Tales of a Sunscreen Junkie

Being ghastly pale it took me years to realize that any SPF that was under 30 was not enough to protect my skin. Hopped on the sunscreen boat early and started with SPF 15 in my Aveeno face moisturizer as an 18 year-old. However, only after the appearance of dime-sized sun spots on the top of my feet in my mid-twenties did I realize the grave mistake I had of not putting sunscreen everywhere and the need of a higher SPF range.

Neutrogena did not work for me, especially in the humid environs of Taiwan. Once my pores open up and I try to reapply my sunscreen, Neutrogena gets into my pores and creates a fiery feeling-- without actually giving my skin any redness. It simply burns and makes me want to claw my face off.

Aveeno (SPF inclusive) moisturizer was too oily and greasy for the humidity Taipei had throughout the year, and for a while I actually stopped using moisturizer. GASP. Ah, the mistakes of an early 20-something. However, I will vouch for living in an always humid climate-- it really works wonders for your skin and gives you a natural moisturizer you never knew until you were without. If sun care is maintained properly, you really could be without moisturizer and still have wonderfully atmosphere induced chok-chok.

In 2012 I briefly lived in Seoul, Asian Beauty Skincare Capital of the world! Also, the Sample Capital of the world. I miss getting cotton pads as samples, as they were the best for removing nail polish. It was there that I also thought that I should care more about my skin. This actually started out earlier that year in February when I visited and bought a toner and emulsion from Holika Holika. I loved this duo-- but it wasn't doing it for my skin in hot, sticky, and humid Taiwan, so I stopped using them.

SUNSCREEN became really really important when I joined a dragon boat racing team and we would spend our mornings on the track of ShiDa working out. By mornings, I mean 6 am, we don't play around. Having such fair skin is a curse when the sun is always out and you are sweating everything you've got to sweat on the field. It was then that the love of my life, Japanese Sunscreen, came into the picture and I haven't looked back since.

My go to in Taiwan? It's a small blue bottle that I could find for $100 NT (around $3 USD) that I would shake up and slather everywhere, Biore's Super UV Milk SPF 48. Unlike any sunscreen I've used before, it was milky, watery, and leaves an extremely white cast-- that I got all over my friend's motorscooter's seat when he would give me a lift to water practice. (Whoops! It took a while to fade, but he said he missed it after a while....) Since I am so pale, the white cast issue was never truly an issue for me, I didn't even have to slather it in well and the white would just blend in with my already ivory tones. However, this may be an issue with anyone who tans or is naturally more melanin-blessed than my Irish genes. White casts are no fun, especially when you are less than ridiculously pale.

Advertised for the face, I used this little blue bottle of sunscreen everywhere and could reapply it without feeling the burn that every single Neutrogena sunscreen ever gave me. My friend swore by a lavender Biore bottle, but hers was nearly twice as expensive and I was going to apply this all over my arms and legs and went through the tiny bottles like crazy. It was not worth twice the price, and it didn't feel any better on my face. This was the first time I came into contact with non-greasy sunscreens, and they all had a weird shake-weight thing inside to mix up the watery texture that does contain alcohol. Never did I think that something that would protect me from the sun would have such an extreme amount alcohol in it. It is a God send, it really is. And look at that, it SPF 48 (perfect!) and PA+++ (highest amount of pluses a PA could rate?). This was my favorite sunscreen and I went through several bottles a month. It was also commonly found shared between my teammates, which I don't mind because I promote good skin care and sunburn prevention.

However, now that I am back in the States, this formula has proved to be a bit too drying. After much research, I followed the cult favorites of all that is AB, I had to give try out Biore's Aqua Rich Watery Essence (which cost over $200 NT in Taiwan, so I never tried it). This sunscreen has proven to live up to its praise, and is as wonderful as all those who have AB'd it before me has said it would be. It is lightly citrusy, goes on smoothly and leaves a nice matte finish that is neither chalky or greasy. Even my mother likes the formula and has stolen two tubes of it from my stash already.

It is NOT the cheapest option though, and as much as Aqua Rich Watery Essence is BAE, I still had the roving eye. Tried a pump dupe of this sunscreen as recommended by the AB crowd, but I'm just not loving the Nivea brand Japanese sunscreen Nivea Sun Protect Super Water Gel SPF 50/PA+++) as much. The price is the best, about $12 for 140 g, versus $8 for 50 g, but it gives me too much of that chok-chok fresh from a facial look that I am not exactly the biggest fan of. It makes life easy because I just use a pump or so and slather it on my face post-moisturizer, but that fresh out the facial look is only sometimes appreciated.

