Been reading reddit and people seem to recommend skin1004 and biore.
What's your recommendation?
On another note, why are there so many ultra lightweight sunscreen options to choose from in Asia? Aussies seem content with the heavyweight stuff that gives me goosebumps.
Don't they feel very heavy?
I just use the Olay ones. I absolutely laothe the feel of sunscreen on my skin and these two satisfy my needs of being super light and not oily, and also usually 50% off on sale every other month. I acknowledge the SPF15+ is about as weak as you can get BUT I am a very fair skinned and have never been burned using it on my arms and legs (that isn't to say there might still be some sun damage occuring) and I figure, the best sunscreen is a sunscreen you are happy to use every day.
For my arms and legs, I will use this one, and for my face I will use this one.
Both have very good reviews. I think for the price they are unbeatable.
First time i hear someone using this sunscreen
Honestly for $8 give it a try. I would pay thousands of dollars for a magical cure to not wear sunscreen but this stuff is actually very decent considering the price. It's better than anything I have tried from the standard brands across Nivea, Neutrogena, Banana Boat, etc. I will admit I haven't tried anything fancy because once I found this I was satisfied.
Avene Sunsitive Sunscreen Fluid - As light as it gets.
How does it compare to the Japanese ones if you've tried them before?
I personally would only use australian sunscreen with Australia's sunscreen standards. Ask Chemist warehouse girls you want to try it. They will happily show you the product.
Sorry never tried or used non australian sunscreen
Biore Aqua Rich SPF50+
I didn't like applying sunscreen daily for years because it felt so thick and sticky on my face
One vote for this. I also love the one from hada labo as it has no fragrance
Hamilton SPF 50+ Everyday Face Cream - I use it everyday
Any recommendations for sunscreen that doesn't make your eyes sting. If I'm really hot and i rinse or splash water on my face i often find a trace amount gets into my eyes and it stings.
Wear wrap around sunglasses and a hat and you shouldn’t need screen near or above your eyes?
La Roche Posay Anthelios 50+ doesn't have eye irritating chemicals. Works for my super-sensitive face and is not too heavy
I surf/beach a lot and the only sunscreen that doesnt run into my eyes is zinc (mineral) based, but my use case is a lot heavier duty than yours. Still, zinc based is the way to go if you can find one that doesnt have a sheen / isnt too heavy for you
Otherwise it seems like different sunscreens impact people differently. For every sunscreen that someone says doesnt sting their eyes, someone else says it burns their eyes to a cinder (eg https://www.reddit.com/r/AusSkincare/comments/1aubc23/sunscr… ). I've yet to find a sunscreen that is universally 'no burn'. Even putting it on 30 minutes before you go outside doesnt help with the sting.
I thought it was only me that had this problem as my family don't have an issue with regular sunscreen.
When at the beach or if there's any chance I'll be sweating, I use zinc sunscreen on my face and cheapo regular sunscreen everywhere else.
Note, that not all zinc are the same. Some make you look like Mr Freeze. Invisible Zinc isn't invisible but close enough.
I've given up putting sunscreen on my forehead for the same reason
Try zinc based sunscreen.
I use the Olay one for this. I dived with full face diving masks for years and the normal Titanium oxide ones were a nightmare.
The Olay works fine because it isnt really waterproof. Just remember to re-apply it as its only SPF 15 and it isnt as sticky as others.
Tried "invisible zinc" brand around upper face with regular chemical based sunscreen everywhere else today. Didn't experience any eye stinging very hot day, however i didn't sweat, but seems promising.
There's a fantastic Youtube video with a fair bit of science, experiments and discussion of exactly this topic: https://youtu.be/JckfmlbU5C8
I use La Roche-Posay Anthelios Invisible Fluid SPF 50+ daily (and an oil cleanser in the evening to remove it properly).
I use it under makeup and it's pretty good. I have used quite a few different brands and this one feels the lightest on my oily skin.
The reason we don't get as many lightweight sunscreens as Asia is due to how thin the ozone layer is above Australia. We need higher SPF to protect ourselves properly from the sun's UV rays, and the ingredients used to formulate higher SPF sunscreens are going to be more occlusive/heavier than those needed for minimal protection
Probably got some of this wrong because I did no research so feel free to correct me in the replies
Those really lightweight ones from Asia also say SPF50+, so protection-wise they should be the same as the ones here?
This thread on reddit explains how a lot of the advertised SPF ratings can be influenced by the companies selling them when they "suggest" what level of SPF protection they were going for
Many sunscreens (even some in Australia) do not meet their advertised SPF protection levels, and I suspect the ones in Asia also fall under that umbrella
You'll also find a few local suggestions for sunscreens that do meet their SPF ratings in that thread, though not sure if they comment on the heaviness of the sunscreen
Australia has fairly strict laws in place around SPF ratings and other claims about performance, but most countries don't. So having an SPF rating on the box doesn't mean much in many places; they can just make stuff up.
Also unlike many other countries, Australian sunscreens will often be formulated for extended water resistance - partly because we have a lot of outdoor activities involving water, but also because Australia has higher temperatures and higher humidity where perspiration is more likely to occur. This will usually reduce effectiveness of sunscreens, so it's a real issue.
Both of these factors mean that Australian sunscreen is typically more effective, and for longer periods. But it also means they tend to be considerably thicker and heavier than foreign formulations.
Conclusion: it's better to wear light Asian-style sunscreen, rather than none at all. It's probably fine for daily use if you only have brief or less intense exposure. But don't expect it to last long or be as effective as Australian stuff.
If you're going to be in full Australian sun for an extended period, suck it up and use the proper stuff.
Icic
If you want an Australian sunscreen with an AUST L, I would recommend [Natio Aromatherapy Daily Defence Face Moisturiser SPF 50+] (https://www.natio.com.au/products/daily-defence-face-moistur…). I have tried a lot of different sunscreens and have landed on this as my preferred. It’s so lightweight/well absorbed that I occasionally worry I haven’t put enough on, so I started to actually measure it out for peace of mind!
Let me try that after I finish the Japanese ones I got
I just use the kids 50+ one, no point buying a lots of types of they go out of date.