Guest Post: Sunscreen Options ft. Jen

Hi, everyone! It's Jen from Vibrant, Vivacious, Veracious Beauty Blog. Excited to be posting on A Beautiful Zen today! Though summer is quickly winding down (sob), the need for adequate sun care persists. We all know that protecting our complexions is a must, but most combination or oily-skinned gals know that so many facial sunscreens are simply a no-go. They can be thick, greasy, and pore-clogging, all of which just don't fly when your skin is on the slicker side. So today I'm sharing with you four of my favourite facial sunscreens, all of which get on quite well with my oily skin. Let's get to it! 

The Organic Wonder

I discovered Coola last summer at Jacob & Sebastian, one of my favourite beauty shops here in Toronto. I was drawn in my their organic, eco-friendly mandate and ultimately fell smitten with their Cucumber Matte Finish SPF 30 Face Mineral Sunscreen. It pumps out like a thicker cream, is packed full of potent skin care ingredients (like antioxidant-rich rose hip and evening primrose seed oils, organic shea butter), and yet it disappears beautifully into the skin and truly keeps things matte all day long. It works amazingly as a makeup primer and has a light, pleasant cucumber scent. What's not to love?

The Ultra Liquid Ultimate SPF

French pharmacy brands are well-known for their cosmetically elegant sunscreens and La Roche Posay is no exception. Their Anthelios Ultra Fluid Lotion SPF 60 is, as the name suggests, extremely watery and yet packs a high sun protection punch! It really absorbs quickly, yet does not leave skin feeling chalky and dry. It also wears well under makeup and causes very minimal shine throughout the day. Plus it comes in this sleek little bottle!

The Anti-Aging Sun Protector from Across the Pond

I received several Soap & Glory products in my recent UK Drugstore Swap (thanks, Mali!) and one of my picks was the Make Yourself Youthful Sunshield Superfluid SPF 50. Quite the mouthful! I'd heard several UK-based bloggers rave about this one due to its lightweight, fluid texture. It offers antioxidant protection via loads of Vitamin C as well as oil-absorbing powders to keep things matte. The formula is also translucent, with no perceptible tint on the skin and zero hint of a white cast. I actually found this to be the most hydrating among the lot, perhaps a bit too much so for summertime. Though I imagine it will be perfection during the winter!

The Tinted Anti-Pollution Classic

Clarins UV Plus HP SPF 40 sunscreen has been a popular pick for ages, due to its ultra light, easily wearable texture. When I spotted a tinted version (their Multi-Protection Tint) I thought it would be the perfect multi-tasker. Evening out skin while also providing skin-loving sun protection? Yes, please! I have this in Light, which I find a touch dark for a lightest offering. Those in the NC/NW15 range, beware! This will be too deep for you. But I find it to work quite well on my NC20 summer skin. It evens out skin tone wonderfully, on par with the best tinted moisturizers out there. It's not completely matte, but it has certainly held up well to the sweltering summer heat. Plus, it works to neutralize free radicals and other environmental stressors, which is a must for a city girl like me!

Below are photos to give you a sense of the textures of each of the sunscreens, both applied initially and partially blended out:

(L-R): Coola Cucumber, La Roche Posay Anthelios, Soap & Glory Sunshield, Clarins UV Plus in Light

As you can see, the Coola is the creamiest of the lot, while the La Roche Posay is the most liquid (it nearly ran off my arm!). The Soap & Glory features a slight yellowish tint to work against the white cast that some sunscreens can impart, and the Clarins UV Plus Tinted in Light is about equivalent to a MAC NC20-25 skin tone.

Here are a few other factors you might be looking for in a sunscreen, and my top two picks for each category!

Most matte: Coola Cucumber, La Roche  Posay Anthelios

Most fluid: La Roche Posay Anthelios, Soap & Glory Sunshield

Best Multi-tasker: Clarins UV Plus Tinted (sunscreen + colour), Coola Cucumber (sunscreen + skin care)

Most hydrating: Soap & Glory Sunshield, Clarins UV Plus Tinted

Highest Sun Protection: La Roche Posay Anthelios (SPF60), Soap & Glory Sunshield (SPF50)

So there you go! Hopefully you found this post to be helpful and that I've piqued your interest with one of these lovely offerings! Oily skin or not, none of us want a thick, gloopy sunscreen clogging up our complexions, so may the products featured here be your key to sun protection without the mess!

Thanks for stopping by and to Jenn for having me on the blog today!

If you'd like to read more from Vibrant Beauty Blog, you can check out my Blog, Facebook Page, Twitter, or you can come find me on Bloglovin' :)