[SKIN TRUTH] What’s the best sunscreen for sensitive and troubled skin?

With the temperature only continuing to rise these days and the weather forecast constantly warning us about UV exposure levels, it’s essential to keep a bottle of sunscreen on you at all times. 

It makes sense then that not only makeup and drug stores, but even supermarkets and grocery stores all seem to be prominently displaying and promoting sunscreen brands. Even when you search for sunscreens or SPF makeup products online, there are pages and pages of different products available for purchase. 

With the market becoming oversaturated with sunscreen products advertising varying levels of everything from SPF protection to PA indexes, we’ve reached a point where it’s become necessary for consumers to be able to filter through inflated marketing data and find the products that are fit for their own skin. 

Moreover, for consumers with acne-prone skin, there is the additional issue that sunscreen is made to protect the skin from overexposure to UV rays, not to solve or even help acne-prone skin. It’s thus become almost inevitable that consumers have to worry about whether their sensitive or acne-prone skin will react poorly or worsen with heavy ingredients that are often contained in sunscreen products. 

Warmer weather also plays a factor in the rising concerns for consumers with troubled skin. According to a 2005 study conducted by Seoul National University surveying 46 different subjects, researchers unanimously found that the summer season is the time of the year when participants’ skin excreted the highest levels of sebum. When sebum levels rise, the skin’s natural homeostasis is interrupted and it becomes easier for acne and oiliness to develop. 

Then what sunscreen should consumers with troubled or sensitive skin use, and how should they use it?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an adequate amount of UV exposure provides the skin with vitamin D and helps strengthen the skin’s natural defense system. Thus in order to naturally strengthen your skin, it’s better to apply sunscreen only on days with a lot of sun exposure or on days when UV levels are higher, as opposed to using sunscreen every day. 

And on days with high UV levels and sun exposure, it’s important to check all the ingredients in a particular sunscreen product. Today’s products sometimes contain anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial ingredients with calming effects on the skin. For instance, ingredients like Allantonin and Licorice Root Extract are often found in quality sunscreen products. Allantonin is an ingredient designated by the FDA for OTC registration that works to protect the skin, and Licorice Root Extract is a naturally-occurring herb that has long been used to treat dermatitis and itchiness. 

To summarize, it’s important to choose a sunscreen product with a high PA level that has a amount of SPF that fits your skin, to check if the product contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial ingredients if you have troubled or sensitive skin, and to only apply sunscreen only when necessary. Knowing and adhering to these guidelines to choosing and applying the right sunscreen for your own skin type can help you get a step closer to achieving clear and healthy skin


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