Sunday Riley Cashmere SPF 30+ Advanced Sun Defense

Being a resident of the planet earth, with its badly depleted ozone layer, has made sunscreen a modern day necessity. My dermatologist specifically told me to never walk outside of the house wearing anything less than an SPF 30 on any area of my skin that is exposed, and preferably to wear clothing with an SPF factor as well. That, my friends, is the world that we now live in.

The problem for me was finding a non-greasy physical, rather than chemical, sunscreen that didn't feel and/or look terrible. Chemical sunscreens absorb UV radiation, whereas physical sunscreens work by physically blocking it (click here to read more about the differences). The problem with chemical sunscreens is, well, the chemicals. Many contain known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, and that is just too risky for me. I worry that we do not know the long-term effects that these chemicals will have on our skin, and our overall health. In fact,  there is a tremendous amount of controversy surrounding their use (click here to read more about this issue). Chemical sunscreens, for the face in particular, have tended to be far more user friendly because they absorb more readily and can easily be incorporated into a beauty routine which includes the application of makeup, but at what cost. Additionally, many chemical sunscreens are not particularly photostable which means that they ultimately break down in sunlight. What this means is that their efficacy is short-lived, and once they break down you will not be protected against the damaging rays of the sun. In fact, once broken down the absorbed radiation disperses into the skin, along with all of the chemicals from the sunscreen causing you even greater damage. Physical sunscreens, on the other hand, have had a history of creating a gross streaky oily gloppy white-tinged mess on the face, and have tended not to play well with foundations, tinted moisturizers, and powders (in large part because it simply sits on top of the skin).

Somehow Sunday Riley has managed to create an outstanding physical sunscreen specifically formulated for the face that is very refined and works brilliantly, and it doesn't impede a great foundation finish either! In fact, once you apply it you don't even know that it's there! Cashmere SPF 30+ Advanced Sun Defense has been my go-to daily sunscreen for the last couple of years, and I am deeply grateful to have found it. I now no longer equivocate about applying a sunscreen to my face daily!

Cashmere SPF 30+ is a sheer 100% mineral sunscreen (which means that it is of the physical, rather than chemical variety). The texture is luxuriously smooth and silky, and therefore it doesn't feel anything like the thick and oily mineral sunscreens on the market.

Key Ingredients & their functionality:

1) Titanium Dioxide: This ingredient provides physical protection from UV rays- which literally bounce off of this ingredient. The specific Titanium Dioxide used in Cashmere 30+ is micronized- making it a sheer, rather than having the streaky white oily finish often associated with Titanium Dioxide.

2) Cashmere SPF 30+ is a water-based formula, rather than oil based. This brilliant attribute makes this the most user-friendly mineral sunscreen imaginable!

3) Wheatgrass: This powerhouse ingredient is rich in chlorophyll which has a detoxifying effect that helps to heal the skin and to aggressively protect it against pollution. Wheatgrass wakes up the skin by energizing it-- in the same way that a wheatgrass shot energizes your whole body.

4) Ginseng: Like Wheatgrass, Ginseng also wakes up and energizes the skin. Ginseng is an ingredient that has long been used for it's ability to tone and revitalize the skin, and is well known for its ability to invigorate. It is also used traditionally to support the immune system, and is thought to create an increased resistance to infections.

5) Cashmere Protein: This ingredient strengthens, invigorates, cushions, fortifies, and softens the skin.

6) Ellagic Acid (from pomegranates): Ellagic Acid is another powerhouse ingredient that helps prevent hyperpigmentation before the damage can occur.

7) While this protein rich sunscreen has a listed Sun Protection Factor of 30+ Sunday Riley says that it actually clocks in at about an SPF 53. If you want to further bolster its Sun Protection Factor mix it with Juno Oil (reviewed here).

Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide, Cashmere Protein, Wheatgrass, Stone Root, Ricegrass, Ellagic Acid+Pomegranate, Ginseng, Squalene, NV-5 Ageless Complex Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Sunflower Seed Oil, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Meadowsol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Xanthan Gum, Triethanolamine, Hyrolized Kertain, Phenoxyethanol, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, DMDM Hydantoin.

Overall assessment: I can't live without it! Hands down the BEST sunscreen that I have ever used. It is easy to use, and doesn't impede the use of finishing products. The only downside is that it is quite expensive, but it is well worth it to me!

$125.00 1.7 oz at Nordstrom, Sephora, Bloomingdale's, Beauty.com & Barneys New York (Affiliate links).