This roving eye has also been showering Shishedo's Senka's Anti-Aging yellow tube sunscreen lots of love because I am no longer a young 20-something. It is only slightly cheaper, $7 and change for 50 g, doesn't have that citrusy smell, but something else. It has a nozzle tip, so it's easier to apply with precision (which I kind of missed with the Aqua Rich tube, which was just a normal kind of squeeze tube). The anti-aging marketing ploy has got me, and I have an equal amount of the blue and yellow tubes stocked in my stockpile of Asian Beauty products. The Aqua Rich's price fluctuates on Amazon, but Senka is lesser known and is pretty steady on the lower end of $7 a tube. My loyalty is still with Aqua Rich, but I think I treat it more carefully knowing that it is a cult favorite and that is why the prices jump around for this product more so than the Senka tube. We will see how it plays out. Not as in love with the Senka sunscreen, but not finding any faults with it either.


Oh I and I have this random red Sunplay sunscreen from Taiwan (though it's by the well-known Japanese brand Mentholatum), but the only image I could find that looks like what I have is SPF 130, which is ridiculous and I don't think mine actually is that high. Mine is only SPF 50, but the bottle looks just like the one pictured on the left, with the funny cat drawing and everything. It reminds me of the little blue bottle from Biore, which means that once I brought it home I realize that it was too drying, and I that I would only want to use it on the most humid of days. Which, oh my goodness Climate Change, really has not allowed to happen much this year as of yet. It feels like April still and it's June, our poor Earth is sick and we're really not doing enough to help out.

Due to the limited access of these products (mainly via Amazon, and then, since they're Japanese imports, it takes about a month to get here), I do not want to waste such precious formula on my body. Therefore, I have become a sunscreen junkie and buy sunscreen where ever I go to cover the rest of me. Especially if they are cheap and under 3 fluid ounces so that I could bring them on my carry-on when I travel, since I hate check-ins and travel without if possible. (Yes, I am one of those ladies with backpacks bigger than their torsos, trying to stuff it in the overhead luggage space.)

Bottles/Tubes/Cans of Sunscreen I have on rotation:

1. Nature Republic Provence Calendula Perfect Sun Block SPF50+ PA+++ 150 ml - This is old, I really should have been done with this. But, the internet says it's good for three years and then it loses effectiveness, so, I guess, it still has a year to go.
2. Hang Ten Classic Face SPF 30, 3 oz - Weird sticky glue texture, I use it for my body, but I originally wanted it as a travel sunscreen. Maybe that's why it was on super sale at TJ Maxx.
3. NO-AD SPF 45, 3 oz - Bought as a travel sunscreen at a close-out places for $3, carry-on size approved or 3 fluid ounces. It doesn't really have that sunscreen smell, which is lovely surprise.
4. Max Block 50 SPF Kids Sunscreen Lotion, 3 oz. - Bought this in a Dollartree in Las Vegas because I ran out of sunscreen. Typical western sunscreen in all the ways, but I cannot complain because it only cost me a buck.
5. Tommy Bahama California Dream SPF 50 Sport Sunscreen Lotion by Coola® 6 fl oz.- TJ Maxx purchase, smells nice, but it's still heavy western sunscreen and I only use it on my body.
6. Supergoop! Sun-Defying Sunscreen Oil with Meadowfoam SPF 50 5 fl oz- Got this for still too much money on a Sephora sale. It sprays, but I don't feel like it spreads so I'm always annoyed when I use this because I don't feel like I'm getting good coverage. Also, it's an OIL, which is counter intuitive when I think about sunscreen and subliminally bothers me. I know it's SPF 50, but I feel like I'm not getting what I need out of a sunscreen with this oil. Also, got the bigger size and have some impulse Sephora sale consumer's regret.
7. Alba Botanica Hawaiian Sunscreen Spray SPF50 with Travel Lotion SPF 30 6 fl oz- Got this on impulse because I was thinking about how I was running out of #5. It's in an aerosol can, and a double set no less, but the rest seemed greener than my other sunscreens, so I wanted to give it a try. Honestly, I don't know why I bother with sprays, more of the product protects the air than it does my skin. Bonus travel size lotion included though. Got to love Costco, so darn affordable.
8. Tommy Bahama Unscented SPF 50 Sport Spray Sunscreen 6 fl oz- My most recent TJ Maxx impulse buy, as I thought again about how I was running out of #5 (and forgot I bought #7).