Sunday Sunblock: Julep Daylight Defense SPF 30

Time for another installment of Sunday Sunblock!

See? Gross!

Today, I bring you Julep Daylight Defense SPF 30 for hands and face. At first glance, this looks like it would be THE sun protection product for me. It's got a combo of zinc oxide and organic sunscreens ("chemical blockers"), and it smells like citrus. Unfortunately, I've been having issues with it. It leaves little clumps of white if I use a proper amount, and doesn't absorb fully. Because I cannot abide my neck looking like a recently waxed armpit suffering solid-stick deodorant clumping issues, this will not be a repurchase. I'm glad I got it as part of a Julep Maven box instead of coughing up the $28 full price ($22.80 for Mavens) for it.

Deets:
Price: $28
Size: 3oz.
Price per ounce: $9.34

Active ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5%, Oxybenzone 4%, Zinc Oxide 3%, Ensulizole 2%
Inactive ingredients: Butylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Oil, Cyclomethicone, Dicetyl Phosphate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Heylene Glycol, Isostearyl Isononanoate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Octododecyl Neopentanoate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Hydroxide, PVP/Eicosene Copolymer, Retinyl Palmitate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethxycaprylylsilane, Water, Xanthan Gum.

Nails! Dots! (& Nuts'n'Bolts)

I bought a dotting tool and went a little nuts. 
China Glaze Poetic
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Celeb City
Zoya Kimber
Zoya Myrta

Other news:
I've updated my blog sale post (top right hand sidebar has the link). Please buy my stuff! If you do, I'll buy and swatch some Inglot for you.

Sunday Sunblock is going irregular - I still have about six products left in my bathroom that I'd like to talk about, but I need more time to use them and form opinions on them. Unformed opinion = bad review. Nobody wants that!

I'm in some serious need of a new nail polish storage solution. Ideas? The cupcake carrier isn't cutting it anymore.

Sunblock Sunday: Neutrogena Wet Skin sunblock spray

Today's Sunblock Sunday is a review of Neutrogena Wet Skin sunblock spray, SPF 85.

It claims to provide "full strength protection even on wet skin." It also says that it "applies on wet or dry skin. waterproof/sweatproof." I think that it's no longer legal to claim that your product is waterproof, only "highly water resistant," but I bought this last year when it was ok to say that sunblock was waterproof.

This is also not even pretending to be a natural product, though the inclusion of one botanical ingredient is really mystifying to me. It's chemical soup. I think there's even a phthalate in there. The sunscreens in it are of the chemical/organic (in that the molecules contain carbon, like life forms) variety, and if there's a kind of plastic that can be put in cosmetics, this product probably has it.

I knew this all when I bought it. I wanted an affordable product for those times when large areas of my body were going to be exposed to the sunlight, and bought this specifically for things like swimming and running. And guess what? It works.

On Labor Day, I went to the beach. I wore a swimsuit, got sand all over me, and immersed myself in Lake Michigan. I had a great time! I applied all over my arms, legs, shoulders, and torso. It's a little too plasticky for me to want to put it on my face, so I used something else. I reapplied twice, after getting out of the water, as per the directions. Once, I forgot to recoat my neck and upper chest, so that burned, but none of the rest of me did, and I was in full sunlight from two to six pm.

This is not an everyday product, and you will feel greasy and look shiny with this on. I also find it odd how it sprays better if you use it upside down. I like that you can spray it right on wet skin and it will still work. But if you want to go to the beach, or sweat buckets, and not pay for it with sunburned skin, then this is not a bad deal. But again, it only works if you rub it in after you spray, just like all spray sunblocks.

SPF: 85+
Size: 5 oz.
Price: $11.49
Price per ounce: $2.30 

Active ingredients: Avobenzone (3%), Homosalate (15%), Octisalate (5%), Octocrylene (10%), Oxybenzone (6%).

Inactive ingredients: Alcohol denat, dimethyl ether, octododecyl citrate crosspolymer, butyloctyl salicylate, acrylates/octylacrylamide copolymer, ethyl methicone, cetyl dimethicone, dimethicone, acrylates/dimethicone copolymer, fragrance, tocopheryl acetate, vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, nelumbo nucifera flower powder, diethylhexyl 2,6 naphthalate, ascorbyl palmitate, retinyl palmitate.

