yes, Japanese and Korean cosmetic sunscreens are truly amazing! I also love Canmake’s Mermaid Skin Gel cosmetic sunscreen, though they keep changing the formula so your mileage may vary - it used to be really amazing, esp. for a glossy skin look 🥰
Re non-cosmetic sunscreens, the Australians have this on lock, I use Bondi Sands SPF 50 fragrance free sunscreen, and they have the same product but formulated to be safe to use on your face. I use the non-face one on my arms, legs, chest, and neck when I’m in short sleeves and I use the face formulated version on my face when I’m going out for non-social reasons (like if I’m going to garden or exercise).
Bondi Sands marketing claims their sunscreen is not greasy, but in my opinion it’s straightforwardly greasy, just a lot less greasy than most non-cosmetic sunscreens.
For sunscreens you can buy on shelves in the U.S., La Roche-Posay has some decent-ish cosmetic sunscreens, but I don’t love it enough to keep buying it (esp. when I have the Asian ones that are less greasy).
I’ve heard good things about tretinoin, esp. if you struggle with acne and breakouts. I don’t have acne and my skin skews dry and breaks out into eczema, so I constantly have to manage heat and moisture on my skin (literally can’t wear shoes for more than a few hours, even just going for a run a few times a week can be enough to cause eczema breakouts on my skin).
My spouse however has skin that skews oily and she suffers from acne so she doesn’t apply any moisturizer and in addition to a facial cleanser she uses a three-part application:
0.025% tretinoin gel
1% Clindamycin gel
10% Benzoyl peroxide gel
I don’t know her exact routine, some she wears during the day and some before bed? But she has to see a dermatologist for this and has a prescription, so this is where I would probably recommend someone see and follow a doctor’s recommendations.
EDIT: my spouse gave some more details on her routine! the tretinoin is applied before bed and stays on the skin overnight, then in the morning she washes her face with the Benzoyl peroxide facial wash (you can buy this over the counter). She said you have to let it sit on the skin for a minute after applying it, so maybe wash other parts of the body or do something while it works on your skin. Then after the skin is clean and dry, she applies the Clindamycin for the day (she actually applies it twice a day, but this isn’t typical).
The Clindamycin and tretinoin are both prescriptions and require a doctor to get, only the Benzoyl peroxide is available over the counter - so the instructions your doctor gives may differ.
Thank you for the detailed response! I will see if I can find Bondi Sands sunscreen.
Even though my skin would be fine without tretinoin, I find that it is the only ingredient that makes a significant difference in an otherwise low-maintenance routine.
yes, Japanese and Korean cosmetic sunscreens are truly amazing! I also love Canmake’s Mermaid Skin Gel cosmetic sunscreen, though they keep changing the formula so your mileage may vary - it used to be really amazing, esp. for a glossy skin look 🥰
Re non-cosmetic sunscreens, the Australians have this on lock, I use Bondi Sands SPF 50 fragrance free sunscreen, and they have the same product but formulated to be safe to use on your face. I use the non-face one on my arms, legs, chest, and neck when I’m in short sleeves and I use the face formulated version on my face when I’m going out for non-social reasons (like if I’m going to garden or exercise).
Bondi Sands marketing claims their sunscreen is not greasy, but in my opinion it’s straightforwardly greasy, just a lot less greasy than most non-cosmetic sunscreens.
For sunscreens you can buy on shelves in the U.S., La Roche-Posay has some decent-ish cosmetic sunscreens, but I don’t love it enough to keep buying it (esp. when I have the Asian ones that are less greasy).
I’ve heard good things about tretinoin, esp. if you struggle with acne and breakouts. I don’t have acne and my skin skews dry and breaks out into eczema, so I constantly have to manage heat and moisture on my skin (literally can’t wear shoes for more than a few hours, even just going for a run a few times a week can be enough to cause eczema breakouts on my skin).
My spouse however has skin that skews oily and she suffers from acne so she doesn’t apply any moisturizer and in addition to a facial cleanser she uses a three-part application:
I don’t know her exact routine, some she wears during the day and some before bed? But she has to see a dermatologist for this and has a prescription, so this is where I would probably recommend someone see and follow a doctor’s recommendations.
EDIT: my spouse gave some more details on her routine! the tretinoin is applied before bed and stays on the skin overnight, then in the morning she washes her face with the Benzoyl peroxide facial wash (you can buy this over the counter). She said you have to let it sit on the skin for a minute after applying it, so maybe wash other parts of the body or do something while it works on your skin. Then after the skin is clean and dry, she applies the Clindamycin for the day (she actually applies it twice a day, but this isn’t typical).
The Clindamycin and tretinoin are both prescriptions and require a doctor to get, only the Benzoyl peroxide is available over the counter - so the instructions your doctor gives may differ.
Thank you for the detailed response! I will see if I can find Bondi Sands sunscreen.
Even though my skin would be fine without tretinoin, I find that it is the only ingredient that makes a significant difference in an otherwise low-maintenance routine.