Everyone needs sun protection, no matter where they live, or how old they are. Six Curateditors, each with their own suncare approach, share how they learned it the hard way, and what works for their lifestyles
When asked what is one beauty product she would take with her on a deserted island, a wise woman said, “Sunscreen.”
I’m not that certain wise woman, because – gasp – I don’t wear sunscreen. At least not on a daily basis. I’m the quintessential risk-and-rescue suncare product user. By that I mean I’ll slap on – from top-to-toe – a heavy-duty broad spectrum SPF sunblock when I’m on a beach or by a pool.
Everyone has a bad beauty habit they need to kick, and I guess that’s one of mine. Now that we’ve got that disclaimer out of the way, we can get to the more important stuff – why you should do what I say and not what I do.
The Dark Side of the Sun
Energy from the sun reaches Earth through light we can see, heat that we feel, and UV rays that can be neither seen nor felt. The longest UV rays that reach the Earth’s surface are known as UVA rays, and the shorter ones, UVB rays. Both can affect your skin’s health: B for burn and A for ageing.
When UV rays enter skin cells, they affect the growth and appearance of these skin cells. What may seem like a ‘healthy’ tan is actually your skin overproducing pigment to protect itself. In the short term, overexposure to UV rays can cause sunburn. Over time, it can result in premature ageing, where the skin is not only pigmented but also loses elasticity – becoming thick and rugged, or thinned and wrinkled. At its worst, it can cause skin cancer. Excessive UV radiation from the sun, or tanning beds, damages the DNA which controls how our skin cells function. DNA damage built up over time can cause cells to grow out of control, and lead to skin cancer.
The effects of overexposure to UV rays don’t necessarily happen in the above order though. If you get a tan at a solarium, for example, you don’t get sunburned under the artificial UVA rays, but you’ll still experience inner skin damage.
Shields Up!
You don’t need to be actively getting a tan or staying outdoors for hours to be exposed to UV rays either. Walking to lunch from one building to another, watering the plants, or strolling the baby in a park are all considered incidental exposure. Even indoors, you’re not exempt. Though less intense, prolonged and regular exposure to UV rays from activities such as sitting by a window or driving, can still affect your skin. Then there is blue light, part of the visible light spectrum – what our eyes can see – that can also affect your skin. This includes the fluorescent and LED lights in your homes and electronic devices.
That’s where sunscreen – that daily step after your serum and moisturiser – comes in. There are physical sunscreens that act as a shield to block or reflect UV rays, and chemical sunscreens that absorb UV rays before they penetrate your skin.
The quintessential risk-and-rescue suncare product user – SUSANAH CHEOK
Like I’ve said, I’m naked of sunscreen on a daily basis. But when I do apply it, I like Sisley’s Sunleya Age Minimizing Global Sun Care SPF 30 for my face, neck and décolletage. At just SPF30, it effectively provides a broad spectrum age-defense shield against the sun and filters out UV rays with a filtering complex that stops 90 per cent of radiation from the sun. Enriched with anti-free radical active ingredients, it minimises the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and other signs of aging. It also has a unique complex that protects cellular DNA and rich moisturisers to keep my skin hydrated for a long time.
For my body, I’d slather lashings of Laneige’s Radian-C Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++. This cream not only protects my skin from sun effects, it contains a Vitamin C derivative to brighten it.
That’s why I never burn on a resort vacay and always manage to come home with just a hint of gold on my skin. But my lifelong bad habit of not wearing sunscreen also means I have pigmentation spots the size of large raindrops on the sides of my cheeks. Oh well, can’t win them all. In fact, thanks to my fellow Curateditors, each with their own sunscreen personality, who manage to cleverly, conveniently, and wisely incorporate sunscreen into their daily skincare routine, I’m now wide open to try some too. Maybe. Who knows? We will see.
The K-beauty convert who looks for all-rounder skincare gems – EMMELINE ONG
“Beach life defined the days of my reckless youth. Back then, I religiously applied tanning oil with no SPF (!) under the mid-day sun. When I left those days behind, my skin reverted to its natural fairness in no time but the sunspots stayed and multiplied. That still didn’t make me motivated enough to wear sunscreen daily.