Sunblock Sunday: Nuance Salma Hayek Advanced Hydration Smooth & Firm Perfector

This is Nuance Salma Hayek Advanced Hydration Smooth & Firm Perfector, SPF 20. It's marketed as a moisturizer/anti-aging treatment with a "Silky, age-defying formula melts into skin, filling fine lines and wrinkles and locking in hydration." I'm not convinced that it's a Holy Grail sunblock or anything, but it does have some nice perks. My primary concern with it is the longevity of the sun protection: it contains avobenzone but not octocrylene or another similar stabilizer of avobenzone. That makes it a poor contender for a morning moisturizer worn under makeup - it would wear off before I felt like redoing my whole face. It's also not as high up the SPF ladder as I like. I have been using this as a portable arms and neck product, and it works great for something to throw on less-protected areas later in the day to ward off impromptu sun damage. I won't repurchase because it's normally too expensive to justify that use. I bought mine on sale, so I'm less concerned about "wasting" this product by using it principally as a body sunscreen.

That said, this is what I do like about it:
- it does have a lovely texture. It's not greasy at all, and it sinks right in.
- it's not white AT ALL.
- it doesn't smell like sunscreen.

Details:

SPF 20
Size: 1.5 oz.
Price: $19.99 (I paid 6.99 during a killer sale)
Price per ounce: $13.33 (yikes!)
Availability: CVS

Active Ingredients: Avobenzone (2.0%), Octinoxate (7.5%), Octisalate (5.0%).
Inactive Ingredients: Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/Ldimethicone, Cyathea Cumingii Leaf Extract, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Fragrance (Parfum), Glycerin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Hexyl Laurate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Phospholipids, Physalis Angulata Extract, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Polysilicone-11, Retinyl Acetate, Silica, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol Acetate.

Sunday Sunblock: Origins A Perfect World SPF 25 Age-Defense Moisturizer with White Tea

Hi! I'm back. The first three weeks of school, and also the first cold given to me by the tiny disease vectors students, have wiped me out and made wearing and photographing makeup a lot less important than sleeping and staring at the Internet in complete and utter exhaustion.

Today, I want to talk about Origins A Perfect World SPF 25 Age-Defense Moisturizer with White Tea (that ingredient is underlined at the bottom of the list). I got it for free on Earth Day because I brought an empty lotion thing to Sephora instead of to my local recycling place. It was worth about what I paid for it.

The product is an off-white cream that smells somewhat of salad. Yes, salad. Or grass clippings. I can't decide. It's a chemical-based sunblock, or organic sunscreen, that claims an SPF of 25. It rubs in pretty clear, if a bit shiny. I've been using a half teaspoon or so on my face, neck, and ears, and another half teaspoon or so on my arms.

For the past week or two, as I've been using it steadily, I have noticed a few things:

1. A mild burning feeling upon application.
2. A raw, red feeling on my neck and upper chest, accompanied by itching. Sunburn? Or reaction to the product?

I have a couple theories on this: first, there are a ton of photosensitizing ingredients in this product, so maybe that weakens the SPF effect; second, the third inactive ingredient is chamomile water. Chamomile is related to ragweed, or the archdemon of all Plants To Whose Pollen I Am Allergic, so it's possible I've just been reacting to that. However, my arms have gotten some color recently, and I've been inside more often than not. That indicates some level of product failure - with the same amount of product and frequency of application, I've been better protected by other products.

Needless to say, I do not recommend this product, which, in case you are some sort of masochist spendthrift, is available at Sephora and department store counters.

Product specs:
Size: 1.7 oz/50 ml
Price: $39.50 (I got it free as part of an Earth Day promo)
Price per ounce: $23.24
SPF: 25
Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (5%), avobenzone (3%), octocrylene (2.7%)
Inactive Ingredients: water/aqua/eau, citrus aurantium amara (bitter orange) flower water, anthemis nobilis (chamomile) flower water, butyloctyl salicylate, ethyl macadamiate, methyl trimethicone, jojoba esters, butylene glycol, lauryl peg-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, peg-100 stearate, glyceryl stearate, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit oil, citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil, citrus aurantium dulcis (sweet orange) oil, cinnamonium camphora (camphor) bark oil, mentha viridis (spearmint) leaf oil, magnolia acuminata flower extract, iris pallida (orris) root extract, rosa damascena (rose) extract, citral, linalool, limonene, camellia sinensis (white tea) leaf extract, pinus pinaster bark/bud extract, arabidopsis thaliana extract, ascorbyl tocopheryl maleate, oryzanol, ergothionene, triticum vulgare (wheat) germ extract, hordeum vulgare (barley) extract, cholesterol, caffeine, mangifera indica (mango) seed butter, butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), potassium cetyl phosphate, cetyl alcohol, ethylhexylglycerin, linoleic acid, squalane, sodium hyaluraonate, caprylyl glycol, dehydroxanthan gum, silica, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/vp copolymer, citric acid, sodium stearate, sodium dehydroacetate, phenoxyethanol, mica.

