looking like a greasy smell.
4. Chemicals. There are both chemical and organic sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens protect your skin through the use of chemical agents while ‘organic’ sunscreen create a physical barrier on your skin out of Zinc and Titanium. Chemical sunscreens are great because they offer a lot more UVA protection but they can irritate the skin of some people. Physical sunscreens are less likely to irritate but can leave a white-cast on the skin due to the high levels of zinc and titanium.

Something to note, SPF indicates the level of protection you’ll get from burning but there is a lesser known value, PPD, that is very important. PPD (Persistant Pigmentation Darkening) indicates the level of protection you’ll get from UVA rays that can cause pigmentation problems, cancer and premature ageing.

• A good, average PPD would be from 8 to 15, this will protect you from the sun in your day to day life when the sun isn’t particularly strong outside.
• A high PPD is from 15 to 20, this will provide you with great protection wherever you live.
• A very high PPD is 20 and above. Use this if you don’t want to tan! This will protect you from pretty much everything the sun can throw at you in any climate. If you have problems with facial pigmentation like sun spots or dark patches of pigmentation and acne scars – using a sunscreen with PPD 20+ will stop them from getting worse and allow them to exventually fade.

• USA: Look for sunscreens containing Helioplex or ones that list the PA+++ symbol.
• Asia: Look for the PA+++ symbol.
• Europe: Look for a sunscreen with a 4 or 5 star rating or simply a labelled PPD above 10.

On to the sunscreens!

Shiseido Sunscreen

Shiseido sunscreens have a PPD of around 8 to 10 and have varying SPFs from 16 to 55. They have some of the best finishes i’ve ever encountered in sunscreen. The ‘cream’ versions are great for dry or normal skin. If you have oily skin you’ll love their ‘lotion’ versions which provide a fully matte finish, no shiny sunscreen-face! They have slight white casts which disappear within 10 minutes and have to be washed twice to fully remove. You can wash them off easily with cleansing oil, though. This has no chemicals and is an awesome day-to-day sunscreen to wear, a favourite of many many people.

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturiser SPF 15.

This combines both chemical and organic sunscreens. It has an SPF of 15 so it’s not great for those who are sensitive to the sun but contains a PPD of about 8 or 9 with a finish that’s great for dry to normal skin.

L’Oreal Revitalift UV SPF 15

Some of the best UVA protection you’re going to find in the US. This chemical sunscreen offers a PPD of 15 and a decent finish.

Neutrogena Dry Touch SPF55

This sunscreen has recently been reformulated so until I get my hands on a new tube i’ll hold out on a full review. However I know this provides decent protection and the finish is great for combination or oily skin.

Now for a few European sunscreens that offer the highest PPDs around. They may also be found in Asia and Canada.

Avene Sun Emulsion SPF 50+

This offers fantastic protection with SPF 50+ and a PPD of 20. The finish is great for combination skin, it can be slightly sticky on some people.

La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Fluide Extreme 50+

Probably the leaders in superior sun protection. This provides outstanding protection with an SPF above 50 and PPD 28. If you have problems with pigmentation and don’t want to tan your face – this is the sunscreen for you. This has a nice, light non-greasy finish. Good for tropical climates along with the Avene and Neutrogena ones.

If you live in the US you can order these two sunscreens from www.tubotica.com.

If you’d like some more recommendations, just click on the ‘Sunscreen’ category in the list to the right!

Well that was a brief intro into sunscreen. Just remember that a high SPF doesn’t mean a high level of protection. Look for sunscreens that provide UVA/UVB protection suitable for your individual needs. Remember to apply 1/4 of a teaspoon onto your face and 1/4 of a teaspoon on your neck if you want full protection.

When removing your sunscreen make sure you get it completely off by washing your face twice or by using a cleansing oil (see the ‘Cleansers’ post). If water ‘balls up’ in obvious droplets on your face after washing, it means you still have a film of sunscreen on. If the water creates a wet film on your face, your face is clean.