As the spring days grow steadily warmer, and the sun makes a more regular appearance, it's that time where we have to start seriously thinking about adding sun protection to our skincare and make up routines (if we haven't already).
This time last year I learned the hard way that my skin wasn't a fan of the transition from grey, overcast days to sun-filled blue skies. The seasonal transition into summer led to one of the worst breakouts I'd experienced since puberty. Nothing I did seemed to appease it, reacting to even products aimed towards sensitive skin until I added some sunscreen into my routine. The Body Shop Vitamin E SPF15 Moisture Lotion was my saviour. It was light enough not to clog my pores and provide the necessary moisture for my oily skin without making me into a greasy mess, all the while offering a decent SPF. It's my go-to when all else fails, and combined with a Chamomile water as a toner, it will calm most of my break outs.
This year I decided to try a different moisturiser, still from The Body Shop, but this time from their Vitamin C range. The Vitamin C Daily Moisturiser SPF30 has yet to disappoint. The consistency is quite a bit thicker than the Vitamin E moisturiser, but the SPF index is also higher, and once you get used to giving it a good five minutes to sink in, it's absolutely fine. My skin feels completely moisturised, I know my skin has decent protection from the rays, and after a few weeks of using this I have noticed that my skin looks really glowing and healthy, which is just the look we want as we head into summer.
As I'm aware that the SPF protection in creams slowly fades throughout the day, I also like to ensure that some of the products in my make up bag contain some sort of sun protection. The Collection 2000 Sheer Loose Powder in 2 Translucent has been my go-to powder for years now (and as you can probably tell, I've had this one for awhile now, and it's very well-loved. At £2.99 it is the very definition of affordable, lasts for absolute ages and contains Vitamin E as well as UVA & UVB sunscreen. This means that you can take it with you and top it up on the go.
The newest addition to my make up bag in the way of sun protection is the e.l.f. Studio Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Espresso. I don't generally get on with liquid BB creams so was afraid this tinted moisturiser would make my skin extra oily, but teamed with The Body Shop Instablur, and locked into place with the Collection 2000 Loose Powder (with one or two T-zone touch ups) it's actually not too bad. I think this will also come in really handy for days on the beach so you can top up your SPF regularly without having to sacrifice getting coverage.
There are so many affordable way to work sun protection into your skincare routine, so there's really no excuse not to!
How do you build sun protection into your skin routine?
