The four sunscreens I brought with me to the beach - which one is the best?
I need to preface this post by saying that I am currently recovering from a bad sunburn on my back. I don’t even remember the last time I was sunburned in any way! I think I would have still been a kid the last time something like this happened. But I have to take the blame on this one. Sunscreen is meant to be re-applied every three hours, more often if you’re getting some serious sun exposure. I was having so much fun that the veteran beauty editor in me forgot all about it! So yes, DO NOT forget.
There are three important things you need to remember when packing sunscreen for the beach:
Bring two types of sunscreen: a cream or gel sunscreen to cover the skin and act as a first layer, and then a spray sunscreen for re-application during the day. I brought two sunscreens for the face and two for the body. The reason is that sunscreen spray is not able to evenly coat the skin hence, there has to be a base sunscreen.
Bring at least SPF50 with a PA rating of at least +++. You need to protect yourself from both UVA and UVB rays so the best sunscreen is a broad spectrum sunscreen.
Be sure to bring enough product as you need to be utterly generous with application. Don’t hold back - slather on the sunscreen as if your skin depended on it. It does really! Try to cover all areas of your skin as much as possible, even inside your bathing suit.
I was in Anilao last weekend and it was amazing. I don’t dive, but I enjoy snorkeling in this area’s marine sanctuary. We were on a yacht too so I pretty much spent most of the day under the sun swimming around. I brought four sunscreens to protect me and to be fair, they did the job well. One in particular really stood out. Let’s run through each one and I’ll reveal my favorite in the end!
Skin Aqua Sunplay UV Watery Essence SPF50+ PA++++ (P465 at Lazada). This has been my daily sunscreen along with the Anessa Moisture UV Sunscreen Mild Gel. I love how it’s in a gel essence format so it pretty much melts into the skin without a trace. This is a city sunscreen so I had no illusions about it being beach-appropriate but it performed pretty well nonetheless underneath another sunscreen. It’s not water-proof but it won’t come off immediately upon contact with water.
Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Spray SPF50+ PA++++ (P1,490 at Lazada). After the Skin Aqua sunscreen, I spray this generously before I get into the water. This surprisingly feels light on skin unlike other facial sunscreen sprays I’ve tried (they’re usually oily and heavy). I love how it has fair water-resistance and really sets on the skin to provide maximum protection.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF50+ PA+++ (P541 at Lazada). This is an oldie but a goodie! This is a reliable sunscreen that you can’t go wrong with. It may also be used on the face but I personally find it too heavy for that purpose, plus it leaves a white cast. It’s great as a body sunscreen though since it has water-resistance! Just wait for it to set and dry before going into the water. And yes, apply as much as you can manage!
Sunplay Ultrashield UV Body Mist SPF130 PA++++ (P599 at Lazada). Yes, the SPF130 rating is not necessary since SPF50 already provides more than enough protection, but it’s nice to go that extra mile. I applied this right after the Neutrogena and even brought it with me to the boat. This has a powder feel once it sets; it’s light as well and don’t come off greasy to the touch. It also has a neat continuous spray so you can reach your back if you’re just by yourself. This is a great sunscreen for re-application! It’s also water-resistant.
And now, my favorite out of the four: it’s the Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare Spray! It’s hands-down the best. Even if I didn’t re-apply it, my face still didn’t get sunburned! My back got wrecked because I didn’t spray the Sunplay after my third swim, but my face is undamaged (at least to the eye). I AM SO GLAD. My back is peeling right now but my face is just totally happy, as if it didn’t get exposed to the sun for 12 hours on the beach.
So yes, try that Anessa sunscreen for the beach! Hope you’re getting some sun and sand!
