The sunscreen rabbit hole led me to Asia.

As a sensitive and fair-skinned redhead you'd think sunscreen was my bff. In reality, its not something my generation (I'm a Xennial) grew up using.  As late as 1999, there was still controversy “regarding the role of sunlight in the development of skin cancer”. SPF 30 didn’t hit the markets till the early 90’s and wasn’t the standard minimum recommendation in Canada until 2016 (my kids were 5 and 1).

“Everyone knew” the best way to avoid a sunburn was to get a good base tan first. "Everyone knew" having a golden summer glow was healthy and good. Sunscreen was really only used if you were going to the beach, and even then you’d see just as many people with SPF 4 tanning oil and aluminum reflectors to catch more rays as you did people applying sunscreen. The only problem with having a sunburn was the pain, or it might make you feel sick if it was bad enough. Sun exposure being linked to cancer risk was simply not a thing we worried about. 

Thankfully science has advanced, and its widely understood now that regular sunscreen use is important for preventing cancer and premature aging. 

Mineral sunscreens are more accurately called inorganic sunscreens, because zinc and titanium are not carbon based molecules. Chemical sunscreens are more accurately called organic sunscreens, because the UV filters used are carbon based. Referring to sunscreens as mineral vs chemical plays upon the (false) idea that natural is better and chemicals should be feared but for simplicity of understanding here, I'll largely refer to them as mineral and chemical.
I've always stuck to mineral/inorganic sunscreens even though I disliked them, because I believed the myth that they were better for people and planet, and that "chemical"/organic sunscreens weren't safe, but I've since learned otherwise. The "chemical" UV filter bemotrizinol for example (trade name Tinosorb S), has an even better safety track record than zinc oxide does. TikTok started me down a sunscreen rabbit hole that led me to Korean and Japanese (chemical) sunscreens and I now have sunscreens I happily wear every day.  I do recognize that being able to purchase Korean or Japanese sunscreens is a privilege.  Its better to use any sunscreen than none, and we don't all have access to international products. Our UV filters and rating system in Canada may not be as advanced as other parts of the world but our sunscreens still help protect against skin cancer and premature aging so using whatever products you have access to and can afford is a good thing!!  

Canada & the US are way behind Europe & Asia.
New chemical/organic sunscreen filters haven’t been approved in Canada for over a decade (and even longer in the US) because unlike most of the world, Canada and the US categorize sunscreen as an over the counter drug which means years of testing before approval, including animal testing. We’re literally decades behind the innovation that’s happening in much of the world. 

According to Dr.Julian Sass
“...because sunscreens are non-prescription drugs, any time that you want to have a new drug on the market, it has to go through what's called a new drug approval, which takes 15 years at best and costs thousands and thousands of dollars. And you have to have a lot of safety data that goes into how drugs are approved. I guess it’s the same thing that you would do for any kind of over-the-counter medication. And it also involves animal testing for safety reasons. And the difference between here and Europe, for example, is that Europe has completely banned animal testing and they have these alternatives that they have access to for these animal testing processes. And so when you're looking at trying to get one of those new filters approved in the U.S. or in Canada, there is that animal testing process that has to happen. But it's banned in the country where it's coming from. And companies don't want to pay all of that money to do the animal testing when they've already in their own region, done that safety testing and they know that it's safe on the skin, and especially when it's been used for 15, 20 years over there. So it's like, well, what's the point of doing all that testing just to have one more country that we can sell in? So it's a really complicated bureaucratic issue because of the way that the different systems are regulated in these different regions”.

Korea and Japan classify sunscreen as a functional cosmetic not a drug, so they're able to safely innovate and improve sunscreens at a much faster rate than Canada or the US can. Sunscreen in Korea and Japan is part of daily wear for many, as pale skin is a cosmetic priority (for a variety of reasons largely related to classism more than racism) so they’re always innovating to make sunscreen products that are safe, effective, affordable, and cosmetically elegant as part of their overall sun protection regimes.

