Winter, Summer, Rain or Shine, I want to get outside, and I need to wear sunscreen on my face.
I have tried SO many sunscreens and am very picky about what I will use. As a child, I hated wearing sunscreen because it irritated my skin terribly. As an adult, I finally discovered mineral based sunscreens and it has been such a relief. I love to be out in the sun, and I love to get the sun on the skin of my body (never allowing myself to burn of course— trying to be smarter in my adult years than I was in my youth!), but I cannot tolerate much direct sun on the sensitive skin of my face/neck/chest before I burn.
I use several brands of sunscreen for different things (I need to make a full YouTube video reviewing and comparing them!), but for my go-to basic for any outdoor activity, I use Raw Elements on my face. It is hands down the most effective and comfortable and aesthetically normal mineral sunscreen I have found, for my skin and preferences. I wear Raw Elements on my neck and check/shoulders as well if I am swimming, because it’s semi-greasy/sticky base it is highly water resistant. But if I am teaching a workout or gardening, or doing some other outdoor activity, and would rather not get the greasier base of that formula on my clothes and do not need the water resistance, then I use All Good mineral sport sunscreen on those areas. The All Good is a much drier formula that rubs in well and dries down quickly, and is not tinted, so it will not stain your clothes with the mineral tint or with an oily base. All Good is supposedly water resistant up to 80mins, but with its matte formula, I feel like it washes off easier than the Raw Elements and so I prefer to swim with the latter to be safe, and also to avoid adding more lotion ingredients to the pool/lake/ocean. Raw Elements is designated reef safe.
For reference, I have relatively fair, dry, highly sensitive skin. Neither one of these products has any added fragrance. Raw Elements uses Rosemary oil as a preservative and it can smell a little strong when you first open the tin, but I have never had it bother my skin, nor have I ever smelled it on me, just where it is concentrated in the container, and the scent dissipates from the tin once it has been opened. Raw elements is on the greasy side (definitely not the worst I have tried!!!), but on my dry skin, it feels great and adds to a light moisturizer. It absorbs into my skin well, and after a short time disappears (and I apply it generously!!). I mix the tinted and non-tinted for my skin tone.
UPDATE! I have a new favorite mineral sunscreen for occasions when I need a more aesthetically pleasing, less messy option (because admittedly Raw Elements is quite greasy/sticky, even after hours of use).
For days when I need to look a bit nicer and not worry about the greasy factor, I now use
MyChelle Sun Shield Unscented SPF 28 Broad Spectrum
It goes on a little tacky and then immediately dries down to a matte (but not terribly drying) finish. Within minutes, it is invisible on my skin. I find it will slightly irritate my eyes a little if I use it right up around my lids/lashes (which I do not experience with Raw Elements), and there is a tiny bit of tingling/irritation on my neck/chest when I apply it but it fades quickly and does NOT make my skin red or break out (I have VERY sensitive skin). And the tradeoff is that it really does look like there is nothing in my skin and I love that. It’s a treat to have a non-sticky face!
I have danced outdoors with no shade, all afternoon with this stuff and not burned. On that occasion I reapplied it at least 2x and the added coats went on easily without any changing the look of my skin. I was shocked at how natural/bare my skin looked when I got into my car and went to check my face to signs that I had burned (because my skin felt a little tight, but that was mostly from wind exposure I concluded) in the reflection in perfect natural light. I couldn’t tell I was wearing anything on my face, and I had no burning at all, not even on my nose or cheeks.
Hope this helps you protect your skin!