I typed all of that out for you. Enjoy.

Sunday Sunblock: Kiss My Face Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40

For today's Sunday Sunblock, I am reviewing Kiss My Face Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40. It comes in a 3 oz. tube, and is available at stores like Whole Foods, online, and at various web-based health-foods stores. Above, I made a dab on my hand, and rubbed some in to the right of that. You can see that it's a bit shiny and a little white, but not as much as some others I've reviewed. It feels a little oily to the touch, and it's a little tacky until it sets. I have not noticed any additional breakouts from this, and while it doesn't dry as clear as it states, it dries a lot clearer than some others. I would not wear this alone on my face because of the shininess, but it works well enough for body use. Now, for whole body use, you're supposed to use a full ounce, so this is only good for three shortish trips to the beach, but I have been using it on my face, neck, chest, and arms. It has an annoying tendency (like most physical sunscreens) to gather in white streaks in the creases in my elbows and on my neck, but I can't really feel it on my arms right now, and I applied four hours ago. I was outside in bright sun for about forty minutes during peak sun hours, and I have not burned. 

Active ingredients: Zinc Oxide 10.00 %; Titanium Dioxide 7.50 %.

Inactive ingredients: Aqua, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Silica, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin-E), Ergocalciferol (Vitamin-D), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin-C), Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

Price: $16.99

Price per ounce: $5.66

Buy again? - Maybe. Not full price, but as a throw-in to a LuckyVitamin order. I like the SPF 40, I like the fact that it has Vitamin D in it to make up for the fact that I'm not getting it from the sun, and it wears ok under makeup.

Sunday Sunblock - Josie Maran SPF 30+ Argan Sun Protection for Body

 Last year, I bought and used a bottle of Josie Maran's Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40+. I enjoyed it, and it felt like a nice, luxurious item.  I did not enjoy the idea of spending $32 for two ounces of it. So, I asked the nice lady at Sephora for a sample of the less expensive body version, and she gave me two very full pods of the stuff.

It feels like whipped cream and sinks right in - the part on my hand where it's been rubbed in is to the left of the swatch. There's a bit of a white cast at first, but that goes away and covers with makeup really easily. I like this product a lot. I bought a full size, so that should say something. I've also noticed that it's out of stock frequently on Sephora's website, which must mean it's popular.
And, I haven't burned while wearing it.

Details

Size: 4 oz.
Availability: Sephora
Price: $24
Dollars per Ounce:  $6

Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide (5% each)

Inactive Ingredients: Argania Spinosa Kernal (Argan) Oil, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Natural Vegetable Glycerin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl (Octyl) Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla Bean) Fruit Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyl Dimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Sclerotium Gum, Arachidyl Glucoside, Polysorbate-60, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5).

 

 

Sunblock Sunday - Philosophy Hope in a Jar SPF 30

 This week's Sunblock Sunday is about a product I got as part of the 2011 Sephora Sun Safety kit that is no longer available at Sephora, but you can buy on Philosophy's website. Philosophy Hope in a Jar Oil-Free SPF 30 moisturizer is not a bad product, but I'm still not sure it lives up to its name.

As you can see, it blends out pretty invisibly, which isn't surprising, considering the formula uses a mix of physical and chemical blockers. It's also a pretty great texture and doesn't smell funky. I used it as my travel day cream for several trips to various destinations, was outside for large portions of the day, and did not burn. It's not bad stuff! That said, I've found less expensive products I liked better.


The deets:

Size - 2 oz.
Price - $39
Availability - Philosophy website
Dollars per ounce - $19.50

SPF - 30

Active Ingredients: octinoxate 7.5%, octisalate 5.0%, oxybenzone 4.0%, zinc oxide 4.5%.
Inactive Ingredients: water (aqua), c12-15 alkyl benzoate, dibutyl adipate, neopentyl glycol diheptanoate, glycerin, potassium cetyl phosphate, behenyl alcohol, butyloctyl salicylate, aluminum starch octenylsuccinate, arachidyl alcohol, hydrogenated palm glycerides, dimethicone, behenoxy dimethicone, sodium stearoyl glutamate, hydrogenated lecithin, rubus fruticosus (blackberry) leaf extract, arginine, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, polyhydroxystearic acid, beta-glucan, tocopheryl acetate, camellia sinensis leaf powder, arachidyl glucoside, maltodextrin, benzyl alcohol, xanthan gum, disodium edta, citric acid, triethoxycaprylylsilane, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, chlorphenesin.