UVA & UVB
Korea & Japan use the familiar SPF system for UVB, and have a separate rating system for UVA. When testing UVA protection for new products, Health Canada actually requires sunscreen manufacturers use the Japanese method for doing so, or a method from Switzerland. 

UVB rays are the ones that cause burns and cancer. They are a shorter more high energy wavelength and impact the top layers of the skin. SPF ratings tell you how much protection you have from UVB rays.  SPF 30 allows 1/30th or 3.3% of UVB rays through, protecting against 96.7% of UVB rays. SPF 50 allows 1/50th or 2% of UVB rays through, protecting against 98%.  1%  doesn't seem like much of a difference in protection between SPF 30 and SPF 50, but it does make a difference and I'll circle back to that shortly.

UVA rays are the ones that cause aging and sun allergy. They are a longer wavelength so penetrate more deeply into the skin causing the cellular damage behind premature aging (wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, collagen damage), photodermatitis (sun allergy) and contribute to skin cancer including lethal melanomas. They also cause tanning (which is your body trying to protect itself against radiation damage) and to a lesser degree contribute to sunburns. UVA protection is important for everyone but especially for the 15% of people with a sun “allergy” (photodermatitis) as UVA rays are responsible for up to 90% of cases of Polymorphous Light Eruption, the most common type of PLE/PMLE.

In Canada a sunscreen that protects against UVA rays is labeled as “broad spectrum” but we don't have a system to tell us specifically how much UVA protection is provided. If the words UVA are in a circle on the bottle, that means the UVA protection is at least ⅓ of the SPF protection.  So an SPF 30 product with a UVA circle logo would have at least UVA Protection Factor or PPD 10. You mostly see this circle label on higher end lines like La Roche Posay, Ombrelle, Bioderma, and Vichy. Broad spectrum products without that logo though? We actually don’t know as consumers how much UVA protection they offer.  (Speaking of labels on Canadian products: you may see the Canadian Dermatology Association seal on some sunscreens. It's a paid program and does not necessarily indicate a superior sunscreen product.) 

While UVB exposure varies a lot depending on the time of day and season, and the rays don't really penetrate glass, UVA rays vary less and can penetrate glass. You ever see those pictures of long-haul truck drivers where their left arm and left side of their face are leathery and dark compared to the right side? That’s the long-term exposure to UVA rays through the drivers side window (the windshield has UVA filters).

In Korea and Japan they use a UVA protection rating scale separate from SPF, known as PA (protection grade of UVA). This system uses plus signs to represent the UVA protection level..
+: 50-75% of UV rays are protected against  (PPD 2-4)
++: 75-87.5%  (PPD 4-8)
+++: 87.5-93.5% (PPD 8-16)
++++: 93.75% or higher (PPD 16 or higher)

You can learn more about UVA protection measurements in different countries here.
And about UVA and UVB protection in Korean vs American products, here. 

What does SPF (sun protection factor) mean?
A common misconception is that the SPF # you apply once, is how much longer in multiplied minutes you can stay in the sun without burning than you could with no sunscreen,  and with no reapplication. So on a very high UV Index day where you'd start to experience UV damage after 10 minutes outside, many believe using SPF 30 would give you 300 minutes (5 hours) or SPF 50 would give you 500 minutes (8 hours) of protection. People then assume all they have to do is apply SPF 50 once and they're good for the day because they have 8 hours of sun protection.

In reality, those sunscreen filters get 'used up' as they're exposed to UV rays; they rub off and sweat off and wear off as we move. Whether you use SPF 30, 50+ or even higher, if you're in the sun you need to reapply at least every 2 hours to maintain your maximum sun protection and you need to reapply after being in water, sweating heavily, toweling off etc even if 2 hours hasn't passed yet. When you're applying sunscreen for the first time in a day, while it will start working immediately, its best to apply about 15 minutes before going out so the product has time to settle and dry into an even layer that adheres as a film on your skin to offer optimal protection (this also helps reduce staining from avobenzone). When you're re-applying throughout a day, you're basically filling in "holes" that have developed in your initial layer of sunscreen to keep your protection maximized.
This all applies if you're using mineral sunscreens with zinc or titanium too, as (despite popular misconception) these  mineral/inorganic filters primarily absorb UV rays, rather than only scattering & deflecting them as was previously believed and they also need time to settle as a film on your skin to work optimally. 

