We are not in full summer, at least here in European part of the world, but since I haven’t written about sunscreens last summer, I intend to highlight them now. It doesn’t matter in which season we are in, because we need a good sunscreen at hand all the year, especially if we travel a lot or if we are outdoor.
Nevertheless, I decided to review a new sun-protecting cream that I’ve discovered and tested recently and that I like very much. As I mentioned in my past posts about sun, I’m not the kind of person who is obsessed with wearing high SPF all the time, even though outside is raining 🙂 But I always have a good SPF cream with me all the year (when I don’t use it I keep it in the fridge). I think that a good sunscreen with SPF15 is perfect for everyday sunny days, while I use higher SPF like 30 when the sun is stronger or if I’m outside all the day exposed to the sun.
I think that at Snowberry have explained well the logic about which SPF we should choose:
“Which is most effective? SPF15, 30 or 50? It probably seems a no-brainer but actually, it’s among the best (or worst) examples of misleading consumer information in any field, anywhere! First, you know that the SPF refers only to UVB rays, so choosing a sunscreen solely on the SPF is pointless. To know that your sunscreen also protects against equally harmful UVA, you must choose only those that say they are ‘Broad Spectrum.’ Second, the SPF scale is logarithmic – which means that for our purposes it’s pretty much meaningless. If it was a linear scale, then an SPF30 would block twice as much UVB as does the SPF15, but that’s not so. Instead, where SPF15 blocks 94% of UVB rays, SPF30 accounts for just 4% more, and SPF50, for just one per cent more than that! This is why many dermatologists say an SPF15 is all you need, provided you put enough on – and that’s the rub and the irony. Whether it’s an SPF15 or an SPF50, to enable the sunscreen to do its job, it must be applied at a rate of 1/4 to 1/3 of a teaspoon to the typical adult face. What most of us do regardless of what SPF we have, is use too little, and second, we tend to apply even less of the higher SPF because we think we must be getting much more protection. Answer to our question – if you intend to be outside much of the time, choose a broad spectrum SPF30 sunscreen and apply at least 1/4 of a teaspoon to your face, every two hours. If it’s a normal working/at home day when more time will be spent under shelter, the SPF15 is fine. And remember, an SPF15 properly applied is better in any conditions than an SPF30 or 50 that’s not.”
Snowberry Active outdoor Broad spectrum high sun protection SPF30
This sun cream is the last product that I’ve tried from Snowberry beauty and if you remember I’ve already written about their brand and products.
I like this sun cream, first because is very nourishing, hydrating but at the same time it absorbs very quickly in the skin, leaving a the skin smooth. And most important: it doesn’t leave heavy, white stripes on your face! You can apply it easily on your skin. It can be easily worn even under makeup, but for everyday use I’d advise to use their Everyday SPF15 cream.
Snowberry sun creams provide a full-spectrum UV protection thanks to zinc oxide which, according to Snowberry, is not nano sized. They don’t use nanotechnology. They also include in their sun creams other natural ingredients which provide high moisture to the skin: a naturally derived emulsifier from olive oil, shea butter, coconut derived glycerine, Inga oil extract (derived from the beans of Inga edulis, this extract is a highly effective skin moisturiser with antimicrobial properties which helps to reduce skin inflammation) and aloe vera extract to soothe the skin. The Coffee bean oil caught my attention, because at Snowberry claim that is “a natural ingredient from coffee beans with moisturising and sun protection properties. It provides natural protection from ultraviolet light and is rich in phytosterols which promote excellent moisture retention.” Besides these ingredients they also have a few other botanical complexes that provide protection against UV radiation (like Cassia Alata leaves extract, and natural extract obtained from the roots of Kaempferia galanga), plus some antioxidants that protect the skin from free radicals.
How to use the cream: Snowberry suggests to apply the product before you expose to the sun (cca. 20 min before) and to reapply the cream every 2 hours if you are actively outside.
Snowberry claim their sun creams are certified broad spectrum sun protection products, which means our skin is protected against both UVB and UVA light. Snowberry Everyday SPF30 is also certified under the internationally recognized Boots Star system to provide good UVA protection (see the 4-Star logo on the box which means Superior).
I have also added an excerpt from Snowberry page that I find very informative, where they have written a few facts about sunscreens and environment:
“Many of us love to swim over coral reefs – they’re among the most beautiful sights on Earth! But when we do, we also know we’ve got to wear a sunscreen to avoid quite severe burning, especially on the back and shoulders. What most of us don’t know is that many traditional sun screens contain parabens, cinnamates, benzophenones and camphor derivatives, and these ingredients are now known to be damaging coral reefs. It may seem strange when you think how little sunscreen you apply before that idyllic swim, but University research indicates that upwards of 4,000 tons of sun screen products are washed onto coral reefs around the world every year! We hope that you would prefer to know that your sunscreen won’t damage marine life in any way. How do you do that? By using a natural sunscreen based on the natural, insert inorganic mineral, zinc oxide. It’s one of the reasons that Snowberry’s Active Outdoor SPF30 and Everyday SPF15 are much better for the environment. Says Snowberry Founder, Soraya Hendesi, “We simply won’t use ingredients that can do harm to the environment. But we also know that our sunscreens are better for people too…”
Hope you will find this information useful in the flood of so many sun protection products. If you already use Snowberry products, feel free to share with me your comments.