by MaryAnne Njeri

Some crimes can’t be forgiven and we are giving you a major side eye if you don’t wear sunscreen. It is essential and one of the three most important steps in a skincare routine; the others being cleanser and moisturizer. So whether you’re fair, olive or dark you can’t miss this step in your routine whether it’s in the wake of summer or winter. Our skin is one of the most resilient body organs but it’s not invincible. Wearing sunscreen protects our skin from aesthetic damages such as sunburns, fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, but also from skin cancers!

Did you know there are two types of sunscreens? Physical sunscreens use minerals that sit on top of our skin and reflect away UV rays. Look out for active ingredients such as Zinc oxide and Titanium dioxide. They mostly tend to leave dark skinned people with a white cast, due to the active ingredients present but companies are currently coming up with better formulas. Chemical sunscreen use ingredients such as oxybenzone, avobenzone among others that absorb and transform UV rays into heat. They are light weight and look unnoticeable when applied.

There are two types of UV light that can harm your skin — UVA and UVB. A broad-spectrum sunscreen protects you from both so you want to make sure your sunscreen is written broad spectrum. The adequate Spf should also be anything between Spf 30- 50 anything higher than that has a negligible difference in protection. The two finger rule for sunscreen application which is quite popular on skincare twitter is, applying finger length on two fingers for adequate protection as well as reapplying every 2-3 hours if you are outside exposed to the sun and every 4 hours if you are indoors.

So when it comes down to the type of sunscreen to use, it will depend on the formula you prefer and the type of finish it has. Some have a dewy finish which is better for drier skin types and others have a rather matte finish preferred by the oilier skin types. Since sunscreen isn’t the most affordable item to purchase, here is a list of options that are easily accessible and won't leave you looking chalky.

1. Biore UV Watery essence
2. Corsx Aloe soothing suncream
3. A’pieu Pure Block Aqua Sun gel
4. Etude House Sunprise mild Watery Light sunscreen
5. Neutrogena Hydro boost water gel sunscreen
6.  Neutrogena Clear face Oil free sunscreen

You can easily purchase them from the following online retail stores!

Glow secret- Adlife Plaza M15 and Jamia Mall F100

Beautysquare.ke - Sawa Mall stall B2, Moi Avenue

Dreamskinhaven- (Former Ebrahims supermarket stall F2), Moi Avenue

Credits

Writer: MaryAnne Njeri, Skincare Enthusiast

Instagram @am_maryanne

Photography: Strikingly, No Ordiary Noire, Vancouver Medispa, Black Girl Sunscreen

Yours in Wellness,

@TiziTalks

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