In my daily practice, I receive questions on a daily basis about what kind of sunscreen won't cause break-outs in oily skin. More even, I figured it's a specific concern bothering not only patients suffering from acne, but also non-acne patients. 

Why is sunscreen so important, especially when you have acne? 

People with oily skin often skip applying sunscreen because it makes their skin look greasy with the formation of pimples. It is however of great importance to protect yourself against the sun, since sun exposure has a big impact on the progression of acne. Here's why:

 have anti-inflammatory effects, and therefore it might seem like your acne gets better in the sun. But what UV and blue light also do, is increasing the thickness of the outer skin layer inducing a dysregulation of our skin microbiome. This may worsen the presence of closed comedones (whiteheads), causing inflammation and acne flare-ups in Fall. 

 rays cause inflammation and increase sebum production and proliferation of keratinocytes.

 can induce postinflammatory hyperpigmentation on acne skin (due to irritation, excoriations), especially in 

 Sunlight induces the production of melanin, and this is why, if unprotected, acne scars stay dark. 

Another reason why it is absolute mandatory to wear sunscreen when suffering from acne, is that several acne treatments (antibiotics, isotretinoin, vitamine A creams) make our skin more vulnerable to sunlight. 

like oxybenzone, avobenzone, retinyl palmitate or para-aminobenzoic acid. Also a high concentration of alcohol is nefast in acne-prone skin.

sunscreens based on coconut or grapeseed oil.

You’re using expired sunscreen or tend to leave it baking in the sun:

 which causes breakdown of the active substances.

How to choose the right sunscreen for oily

Some general advice regarding sunscreen for oily skin:

, which means pores won’t be easily clogged.

 while they may be non-comedogenic, tend to be chalky in consistency. Mostly, chemical sunscreen will be more suitable for oily skin.

 their protection is weaker since you only get higher SPF level using more scientific ingredients.

Mist formulas, sprays, gels of chemical sunscreens

 with a water or light liquid base are less occlusive.

 to avoid occlusive make-up layers afterwards

Don’t use sunscreen meant for your body on your face

, since these often have a much greasier texture

Anti-inflammatory, sebumregulating agents

: salicylic acid, lactic acid, glycyrrhetinic acid

Plant-based, anti-inflammatory ingredients: 

 skip sunscreen if you’ve got acne-prone skin. In fact, it’s even 

 imperative that you wear sunscreen if you have pimples. Remember that sunscreen should be applied every day year-round for the best protection, even when it's cloudy or rainy.

→ In case you missed my general overview on types of sunlight and sunscreens, click 

) for a summary of all evidence-based skin care research. 

The Sacred Skin: How to pick the right sunscreen for oily skin

, a tag line you've certainly heard before. But what exactly is SPF, and does SPF alone protect you sufficiently against the sun? To be completely correct, we should use the word 

 instead of SPF. In my daily practice, I am routinely asked about what exactly to look out for when picking sun protection. But what exactly does it protect us from? What is ultraviolet radiation, blue light, and where does it come from?

The sun provides us of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and visible light, both having a significant impact on our skin.

 into UV-A, UV-B and UV-C radiation. UV-A and UV-B rays both affect our skin in a different way. UV-C does not reach the Earth's surface. 

 consists of a rather short wavelength and is the main cause of sunburn and skin cancers. Therefore, most sunscreens mainly focus on UV-B radiation. 

 consists of a longer wavelength and also contributes to skin cancer and premature aging, and has the ability to pass through glass. 

. Blue light is a colour in the visible light spectrum that can be seen by the human eye, and generally comes from TV, smartphone or laptop screens. Unlike UV rays, it can’t burn you, but it can age your skin indirectly via the formation of free radicals and therefore it can speed up the aging process and cause pigmentation. 

: Effects of UV radiation and visible light on human skin depend on pigmentation. It seems that light skin tends to be more susceptible to UV-induced skin damage, while dark skin suffers more from visible light-induced damage.

