SPF's break me out!!

No one can survive a summer in Greece without any sun protection creams. The sun is hot and almost always around, so even when being in the shade one may end up with a sunburn. Moreover, sun is one of the main causes of premature aging.

And now about me…..although I wear sun protection on my face all through the year, I notice that in the summertime I get breakouts. This is mainly because going to the beach means that you get to apply the product over and over, usually without washing off the sea salt, plus in the meantime you may get sweaty. Moreover most SP creams seem to have a thicker texture (although I always use the oil free version) to them -compared to moisturizers- especially if they have an SPF of 25 plus.

I just came back from my vacation –and although I had a great time- my skin is now suffering! I now have to cleanse it at least three times a day, use pore cleansing masks and tone my skin. And trust me, in order to get back to my normal skin, I have to pay a visit to my beautician and get a professional deep cleaning facial.

All through the years, I have tried most of the SPFs available in the market, ranging from the pharmaceutical (Vichy, Avene, Propoline) to the high end brands (Clinique, shiseido, Lancaster, Lancome, Estee Lauder).

BUT, I think I may have discovered the solution to my problem, the new Oil Free Moisturizer SPF30 by Mario Badescu. His products work great for me, especially when my skin is in a bad condition. There are a couple of stores in Athens when I can purchase MB products, but the particular moisturizer was very new, so it was not available in Greece, which means I will have to order it on line.

Why am I so certain it will work for my skin? Well, right before I left for vacation I purchased a couple of products from the MB stand and the lady who worked there gave me two tiny samples, the Hyaluronic moisturizer SPF 15 and the Complex Moisturizer with Vitamin E SPF 20. I am happy to say that none of the two gave me a break out. Unfortunately the first one had a low SPF and the second one was a bit too oily for my skin. Since these products did not make my skin break out, I think that the oil free moisturizer with an SPF of 30 will be ideal. According to Mario Badescu’s official site it is a non-pore clogging, paraben-free formula that provides UVA and UVB protection and the necessary defense against sun damage and acne scarring. Moreover, it is recommended for every day use on combination, sensitive, oily or acne-prone skin.