I live in one of the worst cities in the world for sun damage (we have a big hole in the ozone layer above us here, I’m a red head with pale skin AND most people in my family seem to get some form of skin cancer after they hit 50 …so I’ve had to pay particular attention to protecting my skin from sunburn.
My mum was great when I was growing up. I’m one of 4 red haired girls so whenever we were at the beach she was extra careful at making sure we were all out only during the ’safe’ sun times and we wore sunblock all over.
As I got older I realized that most people aren’t as careful as me with the sun. Perhaps this is because they don’t burn as easily or they don’t have the same history of skin cancer in their family. HOWEVER, and this is an important however - if you are on some form of acne medication such as antibiotics, roaccutane or benzoyl peroxide, then you need to be more careful when you’re out in the sun because these medications will make your skin more sensitive to sun damage.
It is therefore essential that you wear sunblock whenever you’re outside (and preferably a hat and sunglasses!).
But what sunblock can you wear that won’t give you a breakout? And are there any natural alternatives?? I’ve recorded a video with a few tips:
Here are the products that I refer to in my video:
- Dermalogica ultra sensitive faceblock spf25
I forgot to mention in my video that I discovered this sunblock through a sample that was sent to me ..one of those tiny one use sachets. I loved it so much that I went straight out and bought a whole tube! - My favorite natural sunscreen
- The Cancer Council Australia
Fran
Fran Kerr is the founding editor of High on Health. To cure your acne, sign up to Fran's FREE acne cure mini-course or download her latest how to guide, Eat Away Your Acne.
28 responses ↓
Hi Fran thank you so much for everything you are doing! You really are giving us all hope. Anyway my acne started when I was about 14 now im 19 I used to have the big thick cysts that looked like boils but (ThankGod!) now I just have the moderate acne. Anyway I was wondering on the sunscreen thing how do you make sure that you are washing everyhting off because I was using a sunscreen from banana boat baby tear free spf 50 and I think i wasn’t washing it off right and started breaking out now I just don’t wear any and I just avoid the sun. Does the dermalogica spf wash off okay and the sunclear does that wash off okay? What are you thoughts? BTW I would kill to have your beautiful skin. Also, I am pale and I live in Arizona in the southwest USA which is the number 2 leading cases of skin cancer in the world.
Hi Zack, like you I hate the feel of sunscreen and I’m a little scared of it so I just avoid the sun and wear a wide brimmed hat if I’m ever out in it longer than 5 minutes.
Yes, the dermalogica is a little hard to get off and it is quite sticky, but it hasn’t broken me out which is good. I’ve also just bought a new one from Shiseido. It’s supposed to be awesome, and doesn’t have that sticky feeling. I’m also well known not to cause acne.
I’m yet to try it but it’s the facial sunscreen that I’m taking with me to Fiji and Hawaii next week
how can i get a sample of the dermaologic ultra sensitive or super sensitive face block?
Hey Fran, I was wondering whether you tried the shiseido sunscreen and did u buy the sensitive skin type or the spf 55? thanks.
Hi Peter, the spf 55
[...] a light sunscreen or a moisturizer that contains an SPF in the morning. Just make sure you use a good sunblock that’s non-comedogenic so you don’t break [...]
Hi Fran,
Which is your preferred sun screen at the moment?
Hey Fran, have u heard anything about the shiseido spf 33 for sensitive skin and babies? I checked MUA but only a few reviews were available for it. I tried the dermalogica and unfortunately it was too oily for me(i have a really oily tzone). so can u please recommend a physical sunscreen that is suitable for oily acne-prone skin because im almost giving up using ss. thanks alot.
Hi Mike & Marissa- Yes I actually recommend the shiseido for the face as one of the best sunscreens because it does no clog pores. It is however tested on animals which is not good.
I actually prefer using my mineral makeup as sunblock because even though it has a low SPF, it is good if I’m not going to be out in too much sun. Not adequate for spending a day at the beach though!
I have heard that Burts Bee’s makes a 100% natural sunblock. Has anyone tried it? I haven’t yet but I am wondering if anyone has and what they thought of it. I am going to look it up on MUA.
Here is the link to the page where the sunblock is.
http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SubCategoryDisplay?catalogId=10051&storeId=10001&langId=-1&subCategoryId=-143
Burts Bee’s on MUA not so good, 6 reviews total, 4 were bad, 2 were good.
Hi Fran
I happened upon your site whilst looking for a mattifying sunscreen for sensitive pimple prone skin- combination. I bought the Shiseido sensitive sunscreen for babies and sensitive skin as the salesperson thought that the ultimate cream would be too oily? I also purchased the Pphilosophy high foam cleanser to get the sunscreen off as I read that it can be hard to remove the sunscreen residues.
Just wondering if you think that the Philosophy cleanser gets off the Shiseido sunscreens and do you find the Ultimate 55 a bit drying on the skin? Everyone at makeup alley talks about oil cleansers to get off the sunscreens. What do you think Fran? I think the sensitive is a touch drying, I’ll have to get a richer moisturiser for underneath.
Just wondering how you are going with Shiseido. i got some of the natural clearskin sunscreen samples and they are very good, not really greasy. Will use it in my chest and neck and leave Shiseido for face.
Hi Suzanne,
The Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser is the best cleanser i’ve ever used for getting anything off the skin, including makeup and sunscreen. If you’re worried, you can cleanse your face twice with it ..it’s not drying to do the skin so this is safe to do.
