My friend, who is a crazy hiker, told me that she just got sunburn after hiking for a day. After the fact this wasn’t her first whole-day hike, I was shocked to know she doesn’t wear any sunscreen — she feels indifferent to her skin color (she is now tanned), she feels as if wearing a heavy, oily coat over her skin, she feels disgusted at the untidy-looking white cast left on her face. So she prefers getting sunburn and having it soothed by aloe vera gel to preventing it by wearing sunscreen. I was left speechless and spat out an aggressive response, “Your sunscreen just sucks!”. I admit I was quite mad at sunscreens with bad formulas and their producers. Their existence forces people to abandon such an indispensable step toward wrinkle-free and even-tone complexion.  

While persuading my friend to take one sunscreen, I recommended COSRX’s Aloe Soothing Sun Cream, which I always mistake for a moisturizer when I’m not paying attention thanks to its lightweight texture. But you know I can’t be guilty about taking this sunscreen in place of a real moisturizer because of its hydrating function. The 5,500 ppm of Aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract used is responsible for the instant refreshing hydration and prevention of moisture loss. And I can’t recommend a much better alternative for someone who got a sunburn, heat rash or anything caused by UV exposure because Aloe’s anti-inflammatory properties are celebrated for easing these problems. If you are not burnt, the Aloe content, as an antioxidant, is still in your favor because of its soothing the environmental stress from UV exposure. It also makes it easier to smooth the sunscreen over your face with good absorption, leaving a non-sticky finish without a white cast. This formula with broad-spectrum SPF 50 PA +++ is just perfect for even sensitive and acne-prone skin because it leaves parabens out! And if you advocate animal rights, you should have a liking to this cruelty-free sunscreen and its brand whose products are all cruelty-free.

While I wouldn’t say I like repeating general things you should have known, I feel responsible for reminding you how ideal sunscreen functions, taking this sunscreen as an example. For the name “sunscreen”, it blocks UVA and UVB rays for the sake of skin elasticity and even tone, respectively. Yet, this sunscreen — every sunscreen — doesn’t bring the ultimate results if you believe in wearing it only when you are outside, on sunny days, or summers. In fact, it should be in your daily routine, just like brushing teeth, because UV rays can still find you on rainy or cloudy days. The last thing, reapply every two or three hours!