Inside the mind of a woman

For many years, I have associated sunblock with Coppertone, the beach, sand, sticky, and white. Back then the thought of wearing sunblock on a daily basis was pretty alien to me despite my addiction to beauty. I did the whole cleanser-toner-moisturizer regimen but lost out on the sun protection piece of it.

It was only when I met a skincare consultant, got interested in Cosmo and Marie Claire, and realized that I was not young anymore that I discovered the importance and benefits of protecting my skin from the sun. I also learned that whitening creams and lotions are not necessarily the same as sunblock creams.

My first sunblock was an old brand from L’oreal, one I don’t see in stores anymore (at least not locally). I then moved on to try other brands like Mary Kay, VMV, and other L’oreal brands. Although most of them indicate oil free or non-greasy, at the end of the day my face always turns out shiny and greasy.

I recently fell in love with two brands of organic skincare that offers their own sunblock product. One of them is Mario Badescu’s (MB) Suncare SPF-30. I was told by the girl at the store counter that it was perfect for my oily skin so I immediately bought it.

Like other sunblock creams I have tried, this one went on thick but non-greasy. It really did not feel lightweight when I put it on my face so I was prepared to be disappointed about paying a high price for it. An hour later though, my skin thoroughly absorbed it and there was no evidence of oil or grease on my face. At noon, my face was still oil-free and I must admit, my makeup was still intact. I could feel my smile reach my ears. I have had oily skin ever since I can remember and it was a treat to be oil-free for once.

I cannot tell you the difference among all those products I have tried. I can only say that MB certainly works for me!

Another sunblock that I accidentally got acquainted with is Leyende Face in the Sun Face sunblock. I bought it after I had my diamond peel treatment. The clinic that I went to unfortunately did not offer to put on sunblock on my face after the treatment and instead gave me advice that I better put on sunblock before I go out and expose my face to the sun. Good thing I remembered that Leyende sold sunblock so I immediately ran to the Eco Market stall and got myself one. I had to put it on right there at the store as my husband was already calling me up so I could meet him at Serendra. Since I had to cross the street in the hot sun to get there, I wanted to make sure my face did not burn.

Leyende’s sunblock is the exact opposite of MB’s such that it felt light on my fingertips and even lighter on my face. It was instantly absorbed and it instantly dried up before I even stepped out into the sun. It left my skin cool and supple and of course oil-free. I love it!

So I am now a loyal fan of both these brands and I usually stay with what works best on my skin rather than what is in or what is most expensive.

What about you? What is your suncare regimen?