I could only get my hands on a 30+ shiseido sunscreen in Australia, the 55 seems to only be available overseas. I’m not sure if the formulas are different but I didn’t find the 30+ drying at all, in fact I’d complain that it’s a little too oily! But my travel buddy has been using it and his skin has responded very well to it. He does get pimples when he uses a standard sunscreen on his face, but not with the shiseido.
Hi Fran
I am in Australia also, in Victoria. The salesperson at Myer told me that the ultimate sunscreen cream 30plus is the same as the 55 except that the TGA only allows sunscreens in Australia to be labeled 30plus. She said that the sensitive sunscreen lotion is similar to the ultimate but not as oily, so maybe she was right. I am finding the sensitive sunscreen lotion for babies/sensitive to be really mattifying and hasn’t broken me out or caused redness. My mineral makeup goes over it very well. The lotion feels light and gives me a nice whitening look which I like. Very subtle. It evens out my skin tone. The salesperson had very sensitive acne prone skin and was using the sensitive lotion for a long time and hasn’t had any problems. The product was on the ‘Today Tonight ‘ show apparently and was recommended by a dermatologist as very non pore clogging. Choice magazine also rated it very highly. So I was sold on it. I will by it again. I might test the Ultimate on my face one day just to see how oily it is.
Hey Fran…
Hope you had a lovely Christmas and are enjoying being back in Brissie after all your travels. Just wondering if you know how much of an SPF mineral makeup generally has? How would you tell if you need a sunscreen as well??
PS any opinion on Paula’s Choice sunscreens? Just been looking at her skin-balancing daily mattifying lotion with SPF 15 and antioxidants (bit of a mouthful!!) and also the essential non-greasy sunscreen etc…
Hi Kirsten- I’m pretty sure mineral makeups have a very low SPF, 15+ or something, but you might want to Google that! I only use a sunscreen as well if I’m going to be out in the sun, like going to the beach or something.
And I’ve never tried Paula’s Choice sunscreen
Don’t know why I didn’t think of that - you can Google almost anything can’t you?! For anyone who’s interested in the answer, it was a little ambiguous - depends on how much you put on etc. Seems like you would have to wear it very thickly to have much of an SPF rating at all…
Will let you know if the Paula’s Choice sunscreen is a huge hit (or not).
Hi Fran
Just wondering how the Shiseido ultimate sunscreen cream is working for you? The sensitive lotion seems to be good for me, in that I haven’t broken out from it. I do find it a bit grippy when putting on mineral makeup powder, so I stopped doing that unless I know I’m going to be in the sun heavily. Makeup and sunscreen is a hard combo for me!
Regards
Suzanne
suzanne- agreed, sunblock and makeup usually aren’t a great combination. If I manage to find a good natural tinted sunblock, I’ll be very happy.
I rarely use the shiseido sunblock because I find that it does clog my pores a little even though it shouldn’t. I have a feeling there is a difference between the US and the Australia products. Australia is not allowed by law to advertise a sunblock as above 30+ for starters, so the shiseido here only goes to 30+, not 55+
Little update on the Paula’s Choice sunscreen that I mentioned earlier - so far I’m loving it for something that is (unfortunately) a chemical sunscreen. It has an incredibly light texture, doesn’t make my skin any oilier (or too matte) and doesn’t seem to aggravate my acne at all. Would definitely recommend it if you’re having trouble finding a mineral version that agrees with your skin.
how to apply and how much to apply for face sun screen especially for oily and acne prone skin?. all the sun screen i tried give me break out. I tried the oil free Clinique city block and shesido sunscreen for sensitive skin and Biotherm Homme UV 50 + , all of them give me acne. I only applied small amount. Are we suppose to apply sunscreen on top of moisturizer?
Oh the shiseido made you break out? That’s not good. It doesn’t have anything pore clogging in it so I’m not sure why it did that. Just us it as little as possible, that’s what I do. I only use sunblock when I’m going to be out in the sun for a long time (like today, I’m going to the beach). But for every day, I don’t use it.
Just to update. I Finally use Paula choice spf15 sunscreen, and it doesnt give me break out. I start to use her BHA because of all the clogged pores from trying out sunscreen
. I have alot of initial purging big pimple, hope it can go away sooner. I saw your recommendation for the bee yummy skin food. unfortunately I have try to many products and wasted too much money to cure my acne plus I have to order it from US to australia. but worst come to worst i will order it . thanks
Hi Fran,
I was just wondering, since I use the Bee Yummy Skin Food as a moisturizer everyday, should I apply it before or after sunscreen, if ever? Or should the two not be mixed? I am going away to Miami for a few weeks and want to make sure that I do not break out!
alexander- you don’t need to order bee yummy skinfood from the US, I sell it here in Australia.
Chase- Before or after, whichever works best with you
Personally I prefer after, but that’s mainly because I’m always applying my sunblock just 20 mins before I’m out in the sun, no earlier than that.
My advice..if you have acne prone skin, it is not recommended to use Dermalogica ultra sensitive faceblock spf25. I tried it once and had several breakouts . I spoke to the therapist in the dermalogica retail shop and was advised this product is too oily for acne prone skin.
Hi guys,
I use Mychelle sunscreen and it does not clog my pores. Most of the ingredients are organic too. Check it out if you are looking for a sunscreen that does not cause breakouts and its mostly natural. Fran, you might like this sunscreen. It is not oily at all.
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