Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sunscreen - Mineral Protection

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Good afternoon!

It's taken me quite literally, years, to find sun protection that suited me. See, from the time I was 13 or so and started to take a serious approach to skincare, I always used a product containing SPF diligently. After all, that's just what you're supposed to do, right? Little did I know that I wasn't using the right kind for me; it took me almost six years to figure out that the chemical sunscreens were responsible for my super painful cystic acne.

We're talking acne the size of a dime or nickel, that would pretty much throb all the time and bring tears to my eyes if something accidentally brushed against it. Those days are behind me, thank goodness! For the last five years, I've been using mineral sunblocks instead and that's completely eliminated the monster cystic acne. Now, even though this Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sunscreen is called a sunscreen, I guess technically it is a sunblock because it's a physical sunscreen (read more about that here) with active ingredients of zinc dioxide and titanium dioxide.

It is very white in color and true to the name, it is very emollient. Luckily it doesn't feel sticky or have any sort of fragrance (in fact, it is also paraben free and completely vegetarian). While I can definitely feel it on my skin, especially on a hot day, it absorbs relatively well. Since it is pretty dry in my area, I actually like that this Very Emollient Sunscreen helps lock in moisture like an oil barrier. Given how emollient it is, it doesn't actually make my t-zone all that oily. However, if you live somewhere humid and hot, this may make your skin undesirably slick.

Here's what looks like, rubbed into my skin. Slight white-ish cast, but really not noticeable.

Here's a picture of my hand with the sunscreen on, picture taken with flash. As you can see, there's definitely a bright white reflective glow to my skin that looks a bit oily (though it was dry to the touch). I definitely wouldn't wear the Very Emollient Sunscreen under your makeup if say, you know you'll be taking family portraits. With SPF 30, this is becoming my daily wear sunscreen, though I would reapply often if under direct sun.

Edit: I make sure to remove this completely at night with cleansing oil, followed by my Clarisonic and face wash.

The nice thing about Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sunscreen Mineral Protection is that it is pretty widely available. I bought mine on sale at Whole Foods for $7ish, I believe. Check the natural foods section of your grocery store, it's often stocked next to organic and natural ingredient brands. Or purchase online from Target.

What's your favorite daily sunscreen?

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