Tinted Mineral Sunscreens work instantly and do the job of two products—protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays and giving you the coverage you need.
Living in a tropical country like the Philippines, it’s important to pay attention to the products you use to protect your skin against sun damage. Applying sunscreen daily is vital since prolonged exposure to the sun’s harmful rays can cause photoaging and may even lead to the development of cancer lesions on the skin.
Mineral Sunscreen VS Chemical Sunscreen
There are two types of sunscreens: mineral (or physical) sunscreens and chemical (organic) sunscreens. Because mineral sunscreens are absorbed by the skin immediately, they provide instant protection. Their active ingredients are Zinc Oxide and/or Titanium Dioxide. These natural minerals sit atop the skin to create a physical barrier that reflects the sun’s harmful rays.
Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, only take effect at least 20 minutes after application. Unlike mineral sunscreens, they work by absorbing the rays into the skin, transforming them to heat, and releasing them from the skin surface, hence the time delay. Chemicals commonly used for this type of sunscreen are Avobenzone, Octinoxate and Oxybenzone.
According to Dr. Maximin Navarro, Fellow of the Philippine Dermatological Society and co-founder of Bella Pelle Philippines, mineral sunscreens are the better choice. For one, a recent preliminary study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the chemicals in your sunscreen can enter the bloodstream at levels that are higher than the American FDA’s safety standards. Add to that, they’re not environment-friendly. Plenty of studies have shown that the ingredients in chemical sunscreens, particularly oxybenzone, can bleach and retard the growth of coral reefs.
Tinted (Mineral) Sunscreens
There is one disadvantage when it comes to mineral sunscreens though: They lose their reflective properties once makeup is layered on top of them. That doesn’t mean you’re stuck with using chemical sunscreens. If you wear makeup regularly, Navarro recommends you use tinted (mineral) sunscreens instead.
Tinted sunscreens get the job done of providing sun protection and coverage without the cakey makeup look, breakouts, and the hassle that result from putting excessive amounts of products on your face. They remove the need to use separate products by collapsing your sunscreen and foundation into one, shaving time off your morning skincare routine, saving you money, and making packing for travel easier. Additionally, tinted sunscreen compacts make retouches throughout the day—for both sunscreen and makeup—more convenient.
Expert-recommended Tinted Sunscreens
Michelle Reyes-Navarro, founder of Bella Pelle Philippines, a local e-commerce site dedicated to providing Filipinas with premium dermatologically tested and approved skincare products, personally tests their wide range of skincare lines. Here, she recommends a few tinted sunscreens (that are all reef-friendly, by the way) for every skin type:
This sunscreen that doubles as a primer, is Reyes-Navarro’s personal favorite because it provides sheer coverage as it melts into the skin. It blends well with any skin tone, can be used on its own without any make up, providing a natural and matte finish that can keep you from looking oily even during our hot, humid summers. She says that even athletes who spend time outdoors swear by Tizo 3.
Since it acts as a primer instead of a foundation and therefore doesn’t offer the same kind of coverage, Reyes-Navarro says it’s recommended for people who generally have good skin to begin with. It cannot hide major skin imperfections but what it does is give you a flawless finish, she explains.
If you do need additional coverage, Reyes-Navarro recommends using a foundation with its own SPF protection to make up for whatever reflective properties are lost when you layer makeup on top of this sunscreen-slash-primer.
Heliocare 360º Color Gel Oil-Free (P1,750)
This gel oil-free product functions as both a sunscreen and a full-coverage liquid foundation. Like the rest of the Heliocare 360º line, it provides protection not just against the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, but against Infrared-A, and Blue Light (emitted by your mobile phone and other gadgets) as well. It also repairs DNA damage and premature skin aging brought on by sun exposure, has anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and sebum-controlling properties, and an oil-free, dry-touch formulation that makes it suitable for all skin types and our tropical weather.
Heliocare Color 360 Color Cushion Compact (P1,950)
This is the compact version of the Heliocare 360º Color Gel Oil-Free. Like all Heliocare 360º products, it provides protection from the sun’s harmful rays, Infrared rays, and Blue Light. Its formulation is oil-free, non-comedogenic, and is lighter than your normal liquid foundation, giving it a barely-there, buildable coverage that’s perfect for that fresh-faced summer look and instant touch-ups throughout the day.
Heliocare Oil free Compact Color SPF 50 (P2,350)
It’s an SPF 50 sunscreen compact that provides full coverage. It’s got an oil-free, matte formula that’s perfect for normal to oily or acne-prone skin. It also contains antioxidants and restorative agents that prevent and repair sun damage and address visible signs of skin aging. As it comes in compact form, you can take it with you anywhere for quick touch-ups.
Frezyderm Color Velvet Face Cream (P2,400)
This face cream provides SPF 50 protection and prevents photoaging brought on by sun exposure. This tinted sunscreen also boasts velvet technology that allows the product to glide on seamlessly, providing an invisible “second skin.” It evens out your complexion, covers skin imperfections, and leaves a matte finish for flawless-looking skin. Reyes-Navarro adds, “Frezyderm Face Color goes with any skin tone but I observed it suits morena skin better than the other tinted sunscreens on this list. The Heliocare tinted sunscreens available in Bella Pelle Philippines are mostly for lighter skin tones, so if you’re a bit on the darker side, Frezyderm is the best choice for you.”
With these options readily available and easily accessible, there’s no excuse to skip out on putting on sun protection during the summer season and beyond.
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