Safer Tinted Sunscreens: Coola vs eltaMD
Preventative skin aging is kinda a big deal. In the words of the ever-classy Coco Chanel, “Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.” Thanks for those pearls of wisdom Coco!
Anyways, if there’s anything my zesty Aunt Roxy tells me repetitively, it’s “sunscreen, shade and fashionably floppy hats”. Roxy is nearly 55 with tight cheeks and no scarecrow lines to be seen. So, I couldn’t help but think she’s onto something. This summer, I’m taking her advice to heart. 2019 is the start of my wrinkle warfare.
Here are the two lines I’ve used in the past. Because simple = sweet.
Coola’s Matte Tint SPF 30: This stuff is touted by Goop and has more positive Amazon reviews than even Kylie Jenner’s matte lip line…so you know it’s good. If you’ve tried heaps of sunscreen only to be disappointed with the Four Horsemen of the SPF apocalypse (1. Makes your face look overly oily or 2. Makes your face look white or 3. Makes your face breakout or 4. Ruins your makeup sheen) then this might just be your new drug. Coola SPF 30 is a bit like fairy dust, it comes out of the tube feeling strangely dry (for a sunscreen) and it still feels dry on your face when applied. Even though it is an organic powder, it actually works well (for me) as a moisturizer and makeup primer. It also wears well under foundation. Oh, and if you are going for a make-up free day, I adore how it adds a dewy sheer.
Among other things, most sunscreens have some sort of combination of the Bad O’s (Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Octisalate and Octocrylene) these chemicals are endocrine and hormone disruptors that cause havoc—even in the tiniest of doses—in your body (specifically with your reproductive system, and your metabolism). Coola’s doesn’t have any of those O’s. Yes, please! eltaMD does have Octinoxate as an active ingredient.
eltaMD's UV Daily Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 : This sunscreen has a cult-following too! Hundreds of (sun-loving) reviewers swear by it. Here’s the pros: This sunscreen doesn’t leave a white cast (which is surprisingly hard to find in the natural-sunscreen world). Plus, it also acts as a moisturizer and doesn’t get the “peels.”
There is one Con: Unfortunately, this does have Octinoxate, so when choosing between the two brands, I now opt for Coola. eltaMD is still a wonderful choice over many of the other sunscreen options out there.
PS From personal experience if you do end up using eltaMD, I prefer eltaMD’s SPF 40 over their 46 option because it’s far less drying.
Are there other sunscreen brands out there that you love and that are natural? We’d love to hear!
XOXO,
Lemon