Thoughts? Input? Anything you'd like me/my readers to know?

Sunblock Sunday: Lavanila The Healthy Sun Screen SPF 30 Body Cream

This week, I am reviewing this product:

 Here is what it looks like straight out of the container and applied to my hand below the blob:

Here is my face, with sunblock on one side and nothing on the other. Note that the sunblocked side is both lighter and shinier than the bare side. This stuff does leave a white cast on the face, which subsides mostly after about fifteen minutes (or can be covered with makeup). On the body and neck, it feels a bit tacky, and the zinc oxide can settle into lines and creases, like where your arm bends. I have not burned with this on, and it's been sunny and hot here. Don't swim in this and then not reapply - it's not designed for that. I think that this is an ok product. I bought it instead of the face cream because, at the store, this one seemed to have a better texture. I wish I'd have bought the face cream instead. I'm not going to repurchase the body cream, but it will get used.

The deets:

Size - 4 oz.
Price - $38
Availability - Sephora
Dollars per ounce - $9.50

SPF - 30

Active Ingredient: Zinc oxide 20%
Inactive Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis leaf juice* (aloe, water), Capric caprylic triglycerides (coconut oil), Sorbitan stearate (vegetable), Glyceryl stearate, Polyglyceryl-4 isostearate (vegetable glycerin/palm oil), Jojoba oil*, Salt, Sunflower oil*, Cucumber extract*, Green tea extract*, Morinda citrifolia (noni juice), Butyrospermum parkii* (shea butter), Hyaluronic acid, Phenethyl alcohol and Ethyl hexyl glycerin (plant-based preservatives), Vanilla planifolia extract*. *Certified Organic.

Thoughts? Input? Anything you'd like me/my readers to know?

Sunblock Sunday: DeVita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30+

This was the first sunblock by DeVita that caught my eye, and I mainly tried the other one (for body) to make sure that the larger, more economical one wasn't an inferior product. I bought a sample from Pure Complexions. Last week, I told you that I would probably buy a full size of the Body Block and that I liked everything about it except the potential link to eye-stinging. Who needs that?

I also did not notice any burning or "color" with this, but I didn't really test it, either. 

It's a physical blocker, and the active ingredient is zinc oxide, which blocks everything. 

This has the same light cream/gel texture as its larger, multipurpose cousin. It also wears well under makeup. It's not greasy at all. It's very hard to tell which side of my face I'm using it on. I like it. The only thing I'm not sure of is: do I like it better enough to buy it instead of the Body Block?

The deets:

Size - 2.5 oz.
Price - $25.95 (MSRP) $16.49 (at Lucky Vitamin)
Availability - health food stores, Devita's website, LuckyVitamin (and other discount hippie emarts)
Dollars per ounce - $10.40 (retail), $6.60 (at LV)

SPF - 30+

Active Ingredient: Zinc oxide 19%
Inactive Ingredients: Aloe barbadensis* (aloe vera gel), purified water (aqua), Capric,caprylic triglycerides (derived fron coconut oil), glycerin (vegetable), hyaluronic acid (vegan cource), glyceryl stearate SE (derived from vegetable oil), Stearic Acid, Lecithin phospholipid, Tocopherol (vitamin E), Allantoin, Vitis vinifera (grape) seed extract

Thoughts? Input? Anything you'd like me/my readers to know?

Sunblock Sunday: DeVita Solar Body Block SPF 30+

I have been wanting to try this for a long time, but didn't want to make a special order on Lucky Vitamin just for it, so I was thrilled to find a place, Pure Complexions, that sells samples. I like that it's relatively inexpensive for a "natural" sunblock and doesn't have a lot of occlusive ingredients. The texture is also really amazing. There are concerns among some denizens of the reviewerverse that it doesn't provide the sun protection that it says it does, but I wonder if they're just not using an appropriate amount, or if they're sweating it off and then not reapplying.

But back to the texture - it's a very lightweight cream with a bit of a gel consistency. I found it nicely moisturizing but not too thick. It seemed to do well under makeup. My main reservation with this stuff is that I noticed that my eyes seemed to water for a little after application. 

 Look at my face - there's not a huge difference in how the two sides look, which is how it should be.

