Game Changer: A Mattifying Sunscreen That Covers All the Bases
I can’t complain about my skin these days. Aside from a traumatizing bout with hormonal cystic acne that I’ve managed to get mostly under control with a cocktail of dermatologist-prescribed panaceas, it no longer causes me much grief. Still, there are two constants I’ll always have to contend with when it comes to taking care of my complexion: extreme fairness is one, and extreme oiliness the other. As the kind of lily-white human anomaly who, without protection, incurs an impressive sunburn during the seven-minute walk to the subway, daily SPF 50+ is a non-negotiable, and that’s that.
And this is where my skin type comes in: sunscreen, for whatever reason, lends itself to greasiness. (Could someone please figure out why that is and get back to me?) Combined with the rising temperatures of the warmer months, most sunscreens leave me essentially unable to keep any semblance of makeup intact for much longer than a few (short) hours. My skin is at its prime in winter, when the weather conditions leave me less likely to shine bright like a greasy diamond, but aching for winter just to achieve relatively balanced skin is no way to live.
Unsurprisingly, I’ve flirted with just about every sunscreen made for face out there, particularly those with mattifying claims. Like most things that claim to mattify, the vast majority of these formulas do not. That still hasn’t stopped me from trying similar products that hit the market, because what is life without a little bit of hope and faith? My persistence, and refusal to accept that there was nothing good enough for me out there, paid off in the form of SkinCeuticals Physical Matte UV Defense SPF 50. It promises all the right buzzwords—SPF 50, oil-absorbing, matte finish, a “weightless mousse” that “optimizes makeup application”—and, with the blazing summer sun as my witness, it delivers.
If what you’re looking for is formidable sun protection with very real oil-regulating abilities, without clogged pores, that works wonderfully beneath makeup, your search is over; stop right here, because you won’t find anything better. My makeup lasts longer—and my skin stays matte(-ish) longer—with this does-it-all sunscreen than it has with any other sunscreen or primer in the past, and I’ve made it nearly all the way through the summer unscalded. For the pale, for the sun-sensitive, for the human oil slicks: this one’s for you.
Read more from Daily Makeover: The Best Tinted Sunscreens to Make Your Life a Little Easier