Water Resistance
It should be noted that -Korean- sunscreens are not typically water or sweat resistant as they're designed for easy daily use not the beach.  There's a lot of discussion online about whether Korean sunscreens can stand up to more intense conditions like being outdoors and sweating. For the most part they weren't designed for that purpose so I wouldn't expect them to.  If you’re planning on going swimming, will be out in the sun all day, sweat a lot, or you're in a humid environment you’ll need to choose an appropriately sweat and/or water-resistant sunscreen option. This is more commonly found in Japanese formulas than Korean ones, as parts of Japan are actually quite hot and humid. 
In Canada, manufacturers can only use the term water-resistant, not waterproof, but when looking at sunscreens from other countries you may see the two terms used interchangeably, with minute specifiers (40, 80, or higher), or with clarifying descriptors. Effective January 2023 Japan is using a star system, with 1 star meaning 40 minutes, and 2 stars meaning 80 minutes. ie After 40 minutes or 80 minutes in the water, then air-drying (not toweling off), the SPF on your body will be at least half of the SPF you started out wearing. Companies have until November 2024 to comply with the new labelling so some Japanese products currently sold may meet this standard but not yet have the star labels.

Our family prioritizes staying out of the sun during peak UV times and especially out of the water then, so we don't need a water-resistant formula often, but when we do, I like this one from Rohto Mentholatum because its fragrance free and that's a deal-breaker for me.  Skin Aqua Super Moisture Barrier UV Gel is SPF 50+ PA++++ 80 minutes water resistant and is one of the most popular products for this purpose in Japan.  

My kids are past this stage now, but there are options for young kids which are water-resistant like ISEHAN Mommy Kiss Me UV Aqua Milk. It's safe for use on children aged 1 year and up, SPF 50+ PA++++, 80 minutes water resistant, and fragrance free. If I needed a water resistant sunscreen for little kids this is one I’d personally be willing to try. 

How much SPF to use & why 50 really is better than 30
I will say that whatever SPF you use, you have to apply it adequately to get the advertised coverage in the first place and if you're in the sun, sweating, or moving a lot you need to fully reapply it every 2 hours to keep that full level of SPF coverage when you need it.  Remember above when I mentioned that while there's not -much- difference between SPF 30 & SPF 50 (97% vs 98% of UVB rays blocked), it does -MAKE- a difference?  Studies have shown that many people only use ¼ to ½  of the quantity of sunscreen needed, so with an underapplied SPF 30 for instance, on the body it’s more like SPF 15 or even SPF 7 coverage. If you start with a higher SPF product (50+) even if you accidently underapply you'll be in better shape because you'll be wearing SPF 25 (96%) or 12.  You should still always aim to apply the full amount though, to avoid thin or missed spots that could leave you with sun damage. 

You’ll often see that ¼ teaspoon of sunscreen is recommended for the face. That quantity is based on some rough conversions from mass to volume (2mg/cm squared) that don’t account for the varying weights of sunscreen filters and ingredients.  And we're not exactly walking around with measuring spoons to check out quantities, so I personally prefer the finger measurement method. 2 finger lengths is suggested for the face.  Any amount of evenly applied sunscreen is better than none of course, but if you're like many busy people and count on the spf in your moisturizer or foundation to protect you, your level of protection is almost certainly less than the label advertises as we use much less moisturizer or foundation than would be needed (2 finger lengths) to get the full spf protection value out of that product. 

