By Aimee L and Helen Chiang

The best, not to mention cheapest anti-ageing advice any dermatologist will give you is to wear sunscreen, everyday, even when indoors. Wearing sunscreen is literally the best way to protect your skin and health at any age.

Unfortunately so many people still don’t understand its importance, nor the fact that they need to reapply their SPF every two to four hours, as its efficacy halves (this basically means that if you start off by applying an SPF 50, in two hours, its protection factor halves to SPF 25 and this goes on, until you no longer have any protection at all).

It also doesn’t help matters that there are so many products out there in the market, choosing the best product for your skin type, colour, wallet and lifestyle is easier said than done.

This article took us a while to compile because, how in the world were we to pick five of the best sunscreens for 2022, from all the sunscreens out there in the stores. But after much trying and testing, here are the five best of the best sunscreens that we have ever used, and plan to continue using, and we will tell you why.

REVIIV Advanced UV Shield SPF 50+/PA++++

This is one of the nicest sunscreens we tested this year, and is definitely one of our favourites. it offers fantastic protection, has a very flattering sheer tint, that makes our skin look even-toned and perfect (it doesn’t work for those who are very pale or light skinned however, but if you are fair to tanned, it will make your skin look amazing). It dries completely matte almost immediately after use and has Vitamin B3 and Hyaluronic Acid that helps prevent skin dryness and boost skin radiance.

EHA Sun Shield 24 Hr SPF100

There is a reason why this sunscreen by EHA Skincare keeps making our Top 5 list every single year. This skin-cooling, non greasy, lightly tinted Japan-made mineral sunscreen has an SPF 100 and has been proven to block both UV-A and UV-B rays by 99% as well as blue light, for a period of 24 hours, with just one application.

This unscented sunscreen has a semi-matte finish, and leaves our skin looking airbrushed. The sheer tint works on all skin tones, except for very tanned or dark skin, where it will leave a slight greyish cast.

Elixir Daily UV Protector SPF 50+ PA++++, And Elixir Daily Brightening UV Protector SPF 50+ PA++++

Shiseido’s sunscreens have always been a go-to for us, as they just seem to work well on Asian skin. This line of 3-in-1 sunscreens provides protection from UV rays, long lasting moisture (as it is enriched with Super Hyaluronic Acid) and preps skin for makeup in one simple step.

Shiseido’s emulsification technology allows the UV protecting agents and skincare ingredients to be dispersed in a water base, so the sunscreen has an unusual non-sticky and light-weight watery texture that spreads easily on the skin. It also comes in two variants – the Daily UV Protector that improves skin elasticity or the Daily Brightening UV Protector that boosts skin translucency.

We found that our skin looked so good with the product that we didn’t need to use a BB cream or foundation after.

SUPERGOOP Every.Single.Face. SPR-Shield Watery Lotion SPF 50

We are huge fans of SUPERGOOP, and were thrilled when it finally came to Singapore. But from all their sunscreens, this made the list simply because it’s a great lightweight chemical sunscreen that is undetectable on every skin tone, leaves no white cast, and is lightweight enough to wear every day, making it something that will work for just about everyone.

It feels ultra-lightweight and when we rubbed it between our fingers, the white lotion instantly turned clear. Since we prefer a more matte-effect sunscreen, this does feel a little greasy at first, but after a few minutes, it absorbed into the skin, and looked more glowy than greasy. If you like a glowy, glass-skin type look, then you will love this sunscreen.

Paula’s Choice Resist Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50

This is our first time trying out anything from the brand, and here’s why it made the list. This fragrance-free moisturiser with an SPF 50 is packed with antioxidants and skin benefiting ingredients, is lightweight with a milky consistency, and said to be perfect for those with normal to oily skin (which would be us).

It applied beautifully to our skin, has a satin-matte finish, and worked a bit like a primer, to gently blur our enlarged pores and texture. It also sat really well under our BB cream and foundation, but did get a little greasy as the day wore on, so if you prefer a more matte look, this might not be for you.

Special Mention

Although we were only supposed to choose five of the best sunscreens to feature, we could not leave out EHA Suncare Facial Wash SPF30, which we think is the perfect product for people who hate the feeling of wearing sunscreen, or moisturiser. As an SPF face and body wash, this product provides you with decent SPF protection, without the feeling of having anything on your skin.

It’s fragrance free, safe for kids and sensitive skin, and moisturises and nourishes the skin while it protects. So if you hate using sunscreen, then this is the perfect product for you.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that if you want to prevent photo-ageing (we are referring to premature ageing, wrinkles, pigmentation and age spots), then you need to make the time to apply sunscreen every day. We hope you found our recommendations helpful, and look forward to hearing your thoughts on our suggestions, and if it worked for you.

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