I don't know if I'll buy the full size yet or not - I'm leaning towards yes, but I also think that this will probably be more of a winter product for me. I can't say I really tested it well enough to say that I didn't burn because I used this or I didn't burn because I wasn't outside in bright enough sun long enough.

The deets:

Size - 7 oz.
Price - (MSRP) $27.95 - but you can get it at Lucky Vitamin for 17.49 (plus six bucks shipping)

Availability - hippie marts, Devita's website, Lucky Vitamin (and similar)

Dollars per ounce - $4 (at retail) $2.50 (on LV)

SPF - 30+
Active Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 19%
Inactive Ingredients:Aloe barbadensis* (aloe vera gel), Water (purified), Camellia sinensis (Japanese green tea) leaf extract, Capric/caprylic triglycrides (derived from coconut oil), Glycerin (vegetable), Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), Olea europeaea (olive) oil, Lecithin phospholipid, Hyaluronic acid (vegan source), Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, Squalane (olive), Panthenol (vitamin B5), Tocopherol (vitamin E), NaPCA, Rose moschata (rose hips) oil, Retinol (vitamin A), Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola), Copper gluconate, Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, Fucus vesiculosis (seaweed) extract, Allantoin, Sodium riboflavin phosophate, Chondrus crispus (Irish moss), Lavandula officinalis (lavender) essential oil, Anthemis nobilis (chamomile) flower essential oil, Vitis vinifera (grape) seed extract.

Will you be trying this out? Have you tried it? What did you think?

Sunblock Sunday: Lavanila The Healthy Sun Screen SPF 40 Face Cream

Phyrra raves about this, so the (second-to-last) time I went to Sephora, I asked for a sample. Have I mentioned how much I love Sephora's generous sample policy?

Let's talk about sun protection - I didn't burn with this (but I didn't really test it, either), and it seems suited for everyday face use. If you're around sun for more than incidental exposure, this is something you'd want to reapply. I like how it has both UVA and UVB protection in there (zinc's good for both, titanium for all but the shortest UVA rays).

Now, let's talk texture. This is a white-colored cream that rubs in somewhat shiny, but doesn't feel greasy. I like it. One of the pictures shows a blob on my hand, and underneath that blob is an area where I've rubbed it in. Then, there's a part of my face. I've applied this to the right side but not the left. I feel like the right side is shinier and somewhat lighter than the left.

It wears well under makeup, but it's slightly too emollient for me. I swatched this next to Lavanila's body sunblock in the store, and liked the texture of the body product better, so I bought that on my last trip to Sephora. I would wear this to work, but not on field day, and I'd think about reapplying something if I was going outside with the kids at the after school program. If your skin's on the dryer side and you need something with sun protection, don't like silicones, and do like physical blockers, then I'd try this.

The deets:

Size - 1.8 oz.
Price - $28 (available at Sephora)
Dollars per ounce - $15.56
SPF - 40
Active Ingredients - Zinc Oxide 5.0%, Titanium Dioxide 7.5%

Inactive ingredients - Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice* (Aloe, Water), Capric Caprylic Triglycerides (Coconut Oil), Butyrospermum Parkii* (Shea Butter), Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol (Coconut Oil), Jojoba Oil*, Ethyl Hexyl Palmitate (Palm Oil), Morinda Citrifolia (Noni Juice), Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Extract*, Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate (Vegetable Glycerin/Palm Oil), Alpha Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Allantoin (Vegetable), Sodium PCA (Amino Acid), Hyaluronic Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol & Ethyl Hexyl Glycerin (Plant-Based Preservatives), Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Extract*, Green Tea Extract. *Certified Organic

Will you be trying this out? Have you tried it? What did you think?

New Feature: Sunblock Sunday!

Finding my Holy Grail sunblock products is quite a chore for me, but it's a necessary evil (see my post about sunblock and my experience with skin cancer). I need my products to be functional, not horrifically expensive, and not break me out. Cosmetically elegant formulas are also a HUGE PLUS. I prefer my sunblocks to have zinc oxide as one of the active ingredients, lots of fragrances that get put in sunscreen are stinky and headache-inducing, and I'm allergic to beeswax. All of these factors limit my choices.

I've recently acquired a small pile of sunblock samples and a few full-size products, and I plan to review a new one each week until I run out of sunblocks I care to sample.

What's in it for you? A breakdown of the ingredients, a photo of what it looks like squeezed out and rubbed into the back of my hand, and some half-face shots (maybe, if I'm brave!), and my thoughts on functionality and how nice the products are to use.

First up: Lavanila The Healthy Sunblock for Face - SPF 40.
Next up: Devita Solar Body Block SPF 30.