Blessed to inherit acne-free skin from my mother, I didn’t think about sun protection, or skincare in general, until age and my carelessness caught up with me – perhaps faster than expected. Back-to-back documentary filming trips involving long hours of exposure to outdoor elements in different climates, didn’t help.
With barely enough time to sleep, I needed sunscreen that was easy to apply and remove. It should also be hydrating enough for my dry skin, yet comfortable to wear in hot and humid Singapore.
A tall order for sunscreen, I thought, until I got acquainted with K-beauty. Skincare is now a form of self-care I look forward to every day, even sunscreen. There are many options but I go for cruelty-free products with maximum protection at SPF50+ and PA++++.
I find myself reaching out for the Skin1004 Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum repeatedly despite owning various sunscreens. The light texture is easily absorbed into the skin with no white cast. It’s also perfect as a makeup base because it has a dewy but non-tacky finish. On WFH days, I appreciate how it feels like nothing yet adds a natural glow.
While I never skip sunscreen, I rarely reapplied it until I found sunsticks. My current pick is the Mary&May Vegan Peptide Bakuchiol Sun Stick with a silky, barely-there finish that doesn’t mess up my makeup. The stick form also means no spills in the bag, and I can hygienically reapply this without washing my hands.
Finding the motivation to apply sunscreen on the body when I’m not doing outdoor sports though, is a bigger challenge. I double-cleanse my face to remove sunscreen, but it is a chore to do that for my entire body. This is why Illiyoon’s Easy Wash Suncream got me sold: It can be washed off simply with soap and water in the shower.”
The fuss-free skincare routine seeker – PEARLYN QUAN
“At some point when I was still living in Singapore, I noticed I was starting to develop lots of freckles. It was then that I became aware of the effects of the sun on my skin. Thankfully, freckles have now become very fashionable, so that’s fortunate!
I feel sunscreen is helping to slow down the rate at which my skin is aging. That in itself is a big incentive. Wearing sunscreen doesn’t have to be complicated, and your skin will thank you for it.
I’m lazy, so a simple sunscreen and skincare routine suits me best. I live in Scotland where there isn’t a lot of sunshine, but you can get a bit of a tan on a good summer’s day.
I love this sunscreen from Vacation, called Classic Lotion SPF50. It’s lightweight, and smells absolutely incredible – like coconut, bananas and pool water, reminiscent of my childhood holidays in Tioman.”
The adventurous globetrotter game to try new skincare solutions – VALERIE WEE
“When I was young and restless, I spent countless hours under the sun, particularly as a college windsurfer. And I never wore sunscreen. I believed I didn’t need it. A sun-kissed glow was my priority, far more than concerns about skin cancer or freckles. Blessed with good skin, I never bought into the notion that fair skin was synonymous with beauty.
It wasn’t until a bout of eczema landed me at the National Skin Centre that the importance of skin protection – moisturising and strengthening the skin’s barrier – started to percolate in my consciousness. Ironically, my skin doctor, who was an avid golfer, did not wear sunscreen herself. For people who scoff at sunscreen, like my younger self, I say, do it at your own peril. If you want firm, smooth, clear skin, wear a hat and some sunscreen. It will save you pennies too.
Yet, despite knowing this, it still took a while longer before I started wearing sunscreen regularly. The main reason being I did not like the smell of conventional sunscreens, nor their sticky and cloying texture. In my late 30s, I discovered sunscreen that was more neutral in scent, and that had a more gel-like or water-based texture. Some even came with skincare benefits. Sometimes I used sunscreens that also doubled up as makeup. Often, the formulations would change, and besides potentially triggering blocked pores and pimples, I just did not like the texture or smell anymore.
My sunscreen personality is like Amelia Earhart – pioneering (I look for products that make technical breakthroughs), adventurous and unconventional (I sometimes use sunscreen for men to avoid the pink tax!), free-spirited and explorative, as I am always open to trying new formulas and innovations.
