Catching Rays

I have the kind of skin that almost never tans.  I'm either pasty white or lobster red and it doesn't take long to go from one to the other.  I had a few too many painful sunburns as a kid, back before I started taking sunscreen more seriously.  I used Bullfrog Sunblock for a long time, among other strong sun protection, but the problems I ran into were my own laziness (you have to reapply every two hours!), the gels that my oily skin didn't completely reject were often kind of sticky and the creams I eventually decided to stick with are fine for general skin protection, but irritate the skin on my face and neck.  


My skincare quest this season is to find the perfect sunscreen for my oily but sensitive skin that won't come right off the moment I step through my front door (and through a curtain of humidity that makes me feel like I've just been through a squall).  I've done some research and here's what I've found:


For the best protection from sunburns (and worse), look for broad spectrum suncreens (those that block both UVB and UVA rays).  The good news is that the FDA has some new regulations to make sure that anything labeled "broad spectrum" will actually be such (imagine that).  The bad news is that, though it's supposed to be official by mid-June, the final date for compliance isn't until December 17th, 2012.  Which means that we're all still responsible for figuring out the labels they put on those bottles.  Here are some of the top rated sunscreens from Sephora.com, Soap.com and those I've come across in various magazines.


I like the idea of continuous sprays, but Health Magazine recommends applying two coats, which makes it a lot less convenient.  If a spray is what you want, they like Aveeno Hydrosport Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 and Coppertone Sport Pro Series Continuous Spray.


For all skin types:
Banana Boat Ultra Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50
Avene High Protection Mineral Cream SPF 50

For oily skin:
Shiseido Suncare Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector SPF 42
Alba Botanica SunBlock SPF 45, Water Resistant
Clarins UV Plus HP Day Screen SPF 40


For sensitive skin:
MD SolarSciences Mineral Screen Lotion SPF 40
La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid


For travel:
Clinique Sun SPF 45 Targeted Protection Stick
Supergoop SPF 30+ Sunstick
BareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen (powder)
Shady Day Daily SPF 30 Wipes


In your makeup:
Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
Clarins UV Plus HP Day Screen High Protection Tint SPF 40
Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation


For lips (with a little color):
Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15
Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF 15
Tarte 24/7 Natural Lip Sheer SPF 15
Benefit BeneTint Lip Balm SPF 15


For hair:
Bumble and Bumble Color Minded UV Protective Styling Balm
Alterna Bamboo Color Care UV+ Fade-Proof Fluide
Fekkai After Sun Daily Mask

If you have a Consumer Reports subscription, check out their Sunscreen Buying Guide.