Sunscreen Roundup

If I get skin cancer, it will obviously be on my feet. I wear sandals and flip-flops all summer long and what with regular walks with the dog and errand running, the tan lines on my feet are something special.  But I take care with my face and wear a sunscreen under my daily lotion that also contains SPF protection.  Since I'm now well and truly entrenched in my 40s, I  recently decided that I would find a sunscreen that I love after years of settling for just whatever was on sale at Walgreens when I ran out of what I was currently using.  Here are the results.

Cerave AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with Sunscreen SPF 30 ($12.19 for 3 ounces at Target)

Pros:
Easily available at drugstores
Relatively inexpensive

Does not irritate my skin, including the eczema on my hands

Cons:

Does not sink into skin particularly well, leaving a white residue that occasionally stains clothing

Sweats off like crazy during the summer if you start to glisten

Must be put on twenty minutes before makeup application unless you want your makeup to be bumpy

Overall:

I used this in my 20s and 30s and I still think it's a good product for the price. Now that I've tried fancier sunscreens and know that there are other options out there, though, some of those cons bother me a lot.

Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV ($11.99 for 40 grams at Amazon)

Pros: 

Scentless

Perfect weight - it was just a slight bit oily at first, but it sank right in to my skin and felt like it moisturized

No white residue

Great primer for wearing makeup

Cons:

It's cost is ridiculous

It's made in Japan, so it hasn't gone through the rigorous FDA approval processes

The packaging makes it challenging to use all the sunscreen - I had to get out a pair of scissors and cut away at the top to get to the product at the bottom

It's hard to find to  purchase - I'm nervous of buying skincare products through Amazon (who knows how old they are?), but it's not available at Sephora or any drug stores in my town - recently it's even hard to find it on Amazon

Overall impression:

I love this sunscreen, but the cost and difficulty of obtaining it are honestly big factors. I felt like I was ordering it every two weeks and maybe that's okay investment for long-term health and vanity, but I'm not sure.

EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 ($36 for 50 milliliters at Amazon)

Pros:

UVA/UVB protection (both!)

Great for folks with challenging skin issues - it did not irritate the eczema on my hands when I was applying it

Not greasy

Cons:

The smell is medicinal, although once it is rubbed into the skin, I didn't notice it

If I thought the price of the Cancake was ridiculous, this is more than twice as expensive

Overall impression:

A perfectly fine sunscreen and much better than what I was buying at the drugstore. If I'm going to spend that much money, though, I'd rather get the Cancake.

Supergoop! Glowscreen Sunscreen SPF 40 ($36 for 50 milliliters at Sephora)

Pros:
Slight tint will make you look less like a ghost on Zoom calls

Do not need an additional moisturizer

Cons: 
Smells absolutely disgusting and that smell will linger all damn day 

Made my chin break out during the first week of usage

Slight tint looks ridiculous in person if you are a pasty white person

The crazy price is the exact same exorbitant amount as the EltaMD

Overall impression: This sucked terribly and I felt obliged to finish the tube even though it smelled awful and the tint was maddening, especially since I wasn't wearing makeup to cover it up.  Also, that tint made its way onto masks, my yoga mat, and everywhere else that incidentally touched my face. Thumbs way down.
 

Supergoop! Superscreen Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA+++ ($38 for 50 mL at Sephora)

Pros: 

Goes on cleanly with no white residue

Moisturizes

Cons:

The smell is absolutely terrible - the smell lasts all day

Leaves an oily residue - this lasts all day

Overall impression: I got this as a free sample from Sephora and thank goodness I didn't buy a whole container. The smell was incredibly off-putting and I'm super pleased that I was able to wash it off at the end of the day and know that I never had to smell it again.

Overall winner(s):

In general, I try to buy the Canmake. It's perfect for my skin and I like how lightweight it is. However, it's hard to find.  In a pinch, I just go back to CeraVe, although I used some points from Sephora to recently help me finance the EltaMD recently when my Canmake was running low.  

What's your daily sunscreen? What are your requirements for what makes a good sunscreen?