Confessions of a Skincare Junkie

I have been been on a quest for the Holy Grail of Sunscreens since I started wearing sunscreen every day more than 20 years ago.  Back then was when the first research came out about cumulative sun damage and sun-related cancers… and also about cumulative sun damage and deep wrinkles.  I decided on my 27th birthday that I didn’t want either and so I started wearing sunscreen every day… but finding the right one has not always been easy.

I’ve discovered that I’m very picky when it comes to sun protection. I like physical sunblocks as opposed to chemical sunscreens.  When I’m outdoors and the sun is beating down on my face, my skin actually feels like it is burning unless I have something with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.  I like a high SPF, and I like an easily absorbed formula. No parabens.  No mineral oil.

I have tried hundreds of sunscreens over the years and only one by La Roche Posay which I bought when we lived in England between 1994 and 1997, and haven’t been able to find since — only that one reached holy grail status.

I have been on a quest ever since.

The latest sunscreen to grace my medicine cabinet is one by the Korean company, Skinfood.  Platinum Grape Cell White Sun Essence SPF50+ PA+++ [Brightening + Anti-wrinkle + [Sun Protection effect]  Ordinarily I don’t buy products unless I can read the ingredients list, but for some reason, I decided to plunk down $25 to try this unknown and untested product solely based on the scant description on the back of the package.

It’s patented in South Korea.  Actually, South Korea has a very strict FDA and very high standards when it comes to skincare, and Skinfood (which has been in business since 1957) is known for using pure food-grade ingredients.  One of Skinfood’s mottos is: “To protect your skin for 14 years, not just for 14 days.”  How can you not like a company with a motto like that?!

This product has a really nice pump bottle that pumps out just the right amount of sunscreen so I neither have to pump twice nor waste product. It’s a very creamy product and feels very moisturizing.  I’ve been using it instead of a moisturizer and my skin is still hydrated by the end of the day.  It will probably be too hydrating during warmer months, but right now when it’s cold and the air is very dry, it’s the perfect moisturizing sunscreen.

There must be at least some zinc or titanium dioxide in this formula since I did not feel a burning sensation on my face when I worked outdoors last week-end.  Sun protection is important year-round and this kept me from gaining new freckles (sunspots) even though my booth is in direct sunlight and from noon until 2, that direct sunlight is right on me. I have an umbrella and wear a hat, but short of wearing a burka, there’s not much to protect you if the sun is right in your face other than sunscreen. Fortunately, Grape Platinum Cell White Sun Essence provides good protection.

Is this the holy grail of sunscreens for me?

I’m not really sure.  I will have to get a list of ingredients and also test it under hotter, sweatier weather conditions to see how it performs.  But it certainly gets a 5-star rating as a moisturizing winter sunscreen.  My skin has been quite happy with it — no little bumps or break-outs and no redness — and it feels smooth and soft even after I remove it.

Have you tried this sunscreen?  What did you think of it?  Is it your Holy Grail product?