Is it too late for me to talk about sunscreens? Never! Just when I thought Vancouver was going to be done with the heat, we got slapped with one more heat wave last week! Now, we are back to our somewhat wet and gloomy weather, but that's ok because the air quality was getting pretty bad and parts of BC were literally on fire so hopefully Northern BC gets some relief soon. As always, I get a little sunscreen crazy every year trying new textures and brands and with the last year and half focusing more on skincare, I have found myself devouring different sunscreens as it has literally been the last thing I put on my face as my makeup routine no longer involves foundation or other face makeup. Sigh, how the pandemic has changed things!
When it comes to sunscreens, I always look to see what Clarins has come out with for the season as they are one of the bestselling luxury brands for sunscreens! They have enough of a reputation that I purchased a tube of the Dry Touch Facial Sunscreen in SPF 30 a few months ago despite having a literal STATION of sunscreens at home! Though the sunscreen didn't work out for me, Clarins unexpectedly sent me a summer package that contained their latest sunscreen innovations and now have found love with one or two other bottles!
I will admit that out of all the Clarins self-tan products, this is the only one I have tried because it seemed easy to use and wasn't something I could easily mess up. I first used this a couple of years ago and for someone like myself who doesn't really know how to use any tanning products and just wants a slight glow to the face, these self-tan drops are a no-brainer. These drops are mixed with your moisturizer and you can control whether you'd like just one drop for a light glow to three drops for a gradual tan. Even a novice like me can't go wrong because you can easily control how many drops you mix into your moisturizer.
This I have not tried yet as I'm not sure how well I will do with a gel. I think after all these years, I still don't trust myself to apply this evenly to my skin. I tend to have issues with even application around my ankles and toes and always discover my spotty application the next day while I'm wearing sandals in the sunshine which is just FANTASTIC. What's nice is that this gel can be used on both the face and body with a formula that uses a combination DHA (of natural origin) and erythrulose, a natural tanning agent found in red berries like raspberries which is pretty cool! I always used to think of self tanning as very "chemical" so it's nice to see that plant-based ingredients can help too!
The Milky Lotion didn't seem as scary so I did try this one out and it had a really lovely scent (smells like tropical summer) and texture. It really did feel exactly like a light, creamy moisturizer and was easy to get into nooks and crannies. I am still too scared to use it on my face, but the rest of my body looks like I got some sun! I will try to be good about using this lotion consistently, but I tend to get lazy once the Fall/Winter comes along because I wear pants or tights more often so we will see how I do over the next few months!
I have already reviewed this facial sunscreen in my chemical sunscreen round up and I did not like it. What should have been dry touch felt so heavy and it left a very slight whitish cast which on me, I could massage away until my skin actually looked brighter. How this would look on darker skin tones, I don't know, but in terms of consistency, this felt thick like a mineral sunscreen that required a lot of massaging to work into the skin. I much preferred the consistency of the SPF 50 version of this.
I actually enjoyed the body version of this sunscreen more than the face version as I don't mind working the sunscreen into my body. It has the same pleasant scent as the face version and has a slightly velvety finish with a similar brightening effect.
Dry Touch Facial Sunscreen SPF 50*
This is supposed to be the same in every way to the SPF 30 version except with a higher SPF, but I like this one much more! The finish seems nicer, not as heavy and also seems to be easier to work into the skin. For the face, this is my preferred option.
If I don't have to get my hands too dirty, I won't which is why I have been using the spray A LOT! This is a lightweight spray that is easily spreadable and doesn't leave any white streaks behind. It also has the same pleasant floral scent and is suitable for all skin types. This just makes sunscreen application so fast and convenient that whenever I am out on my patio reading, this is the sunscreen I use on my body! Highly recommended!
Soothing After Sun Gel*
I never really stay out long enough in the sun to need soothing, but this is just a really nice summer moisturizer for me! This can be used on the face and body and hydrates with aloe vera and watermelon extract for up to 24 hours! It also helps to protect and preserve your tan by absorbing quickly and leaving a non-sticky finish which means no waiting around to put your clothes on! Also, the scent is heavenly! Like a creamy, warm floral that reminds me of vacation!
Soothing After Sun Balm*
This is for skin that needs an extra dose of moisture and/or soothing as this is a soothing balm that provides up to 48 hours of hydration. It functions the same way as the gel, but the balm is a thicker texture that requires a touch more massaging, but is still reallllllly nice to use after being outside or again just as a moisturizer because it smells so good!
Which suncare product from Clarins excites you the most? Have you been using some of these already this summer? Comment below!
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