I rather have a sunny day rather than a rainy day. One of my new year resolution this year is to wear sun block whenever I am out. So far, I failed.
I knew I have to wear sun block since I am a teenager but I really really hate the texture of the conventional sun block we used to have in the market. They are thick, greasy, sticky and smelly (yucks). They make my skin feel sticky the whole day and my face look whitish (as if I am wearing tons of powder)! In the end it will result in congested skin and acne start to pop out..
When nothing else seem to work out I found out about powder sun block. Yeap, sun block but in (pressed) powder form. Heard about it last year. I seriously thought it was a new formulation, apparently powder sun block has been around in Korea for years ;)
A little bit info about sunblock and sunscreen. Some of you might not know that ( I don't at first), sunscreen and sunblock are two different thing. The latter is obviously more beneficial scientifically. Unlike sunblock, sunscreen blocks UVB rays, but it does not protect the skin from UVA. Get more information here.
Last month, I bought a powder sunblock from Nature Republic. Most of the powder sunblock I saw in the market are rather expensive even for Nature Republic. I wanted to try the texture plus I got 30% off during their member sale. It is retailing for RM81.90 (I hope I remember it correctly).
This product claims that they are eco friendly. Made from natural ingredients. Powder sunblock are relatively more expensive than the liquid ones. I was hoping that this will work well for me. However, sadly, it doesn't. At first I thought this will be great for my skin as I have combination skin and I hate oily product. This product is not recommended for dry skin as the powder will definitely mask your face.
I coudn't find much info on the ingredient as they don't list the ingredients used in their website and on the box it is all in Korean language. The only thing I understand from the label is, this product is formulated with MD102 water (I am clueless)
Offers high sun protection. This product is great because you can reapply as many time as you wish. As most of you already know, sunblock will only be effective for relatively 4 hours after application. To get continuous protection reapplying is necessary. Unfortunately, if you are a make up girl, reapplying will only be possible if you are using powder sunblock (liquid ones will ruin the whole make up!). For oily skin, this will be great too as it will help in making your skin look matte and fresh ;)
The product come with attached sponge applicator. I am not so fond of this kind of applicator. I feel that they are unhygienic.
This product smell pretty good. Like a sweet tea ;p
Below is the reason why I don't like this sunblock. I had this sunblock only for a month and I gave up on it after the first week of using because I received too many negative feedbacks on how fair (fake) I look with it on :( No it is definitely not a bad product. No breakouts or irritation occurs but my skin tends to get drier a little bit and pores appear to be so obvious.
Before applying powder sunblock.
Applied to the half of my hand.
Even after blending the powder still look too fair for me. Since it is so fair and sheer, it highlights my dark circles (horrible!).
PROS:
- Great for oily skin (get rid of the shine and doesn't look so mask like on oily skin)
- Great to be used on make up.
- Good for outdoor (not swimming).
- Pressed, no mess and fuss compared to the loose ones.
- High sun protection, SPF50+PA+++
CONS:
- A little more pricey than the normal liquid sunblock.
- Doesn't look great on dry or combination skin(depending on how dry your skin is). Gives mask effect.
- This somehow enlarge my pores ( because my skin gets drier).
- Using the sponge on oily skin might get the sponge really dirty and grows bacteria. Might result in acne. However, instead of using the sponge, you can use flat top buffer brush for it.
- Might not work out for darker skin due to the color.
Conclusion:
You decide whether you are up for it ;) Let me know if you tried powder sunblock before. Too bad this don't work well for me. It would be great since our country is so HUMID!!!!!
Now I am back to the normal liquid sunblock. But this time I choose sunblock can be used as a make up base ;) Plus this is pigmented. In beige. At least I will not look so white ;p
Have a great monday blues people ;p