My ROC in sunny climes

With type 1 skin (no tanning, just burning); living in a relatively sunny country like Portugal, good sun protection is a must. Other than the usual vanity related reasons such as premature aging and wrinkles, if I don’t use adequate protection I could literally end up in the hospital. Once as a teen, I got so badly burned on my shoulder that the skin scarred. Not pleasant and not an experience I would like to repeat. So, based on the above, I believe I’m a pretty good guinea pig for SPF.

Last year I used Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream SPF 50, which I loved at the time, but found a little rich for this year. It didn’t make me break out and I didn’t burn, but I thought I should find something a little lighter as my skin has been temperamental. The other concern is that it doesn’t mention anything on the tube about UVB cover, just UVA.

Summer had officially begun for me this year when I purchased Eau Thermale Avene (the orange container) SPF 50. This is recommended for dry and sensitive skin and doesn’t block pores. The consistency is thick and creamy and it has an oddly cooling sensation when applied, which isn’t unpleasant. Again though, I found it a tad heavy and the tube doesn’t last very long, unlike the Elizabeth Arden. Performance was good and again, there were no issues with burning. Furthermore, the tube clearly says this is broad spectrum protection UVA and UVB.

The latest product I’ve purchased in my battle against the burn was ROC Minesol Triple Defense. This, unlike the others is a spray lotion; I actually bought this for the body rather than the face. While this only says UVA on the front of the bottle, on the back it also specifies UVB. One day, after running out of the Avene cream, I tried using this on my face. The result was non-sticky, it sank in within a few minutes and my makeup applied beautifully over the top and lasted all day. I’ve had no issues with breakouts at all; in fact I think my skin prefers this to Elizabeth Arden or Avene. I’ve checked the website and while it doesn’t specify this for use on only the face or body, it does say it doesn’t clog pores and is hypoallergenic.

ROC Minesol Triple Defense has been performing well for me without the need to a separate lotion for face and body. It was less expensive than just one of the specific products for the face and while the others were 50ml in volume, this is 200ml. A bargain!