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My phone beeped as I entered the office. It was my first day at Re’equil. All smiling faces - glowing skin with not-so-salon-styled hair. The majority of females wore no makeup but, a little tint on their lips, I didn’t mind.
They all looked good but there was something really wrong with my skin…
I travel by bus daily with no sunscreen, just some coconut oil, and a light foundation. I got tanned and gradually pimples started popping out on my face. What went even worse was some visible lines around my eyes even when I wasn’t smiling.
That’s when Shivangi (my colleague) figured out that smiles shall not stop but me going out without sun protection shall. I was introduced to Re’equil Sheer Zinc Tinted Sunscreen. It’s the new age sunscreen for every skin tone/type - the transformational sunscreen for people of Re’equil and many others outside Re’equil. Reason- the unique formulation of ingredients backed up with a tint and SPF 50. It's for people like me who want a slight universal tint and who now want to take care of their skin.
No more unprotected sun exposure!
What do tinted sunscreens do?
I asked her - Why tinted sunscreen?
“These sunscreens provide a uniform matte finish to your face while providing SPF protection. Unlike traditional sunscreens, these sunscreens do not feel heavy on your skin and give you a natural finish throughout the day. That’s my secret to this no makeup look.” - opined Shivangi.
She further added that tinted sunscreens are a friend to all skin types including sensitive and acne-prone skin.
Shivangi said - “Research has proved already that sunscreens effectively protect skin from harmful impacts of UV rays and prevent premature aging and photodamage. But still, people tend to skip this most important step of their skincare regime. The most common explanations for the same that people give, including you, is that they experience skin irritations, white-cast, acne exacerbations, and greasy and chalky appearance.”
Top 5 benefits of tinted sunscreens
To guide me further about its use and benefits she arranged an online appointment for me with Dr. Aseem (MD and DNB in Dermatology). I had queries to get resolved. Here’s what I learned about this transformational sunscreen.
I questioned Dr. Aseem - “Does this Zinc Tinted Sunscreen give foundation-like coverage?”
My concern was that wearing sunscreen with makeup adds an extra layer to the skin, which ultimately gives a cakey and greasy look. Obviously, this had to be my first question since I am a light foundation user.
Dr. enlightened - “Tinted sunscreens easily blend into your skin and provide excellent coverage to your dark spots or blemishes. The application of this sunscreen helps to give you an even tone look during the whole day. I would say that tinted sunscreen can play the role of light foundation for a natural makeup look with the added benefit of sunscreen.”
He proclaimed - This universal tint sunscreen blends effortlessly into all skin tones
The application of tinted mineral sunscreen gives a sheer tint to all skin tones which ultimately helps to enhance your natural skin tone.
I jotted that Iron oxides present in this tinted sunscreen are responsible for the “tint on skin” and it also helps to increase the protection against UVA and visible light.
Shivangi quoted on Dr. Aseem’s behalf since she has been attending Dr. Aseem’s informative session on skin care. She has been using this sunscreen for months and months now-
“It’s a sunscreen that leaves zero white cast.”
While thanking Shivangi, Dr. Aseem picked up from here. He explained that tinted sunscreens have a very lightweight formula that smoothly blends into your skin. Its application delivers a wonderful matte/dewy finish look to your skin.
It is then I realized that it was actually too late and how I had left this sunscreen unnoticed while I saw this every day on the shelf in the office.
The dermatologist informed - It offers both UV and blue light protection
He explained that it is not only UV rays from the sun that can cause damage to your skin. Research shows that blue light emitted by your laptop, smartphone, and other electronic devices can trigger early signs of skin aging in the form of wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. This raises the need to wear sunscreen while staying indoors and working on electronic devices.
He said this broad spectrum tinted sunscreen with SPF 50 combines mineral (physical) filters like Zinc oxide and iron. It is worthy of trying to keep skin protected against UVA, UVB, and blue light. Talking about Zinc oxide he said that in sunscreen, Zinc oxide works to reflect both UVA and UVB rays from the skin surface. Similarly, iron oxide blocks the blue light coming from electronic devices.
He mentioned that prolonged unprotected sun exposure risks our skin to a lot of skin concerns like hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, fine lines, breakouts, and more.
My last question - “Is it suitable for sensitive and acne-prone skin types?”
Since I have a sensitive and acne-prone skin type not many formulations suit my skin best.
He suggested that -
- Fragrance-free tinted sunscreens are the ideal sun protection care for those who have acne-prone or sensitive skin types. It is a mineral sunscreen implying that it is gentler on the skin since it doesn’t penetrate the skin to protect against sun rays and visible light.
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Non-comedogenic properties of tinted sunscreens are another important feature that makes them an ideal choice for daily use. Non-comedogenic ingredients in sunscreen do not lead to congested pores which induce the risk of acne exacerbations. Physalis Angulata Extract and Lipochroman (Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol) are newly approved sunscreen ingredients that neutralize free radical damage and protect skin from oxidative stress.
Insight by the dermatologist on the application of sunscreen
Wearing sunscreen is important but it's equally essential to reapply it throughout the day to keep your skin well protected. Without the reapplication, you are still at great risk of sunburns, wrinkles, pigmentation, and tanning. Generally, sunscreen should be reapplied after every two hours, especially after excessive sweating or swimming.
P.S.
I am a firm believer in following the values passed down to me by my elders in the family, surely sunscreen wasn’t part of their regimes. But understand that we are not our ancestors. City life and indoor living have changed our skin and sunscreen is a must. Also, I have started using retinol night cream to curb the visible lines I got.
Here’s the history of sunscreen that I referred to that made me evolve and change.
