The Complete Sunscreen Guide - How to choose the best sunscreen?

Choosing the best sunscreen for your needs

Sunscreens are your skin’s best friend. If you need the best skincare routine, you need to make sure that the best sunscreen is a part of that routine. In other words, a skincare routine without good sunscreen simply does not exist!

In this article, we look at customizing your sunscreen choice based on:

1. How to choose the best sunscreen for your skin type?

The Issue: This is the most crucial part of choosing a sunscreen. It is possible to have very dry skin even in the most humid of places and very oily skin with acne even in cold weather climates. Therefore, skin type becomes the first and the most important factor when it comes to choosing the best sunscreen for your skin.

The Solution:

  • Go for sunscreens with SPF 30+ or above, to start with, as it offers sufficient protection from UVB rays for Indian skin types. For UVA protection, a minimum of PA ++++ would be adequate.
  • If you have oily to combination skin, look specifically for sunscreens that claim to control sebum secretion, or for sunscreens that have sebum-regulating properties. SAFESCREEN Marina sunscreen and Silymarin oil control sunscreen are the best mineral sunscreens in India for oily skin and SAFESCREEN Pycnogenol pigment control and Polypodium are the best sunscreens for combination skin that provides optimal hydration without making the skin greasy.
  • For dry skin, it is best to choose a sunscreen that has a moisturizing base. SAFESCREEN Nexgen, and Seasun are the best sunscreens for dry skin.
  • If you are someone who prefers tinted sunscreens, the TINTENSE tinted sunscreen range has a wide range of shades to choose from. They are specially formulated to match Indian skin tones and simplify yet enhance your makeup routine.

2. How to choose the best sunscreens for your climate?

The Issue: In India, humidity can be a challenging factor when it comes to wearing sunscreens as it can increase sebum production leading to increased greasiness and acne breakouts in susceptible individuals.

The Solution:

  • In general, mineral sunscreens are on the drier side, and chemical sunscreens are on the moist side. Match this info to choose the best sunscreen based on the humidity of your location. So, if you are in a hot & humid place, mineral sunscreens can be the best choice but if the humidity is low in your location, new generation moisturizing chemical sunscreen like SAFESCREEN Nexgen can be a good choice for you.
  • If you feel that your sunscreen is very heavy on your skin, avoid using sunscreen right after you step out of the shower, or right after you wash your face. The skin’s moisture tends to get trapped under the sunscreen and this can give you a heavy feel. Wait for at least 15 to 20 minutes after washing your face, to apply the sunscreen! Alternatively, in colder weather, or for dry skin, add a moisturizer on your skin right after your facewash and follow through with your sunscreen in a matter of minutes or you can skip the moisturizer and use a moisturizing sunscreen instead if you have acne-prone skin.

3. How to choose the best sunscreen for your workplace ambience?

The Issue: Sunscreen needs to be changed based on our ambience, and this is very important if you want your sunscreen protection to be effective, throughout the day. This is because, you are exposed more to visible light (HEVL) than UV rays when you stay indoors.

The Solution:

  • If you are mostly going to be indoors, but you are in front of a gadget all day, you may need a broad spectrum sunscreen that not only protects from UVA and UVB but also has visible light protection, to guard your skin against HEVL. All sunscreens from the SAFESCREEN range including TINTENSE tinted sunscreens are tested to protect from HEVL including blue light.
  • If you are at home, but exposed to a lot of heat from cooking, you need sunscreen with infrared(IR) spectrum protection. Look for sunscreen features that specifically mention if the sunscreen is likely to protect you from IR rays. Most of the sunscreens from the SAFESCREEN range offer very good IR protection.
  • If you spend most of your time in an AC environment, make sure to add a moisturizer before your sunscreen or you can opt for a moisturizing sunscreen like NEXGEN or Seasun if you don’t want to add a moisturizer in your daytime routine.

4. How to choose the best sunscreens for your skin concerns?

The Issue: Different people need different sunscreens that can work best for their individual needs. Also, the same person may choose different sunscreens at different points in their skincare journey to address their skin concerns at that particular time.

The Solution:

  • If you have skin pigmentation conditions like melasma, the best option would be a broad spectrum sunscreen which can protect you from UVB, UVA, HEVL and IR radiation. Choose sunscreens that specifically state these benefits. Go for a high SPF and high UVA protecting sunscreen. SAFESCREEN Pycnogenol, Polypodium and NEXGEN are the best sunscreen options for individuals with melasma as these sunscreens are fortified with antioxidants that help in pigmentation control.
  • If you have acne-prone skin, look for sunscreens that are claimed to be non-comedogenic with acne & sebum control properties. SAFESCREEN Marina, Silymarin sunscreens are some of the best sunscreens for acne-prone skin.
  • If you have dry skin, and prefer using a mineral sunscreen, consider using a face moisturizer, before you wear your sunscreen.
  • If you prefer a chemical sunscreen, and have dry skin, look for a moisturizing sunscreen creme like NEXGEN rather than a matte sunscreen.

5. How to choose the best pregnancy safe & nursing safe sunscreen?

The Issue: In a market flooded with sunscreens, finding a clean labelled sunscreen option free from harsh chemicals and endocrine disruptors can be quite challenging for pregnant and nursing mothers.

The Solution:

  • Choose a mineral-based sunscreen with non-nano zinc oxide or non-nano titanium dioxide. Make sure that the sunscreen is free from parabens, harsh chemicals and endocrine disrupting chemicals(EDCs). You can use tools like the ingredient safety checker to ensure your sunscreen is free from EDCs and safe to use in pregnancy & nursing.
  • Some of the best pregnancy, nursing and baby safe sunscreen products include SAFESCREEN Mom & Baby mineral sunscreen and mineral options in TINTENSE tinted sunscreen range.
  • Remember that sunscreens are not recommended for babies below 6 months of age. For babies above 6 months, sunscreen may be used only during intense sun exposure.

6. How to choose the best sunscreen for your face vs a sunscreen for your body?

The Issue: Our face has oil glands, which keep our skin moisturized. So there is no need for very heavy moisturization for the face during the day. In contrast, the body does not have as many oil glands – and even naturally the skin of the neck, forearms and legs, tend to be very dry in general. The best sunscreen for the face may not always be a good sunscreen for the neck, even though the neck is right next to the face, anatomically speaking.

The Solution:

  • Choose different sunscreens for different anatomical regions. The face needs a neutral sunscreen, while the body needs a moisturizing, easily spreadable sunscreen. Alternatively, you can also simply use a moisturizer on your body, including areas like the neck, wait for a few minutes and then apply the sunscreen.
  • Give first preference to clothing before considering a sunscreen for your body. The sun protection efficacy of clothing is measured by UPF, also called UV Protection Factor. A denim jacket may give you protection of 1200 UPF, which is far, far higher than any sunscreen would give. So the best option for areas that can be covered by clothing, is clothing!
  • Though sunscreen sprays are popular for use on the body, we no longer recommend them at CHOSEN due to the potential risk of inhalational toxicity in the long run.

So there, we covered every aspect of getting started on the best sunscreen for you, based on skin type, climate, skin concerns specifically. You should now be able to pick the ideal sunscreen for your needs.

For specific support on identifying the best sunscreens for men, or for looking up sunscreens for acne-prone skin, please reach out to our team in a DM on our Instagram page or call us at +919384000411 and our customer success specialists would love to help you get started on the best sunscreen for you.

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