Let me spare you a lecture about the importance of sun protection (although, I could talk about it for hours, if you’d like) and just get straight to the point - sun protection is very important, even if your reasons are vain in nature (skin cancer isn’t pretty either, of course).
This year, we went from hail to t-shirt weather in under a week (welcome to the Midwest), and my fair freckled skin can get burnt even in the Fall. Dermatologists recommend re-applying sunscreens every few hours, and while that’s doable on the beach with no makeup on, it’s pretty hard to do during the workweek or with any sort of decorative cosmetics on. Can you imagine slathering sunblock on your face over foundation? I can’t (and don’t want to).
The beautiful thing about capitalism and the free market economy is that demand almost always creates supply, so my prayers have been answered - there’s a powder with SPF in it. It’s genius.
First, I bought a US-made SPF powder and it was awful. The brush felt like something only mildly softer than sand paper, and the powder itself made my face look yellow. As usual, though, Korean skincare is here to save the day. I gave up on trying to make the other product work and bought Catrin Natural 100 Mineral Sunkill RX SPF46 PA+++ powder (say that five times fast).
Most of us have probably already heard of SPF (sun protection factor), but what is PA? It’s based on a Persistent Pigmentation Darkening test which measures how much UVA a person can be exposed to without tanning/skin darkening. The range is from + to ++++. In short - higher SPF and more “+”s after the PA mean higher protection against the sun.
Sunkill is a mineral sunblock, meaning it reflects the sun’s rays (instead of absorbing and neutralizing them like chemical sunscreens do). This reflecting action helps keep the skin cooler, which is always a plus in the summer.
How to use:
Apply generously in the morning and as needed. I use gentle tapping motions with the brush to make sure I cover all the areas.
I recommend starting in the middle of the face and moving outward to ensure an even application.
I was not familiar with the CATRIN brand until this product. They claim to be on a quest for healthy skin and their name stands for the following:
C (clean)
A (alluring)
T (treasure)
R (refinement) I (improve)
N (nature)
The brand is all about using minerals derived from nature. Their products do not contain irritating chemicals. The mineral sunkill line was awarded the LOHAS Product of Excellence Certification (LOHAS measures products based on how healthy and environmentally safe and responsible they are).
The Sunkill powders comes in three sizes:
Travel size with brush (2.5g) - what I have
Travel size with puff
Large size with puff (12g)
I chose the small size because my main use for the powder is for touch-ups/reapplying during the day. I chose the brush because they tend to stay clean longer and are easier to wash.
My impressions:
I may have found my HG (skin enthusiast slang for “holy grail” or a “must have” product) sun protection. I still like to use an SPF cream in my morning routine to really cover all the bases, but this powder is perfect for re-applying and controlling any oiliness during the day. The brush is quite stiff, but I think that’s to ensure a good, even application of the product to the skin. I don’t find the bristles harsh or irritating - no complaints here.
The compartment with the powder can be unscrewed, so if (more like "when") I buy the larger version to keep at home, I can refill the travel case as well. Also, since this doesn’t have harmful chemicals, it can be used on kids. Any parent who’s ever tried to put sun cream on their children will understand my struggle. My 4 year old is much more likely to allow powder because it looks like “makeup” and she’s all about that these days.
The powder looks light beige in the jar, but I don’t find that it adds any color to my face at all. Perhaps that’s not the case for deeper skin tones, however. The finish is a nice matte (I have combination skin with an oily t-zone and dry-to-normal cheeks).
Final verdict - awesome! Highly recommend.
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Ingredients: Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc oxide, CI 77492, Silica, CI 77491, CI 77499, Quartz, Sapphire powder