In general, there are two types of sunscreen: mineral (physical) and chemical sunscreen.

 form a protective layer on our skin, preventing UV rays from hitting it. They usually contain ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, small particles that have been recognized as safe and effective. Protection is immediate. This type of sunscreen is ideal for people with sensitive skin, with skin conditions like contactallergy, rosacea or melasma, as it tends to irritate less. Because mineral sunscreen is sometimes thick, it may contribute to breakouts in people prone to acne. The latter is a subject I'll cover in another article. 

 do allow UV rays into the skin, turning it into non-damaging wavelengths of light or heat, a process that takes place in our skin by chemicals like oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate. Recommendations based on the latest studies recommend avoiding chemical sunscreens with 

. This form of synthetic estrogen may disrupt hormones and cause allergic skin reactions. There is a waiting time before protection of around 20-30 minutes. Also does it harm coral reefs. An important sidenote in that matter, is that not applying sunscreen is still more harmful to you in the long run than the possible absorption of any small particles.

What is SPF and PA? What should I look for when picking sunscreen?

, meaning Sun Protection Factor, measures sunscreen protection from UV-B rays only. 

 is short for Protection Grade of UV-A, and thus only measures U-VA protection. As you now know, this is given their individual function, an important distinction!

♥ Always go for an SPF of 30 or higher (preferably, SPF50). Any sunscreen with SPF below 15 only protects against sunburn, not skin cancer or skin aging. 

♥ Choose a sunscreen with “broad spectrum” protection, this means they protect you against both UV-A and UV-B rays. 

♥ Especially important if you have dark skin: the best defence against blue light are topical antioxidants. Look for a sunscreen that’s got a high sun protection factor, promises broad spectrum protection and includes antioxidants like vitamin C and E.

The Sacred Skin: Types of light and sunscreen

 on Atelier Rebul, in which I took you with me on my daytrip to Ghent. I still had to write a review about the Atelier Rebul products I got at the opening of their second shop, and I believe now is the perfect time to share it with you guys.

For my trip to Romania with the boyfriend, I was still in search of some luxury bathing products to relax at the end of the day. Overloads of sunbeams, sand, sea, sweaty hiking trips… They all damage the 

 skin we live in. Therefore I wanted some products of good quality, because nowadays I find that my skin deserves only the best. It was at Atelier Rebul that I found my lucky charm: a scrubby, nourishing showergel as well as my signature perfume that I’m wearing almost every day now. Everything is from their Istanbul range, which I find by far the best. I even read on the Internet that this range has become Istanbul’s signature scent. What I find so special about it are the pinetree and incense-y notes. These make a scent always so much more unique, and uniqueness was exactly what I was looking for!

I think we can all agree to the fact that it’s hard to find good products that don’t dry out your skin these days. All Atelier Rebul products are 100% natural. And maybe this was the main trigger I needed to reach out for this brand instead of another one! Even the scrub particles in my Istanbul showergel are made of little stones found in nature. I really love to use this scrubgel because it’s not too aggressive for my skin like many other products are. It doesn’t contain any parabens, and gives your body a vitamin E boost. The scent also stays waaaay more long, just like the perfume. My boyfriend repeatedly put forward throughout the evening that he kept on smelling pine tree everywhere! I also chose a home set with the home scent and sticks. You’ll see it show up in a little video I’m going to make about my new crib in Leuven, to which I’m moving at the end of September.

If you have any questions about Atelier Rebul and their products don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m truly a HUGE fan of this brand so I’m sure I will get other things from their shop in Leuven -that’s coming soon- as well!

Enjoy the pictures that we shot in our Airbnb in Bucharest. We had a great time in our Scandinavian decorated appartment! For all inquiries about it you can always send me a message here, on Instagram or Facebook as well.

I received some of these products for free, however I always share my true opinion about them. I believe this is the only way to give you the best advice and to uphold the credibility of this blog, which I both find very important!

Beauty

Jul 08, 2022

Jul 03, 2022

Aug 24, 2017

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