I use 2 finger lengths for my face every morning,  including my eyelids and under eyes, and going right to my hairline. If I know I'll be outside, I use 2-3 fingers of my body sunscreen to cover my ears, neck, and decolletage if they're not mostly covered by hair or clothing that day, and will do my arms if I'm in short sleeves. Don't forget spf lipbalm, and that if you're out in the sun, you need to reapply after eating or drinking as well as every 2 hours. If you're indoors all day, not sitting in front of a giant window with the sun glaring down on you, you don't necessarily need to wear sunscreen all day. I'm often in and out of the house, so prefer to put sunscreen on in the morning as part of my skincare routine so I don't have to really think about whether or not I might need it later.
For the rest of the body, using the finger length measurement method means using roughly 1 finger length of sunscreen for every 1.5 hands size area of skin.   For many people that works out to a stripe of sunscreen the whole length of your arm, and a stripe of sunscreen down the front and back of your leg. Every body is different though  which is why I like using finger lengths instead of teaspoons. It also feels a lot more approachable than say a "shotglass" worth which is another common recommended amount.


Products I've Tried
I currently have a SunBum spf lip balm (cheap!) and a JackBlack spf lip balm (not cheap lol), but plan to try some of the Rohto Mentholatum ones next time I need to place an order at Stylevana, or possibly one from this list. 

On my face I currently use Skin1004 Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum for daily wear.  It's SPF50+ PA++++. It has completely replaced my moisturizer and costs less than my moisturizer alone did, so using it daily actually saves me money. No scent. No white cast. Not sticky or greasy. Safe around eyes. Reef-safe (I'll come back to this). Lighter than anything I've ever used and has improved the look and texture of my skin. I like it so much I bought a sample set of the Skin1004 signature Centella skincare line and have now switched to that for my daily facial care (also less expensive than the brand I'd been using, which wasn't big box store, but wasn't premium either).

There's a Skin1004 stick version which is great for re-application on the go and it's third-party tested as generally sweat resistant. Its easy to apply to the scalp along the part, and your lips if you don't mind the taste. It's not water-resistant for x minutes, but when I used it the other day on my arms and went to wash it off before bed later the water still beaded up on top of it and none of my regular sunscreens do that. Stick sunscreens shine as touch-up products but its hard to get enough out of them and onto your skin to serve as an adequate base layer of sunscreen. 

For body, and for my husband and the kids, I have Nivea UV Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++.  Again no white cast, no real scent, eye safe, feels like nothing once rubbed in, reef-safe.  It isn't the max UVA/PA protection, however everyone in my family is willing to use it in appropriate quantity and re-apply it which means they’re getting more protection than if they were using nothing, or only a scant amount of a heavy mineral sunscreen.  And if you’re not using the required amount, you’re not actually getting the full protection value anyway so for us, the Nivea UV Super Water Gel is a good option with an SPF of 50 and ~87%-94% of UVA rays being blocked. The "water gel" in the name refers to the formula style (a watery gel consistency) NOT to it being water resistant.   

I just learned about Kumano Cosme - Reihaku Hatomugi UV Care and Moisturizing The UV Milky Gel SPF 50+ PA++++  from the SPF database created by Dr.Julian Sass. It’s under $20 for a 250mL pump which is the largest container of Korean or Japanese sunscreen I’ve ever heard of. He reviews it positively and when I’ve run out of the NIVEA Super UV Water Gel, its on my mental list to possibly try as a body sunscreen for my family. I’ve heard mixed reviews about whether it stings the eyes (possibly only an older formulation that stings?) so I’ll approach with caution on the face.   It contains coconut oil which some people are sensitive to  and it contains avobenzone as a primary UV filter. Avobenzone can react with high levels of iron in hard water and leave orange stains on clothing. 

My teenager uses a different one for their face than I do as their skin is a bit oiler than mine. Isintree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel is light, no white cast, no fragrance, not sting-y around eyes. SPF50+ PA++++ I personally found it a bit drying and would want to use it with a moisturizer first but they've been happy with it on its own.

My teen also uses the Beauty of Joseon Mugwort & Camelia Matte Sun Stick SPF 50 PA++++ for re-applying easily on the go. 

I've tried the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Probiotic & Rice SPF50+ PA++++. I have it in the swim bag to apply to my face after getting out of the pool when the chlorine has been a bit harsh on my skin and will likely use it more in the winter when the air and my skin are a bit drier.  I have not found it stings my eyes, no white cast, fragrance free, and reef-safe.  (Interesting aside - the Skin1004, Isintree, and BoJ sunscreens share a common base formula)

All that being said — where do you buy this stuff??

