For a long time, I thought SPF in my day cream or makeup foundation was enough. But there’s more and more talk about how, if you want your skin truly protected from sun damage and hyperpigmentation, you need to use something that aims at that specific target. After some research, I decided to go with REN Clean Screen Mattifying Mineral SPF30*. This widely loved natural beauty brand has never broken my trust. Also, it has everything you could want in sunscreen.
The packaging is a bright yellow tube (1.7fl.oz/50ml for $38-£32), which is a convenient size to carry around. The Clean Screen contains perfume, and at first, I was a bit iffy about that because lately, I’ve been trying to avoid fragrance in my skincare. However, since it’s a 100% natural blend, I don’t mind. Also, the scent is really gentle and almost undetectable. What I like about this sunscreen is that it does not contain silicone. I’m not that much against silicones in cosmetics (though personally, I try not to use them), but I notice they tend to dehydrate my skin out, so I try to avoid them for that reason.
Another thing that is extremely important for me when choosing sunscreen is mineral filters. The convenience stores are still littered with synthetic SPF or a mix of synthetic and mineral SPF products. So, finding a good mineral face sunscreen with full UVA/UVB protection that works well might still be a challenge. REN Clean Screen SPF30 contains both UVA and UVB + blue-light protection with 22% non-nano zinc oxide (which, according to EWG, is much safer to use). It also contains antioxidants, which deal with pollution, and I would never pass on those!
The texture of this Clean Screen sunscreen is much thicker than I expected. I guess the word “mattifying” in the title made me think it would be more of a lighter milky consistency. However, I find the sunscreen easy to apply and have no problem applying my makeup on top. It takes some light rubbing but does not leave a white cast, which is my worst fear with sunscreens. Also, it looks good in photos and does not give the skin that ghostly whitish tint for the face. Above, you can see how well it looks blended. And like I said before, it’s extremely long-lasting because a pea-size amount is all you need to protect the whole face.
Do you use sunscreen daily? Which one’s your favorite?
I’m Inga, the creator of this online place called Organic Beauty Blogger. Since 2013, I’ve been on a mission to redefine beauty by sharing my insights into the world of green beauty.
I actually strongly believe that we should protect our face skin daily from sun. I bought this cream after reading your post and I simply love it so so much. I think I became addicted to it, as I feel my skin has a weird texture when I don’t put this cream on. Seriously everyone should order it!