When I started climbing and hiking more frequently, I added sunscreen pills to my regime. My GP introduced Heliocare sunscreen pills (the new reiterations are called 360 D Plus) to me as I was preparing to go to the Himalayas to farm apricots and monitor snow leopards. Whenever I know I will be spending a large amount of time in the sun, such as on my recent sailing week in Greece, I always pack oral sunscreen with me. With climate change cranking up its intensity in 2024, having a strong sunscreen game gives me some comfort that my face would not disintegrate into cinders quite so quickly.
When I moved to Europe in the last decade into a drier climate and welcomed menopause into my plethora of skincare concerns, it was also time to change my sunscreen. I was still very active as I took up surfing and kayaking, so it meant having a sunscreen that was adequately waterproof but not too sticky. These days, the Shiseido Expert Sun Protector is often in my toiletries bag. I also like the Korres Yoghurt Sunscreen which I find very easy to apply.”
The multi-tasking working mum who’s pressed for time – LI YULING
“I’ve always been that freckled friend – the one who gets tuts and whitening products shoved at her at beauty counters. As an outdoorsy kid, I was often nagged by my mum to put on sunscreen, but the smell and texture were such a turnoff that I mostly skipped it. When I started scuba diving in 2011 and got horribly sun burnt, I finally realised my folly.
Frankly, I’m still not super-religious about applying sunscreen, but finding products I actually like make it less of a chore. Most days, I have five minutes to cleanse-moisturise-sunscreen before I’m out the door, right behind my active pre-schooler.
So, to everyone who skips sun protection because it’s just too icky – I get it, I really do. Thankfully, there are many lightweight high-SPF products out there now. If you’d care to look, you might actually find something that checks all your boxes. For all the reluctant sunscreen users out there, here are a few you can try, which are all SPF50+ and PA++++, nearly the highest protection you can get.
CKD Guaranteed’s Green Propolis All Covery Sun is a tinted mineral sunscreen that helps even out skin tone and has a fresh, minty scent. I use this on regular days when I don’t expect to break a sweat. Skin1004’s Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Silky-fit Sun Stick makes application (and reapplication) a breeze. Shiseido’s Global Suncare The Perfect Protector is highly water-resistant and ideal for sea sports.”
The avid golfer who wants to have fun in the sun – HAPPYBAGGAGE
“Growing up, I envied my youngest sister’s sun-kissed natural tan complexion. She takes after my dad’s sportiness too. I got my mum’s fair complexion, so I do not tan easily. I tried very hard by basking in the sun – too much – in vain. Retrospectively, I now know I shouldn’t have. Tan I did not, red I became.
I led a very sedentary lifestyle much of my adult life, but my father’s passing from his illness became a poignant reminder to stay healthy, in body and mind. Consequently, I picked up my golf clubs again. Some may not consider it a sport, but I enjoy it (golf), and appreciate the solitude the greens offer. I golf at least once a week. Tee-times vary, each 18-hole play translating to 3 to 4 hours of considerable sun exposure each time.
What started me on diligent sunscreen usage? My skin would hurt for days after each game.
I cover up as best as I can – sleeves, leggings, and a wide-brimmed visor. Most golfers wear a single glove, I wear a pair. I wear my hair up, and braided. Not exactly a vision of beauty. The most important parts of me that need protection, my face and neck, are unfortunately not covered up. The only solution as I see it: sunscreen and sunstick products to top up the coverage on the go.
I put off adding any product to my ‘beauty’ regime unless I really have to, or when I find the best fit that meets my needs in terms of scent, texture, ease of application, and efficacy. To care for my skin while living my best life out on the greens, I have been trying different propositions for sun protection. On my list lately are Shiseido’s The Perfect Protector and Clear Suncare Stick.
Though I’m not free from pigmentation, this is how I try to protect my skin health as I (attempt to) age gracefully!”
After hearing about our different sunscreen personalities, have you figured yours out? We’ll leave you with the sum of our picks, till the next edition of #ACuratedTake.
Lifestyle images by featured Curateditors unless otherwise stated. Product images courtesy of respective brands, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
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