Where To Purchase?
You have to order directly from Asia or some can be purchased through retailers in Europe though that's typically more expensive. Because the Korean and Japanese products use more advanced filters than Canada has approved due to our animal testing requirements and other lengthy drug testing requirements; they don't have Canadian DIN’s/NPN's; and they don’t meet our labeling or packaging requirements (things like being in English and French for instance); they don't meet Canadian requirements and can't be purchased in Canada or imported for sale here, but you can order them for personal use. You might see them for sale on Amazon but as often as not those are crappy knock offs and should not be trusted. The same applies in the US. 

The 3 main sites Canadians reliably purchase from are Olive & Young Global, YesStyle, and Stylevana. 

Olive & Young is a major Korean beauty retailer based in Seoul. Their prices are higher but they have a solid reputation. The Skin1004 sunscreen I use daily is currently $33.75 CAD, or on sale as a 2 pack for $27.30CAD. As I've worked on this article over the last couple weeks I've noticed their prices change a LOT.  Last week a single tube was on sale for $19.89USD regular price listed as $33USD. You can ask the site to show you the prices in CAD, but you'll be charged in US dollars. Shipping is free over $60USD and as best I can tell includes a tracking number but I couldn't find anything about insurance. If your order is below $60 USD, shipping starts at $25USD. If you have the honey browser extension, it'll pull up potential coupons for you to apply to your order.

YesStyle is based in Hong Kong and sells in Canadian dollars. Shipping is free over $70CAD and is trackable at least once it arrives in Canada. I couldn't find any information about insurance for orders.  Shipping for orders under $70CAD starts around $9CAD. My daily use Skin1004 sunscreen is $17.17/50mL at YesStyle. It doesn't appear to have coupon codes through honey but that could always change.

Stylevana is the most affordable of the 3 sites. The Skin1004 sunscreen I use is currently on sale for $12.44 CAD, regularly $15.59CAD/50mL or less if you buy multiples. I've ordered from Stylevana a number of times and never had a problem. That being said there are people who say their (untracked) order never arrived and they had difficulty with the Hong Kong based customer service. Shipping is free over $68CAD.  Shipping under that threshold starts at $9 for tracking and insurance. I've paid roughly $5 extra for tracking *and insurance* on my free shipping parcels and everything so far has arrived safely within a couple weeks. Make sure the items in your cart are all in stock/ship within 24 hours. If an item is noted as "usually ships within 30 days" for example, your order is gonna take much longer to arrive. Every order I've received has included a couple free single use samples. There are often coupon codes from honey you can use to get a discount and free products too. Sometimes the shipping cost changes with the use of a coupon so be sure to look at how the coupon impacts your total price.  With honey coupons I've received discounts on every order and full size sunscreen for free, twice.

Which Product(s) to Choose
The million dollar question of course, with so many sunscreen options to choose from, is which one(s) are right for you?  Lets say the Korean and Japanese products are just not an option. Some people hear “not approved in Canada” and assume that means the products are inferior (even though they aren't). If that’s you, that’s okay.  It's also okay if ordering online doesn't work for you. Or if its too much money upfront. The best sunscreen for you is one you have access to and are willing to use and for most people that's gonna mean buying something local at a Canadian big box store or pharmacy.   Avobenzone is a primary UVA filter found in virtually all Canadian chemical/organic sunscreens. Unfortunately it has the potential for staining when it hits iron-rich hard water, which is frustrating.  Allowing your sunscreen to dry down before getting dressed can help reduce transfer to clothes and subsequent staining. If possible, washing your clothes in softened water may also help.  Banana Boat Simply Protect Baby Sunscreen Spray is an SPF 50+ water-resistant fragrance-free sunscreen that uses a mix of zinc oxide and chemical filters to get you broad spectrum protection without the avobenzone.  The only other one I've found here is Black Girl Make It Hybrid SPF 50 water-resistant fragrance-free (online only). Those are the only broad-spectrum, not 100% mineral sunscreens, I've found in Canada so far that don't have avobenzone. It's not a bad ingredient but the potential for stains is annoying. 

