Every year I'm faced with the same quest: find the perfect non-greasy high protection sunscreen, preferrably mineral-based, to withhold the hot and humid New York summer without sliding off my face or causing breakouts. This year I decided to go back to the paragon of UV protection, Paula's Choice herself, and opted for the Resist Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($29 for 60ml/ 2 oz). Did you guess it's the adjective 'super-light' that really got me?
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I'm the prime example of a fair skin type that gets sunburn just from looking at the photos of sunlit beaches in travel magazines (well, maybe not quite... but close enough). But all jokes aside, I take my sun protection very seriously, to the point of carrying a travel size bottle of SPF with me at all times, trying to reapply it if I can, and hiding in the shadow after my prescribed 15 minutes is up (yeah, because we all need that Vitamin D, people). I have been made fun of repeatedly because of my 'fear of the sunlight', but I don't care; even disregarding the whole skin cancer and photo-ageing issue, being burnt is simply no fun.
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I have to admit that I didn't have very high hopes for this Paula's Choice Super-Light Moisturizer + SPF; last year I tried Murad's Oil-Free Sunscreen that promised to be lightweight and matte on the skin as well, but turned out to be everything but light. However, from the moment I removed the safety seal and smoothed some of the Paula's Choice on my hand, I was really impressed. The texture is quite thin but not runny, the product blends out easily on the skin, and within my moments, my skin is left feeling smooth and matte, like I don't even have sunscreen on. Throughout the day, it also doesn't cause my skin to produce more sebum, and keeps it relatively fresh and shine-free. That's a big deal, people! There's also no scent to it (like all Paula's Choice products), and as a bonus, it contains some skin-loving antioxidants (resveratrol, Vitamin E & C).
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Now for some downsides: it's quite expensive, no arguing about that - I'm expecting this size will only last me through the summer, or maybe not even that long. It's also slightly tinted, and while the tint works for me personally (it even cancels out some of my redness, so it's nice to wear on its own as well as under make-up), it won't work for everyone; I'm expecting it may be too pink for warmer/ yellow & olive skintones, and too pale/ashy for darker skins. I understand perfectly why Paula chose to formulate this with an added tint (to counteract that usual white cast caused by zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide), but maybe releasing it in a couple shades would help ensure everyone is able to find a match. It's also not much of a moisturizer in my opinion, so if your skin is even a little dry, make sure to moisturize beforehand. And lastly, for my very fair skin, I actually wish this came in a higher SPF; they offer another product in SPF50, which is my usual go-to, but it's a chemical sunscreen and some reviewers mention it's not as light as this one.
Hope this helps if you've been looking for a sunscreen suitable for oily and combination skin, or you've been wondering which one to try from the Paula's Choice range. I'm definitely happy with it for the time being, but I'm also itching to try one of the Japanese or Korean sunscreen formulas. What is your favorite SPF product?
Hope this helps if you've been looking for a sunscreen suitable for oily and combination skin, or you've been wondering which one to try from the Paula's Choice range. I'm definitely happy with it for the time being, but I'm also itching to try one of the Japanese or Korean sunscreen formulas. What is your favorite SPF product?