Mineral sunscreens and green-washing
If you prefer a mineral sunscreen  ThinkSport/ThinkBaby, and Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen,  are brands that get recommended often but there are others to choose from.  I do have a few bones to pick though because green-washing and deceptive marketing bug me.  Blue Lizard isn't actually Australian and neither is Australian Gold. Having Australia in the name makes people think its good enough for the big bad Australian sun but neither product is Australian-made or available in Australia.   
Pretty much every mineral sunscreen company talks about how their mineral products are superior to chemical sunscreens because zinc and titanium reflect UV rays instead of absorbing them. While zinc and titanium do reflect or scatter 5% -15% of UV,  science over the last decade has shown us zinc and titanium function primarily by absorbing UV,  just like most chemical UV filters do.
Related to this, there's always talk of how mineral sunscreens are superior because they sit on top of the skin but chemical sunscreens get absorbed into the skin. Both mineral and chemical sunscreens form a film on the top layer of skin and that film wears off - - its why sunscreens have to be re-applied. Sunscreen that intentionally absorbs past the uppermost layer of dead skin cells and therefore lasts longer because it isn't dependent on being a film layer on top of the skin is a whole separate area of innovation. As of this writing, EVY sunscreen from Sweden is the only product on the market that can do that.  We do know that components of sunscreens can make it into the blood stream and many people avoid North American chemical sunscreens out of fear that that's a problem. The shortest answer I can give to that concern is absorption doesn't necessarily equate to harm and you can learn more at the embedded link. <3  This really is the heart of why Korea and Japan have better sunscreens though - not only are they more cosmetically elegant, they use filters like Tinosorb that don't cross into the bloodstream like the chemical/organic filters used in North America, so that concern can get removed from the table altogether.
Mineral sunscreen companies also make big claims about being reef-safe because they use zinc and/or titanium, but that's a marketing claim not one based in science. I'll cover the idea of reef-safety in a bit. 
Finally, mineral sunscreen companies tend to emphasize that zinc is "natural" and therefore better than synthetic "chemicals". They conveniently fail to mention that the zinc used in cosmetics and sunscreens is usually synthetic, and if its coated to enhance function in the formulation, that coating is also synthetic. 
If you like mineral sunscreens best, by ALL MEANS go ahead and use them. Because of our lack of advanced filters here in Canada, they really can be the best option for some people. The best sunscreen for you is the one you'll use. 

Your Specific Needs
When it comes to choosing an Asian Beauty (AB) sunscreen (or any sunscreen!) it really really comes down to your unique skin type, preferences, and needs, especially for your face.  The ones I've mentioned in this article I either have personal experience with or they're on my "try next" list, but there are SO many more to choose from assuming your needs are different than mine!  The SPF database by Dr.Julian Sass is an excellent source with over 500 sunscreen reviews, but be sure the product being reviewed (in his database or elsewhere) is the exact same as the one you're interested in since formulations can change between countries and from year to year, even though they have the identical name and packaging.  The EWG and their Skin Deep database are popular for looking up skincare info and I used to use them myself but I don't recommend them anymore due to their manipulating of data to fear-monger for profit. The EWG simply isn't an evidence-based source for decision-making, despite their efforts to convince the public otherwise.
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Besides what is popular on TikTok (that's where I started), you'll want to explore reviews and ingredient lists. I'm allergic to avocado for instance so I read the ingredients lists carefully in search of that as its not a flagged allergen. When it comes to the face, some products are better for oily skin, some for dry, for combination, for sensitive. Some leave a glowy or dewy finish and others are more matte. Fragrance free or scented? Skin care actives? Water/sweat resistance? Cruelty free? Reef safe? Dr.Sass’s database can be searched using all those criteria and more. It's important to remember that things like whether a product suits sensitive skin or oily skin etc is pretty subjective, and terms like fragrance-free and reef-safe are not regulated terms.

Fragrance/Free
One database I searched (skinsort.com) listed products I've called fragrance-free (because well, I've smelled them and read their ingredients), as having fragrance. Skinsort has a ton of information that's useful, but you also need to take it with a grain of salt and click through all the links to understand why they say things are, for instance, not fragrance-free when practically speaking they ARE indeed fragrance-free.  One of the sunscreens I checked (Isintree) contains olive oil - - they consider that a "fragrance" but practically speaking, no one puts olive oil in the same category as perfume/fragrance. You have to click through all the little icons at Skinsort to see exactly what they're defining as fragrance  in any given product so you can make an informed choice.
 
Reef-Safety
Reef-safe is a whole other kettle of fish (pun not intended but I'm gonna leave it lol).  Unfortunately "reef safe" is more a marketing thing than a scientifically grounded term. At this point, the science basically points to banning UV filters (most notably oxybenzone; to a lesser degree octinoxate, octocrylene, and others) as akin to polishing a doorknob while your house burns down.  Banning these ingredients lets governments look good without requiring them to make the changes that would actually help (like tackling climate change and industrial pollution for example); and gives manufacturers a green-washed selling point. The UN Status of Coral Reefs report published in 2021 doesn't even mention sunscreen. If you're going to be swimming at a coral reef (which presumably you flew to, contributing to climate change and coral reef destruction FAR more than your sunscreen could), then out of an abundance of caution, to be in compliance with potential local laws even if they aren't evidence-based, and to help you feel less guilty ;), choosing a sunscreen without oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, or ZINC is best practice. Contrary to popular marketing claims that its "natural" and therefore safe, zinc degrades but isn't biodegradable; isn't naturally found in coral reef environments any more than "chemical" sunscreens are; has been shown in lab studies to NOT be reef-safe (just like the reef-UNsafe label for chemical sunscreens comes from lab studies); and natural in general doesn't always mean safer or better for the environment.  All of the sunscreens I've mentioned in this post are free from oxybenzone and so can be classed as "reef-safe", to some degree, for whatever that term is worth depending on where you are in the world. 

Face vs Body
With all that info out of the way --  you might try some products that aren't right for your face. The skin on our face is thinner and more sensitive than the rest of our body. It's why I use one sunscreen for my face and another for the rest of me.  If you try a sunscreen and it's not right for your face you can often use it for the less sensitive skin of your body so it doesn't go to waste and facial sunscreens are typically in smaller packages (50mL) so fit easily into a purse or even a back pocket.  Do be sure to wash your face properly EVERY night after using sunscreen, to reduce the likelihood of breakouts or irritation. Even the "healthiest" skin with the "best" sunscreen can breakout or get irritated if sunscreen isn't removed thoroughly at the end of each day.  Most will come off easily with your preferred facial cleanser and water or a microfiber makeup remover cloth. I use one of those cloths to wipe sunscreen off my body before going to bed if I'm not having a shower. If you're wearing a very very water-resistant sunscreen on your face, and especially if you also wear makeup, you may want to look into double cleansing with oil or micellar water then your regular cleanser to ensure you remove it all if you feel like your normal facial cleansing routine isn't cutting it.

Conclusion
I’m thrilled to have discovered Korean and Japanese sunscreens and to be able to protect myself and my family more effectively and consistently. I’m also thrilled at how affordable they are compared to some products in North America.   And honestly, I'm really glad I'm able to share this information with my community. So many people I know don't use sunscreen because they don't like how it feels or didn't feel safe but now they have better options. It's never too late to start. The older we get, the more slowly our bodies heal, the more radiation damage we accumulate over time, and the more at risk we are to develop skin cancer.  Wearing sunscreen, even if you already have wrinkles, is still a good thing that can protect your health. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, at the end of the day, the best sunscreen for you is the one you'll use consistently. Whether that’s chemical or mineral, Korean, Japanese, European, Australian, American, or Canadian….. Find something you love and use it regularly.  <3

Sources You Might Find Helpful
Dr.Julian Sass
Glow by Ramon
LabMuffin
EcoWell
SkinSort 
Glossary of UV Filters
​Sunscreen Labels
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