I Test Hundreds of Beauty Products a Month, and This SPF Makes My Skin as Hydrated and Glowy as Ever
Credo
One of the few universal truths of beauty routines is that sunscreens often feel more like a burdensome requirement than an indulgent skincare treat. There are just too many ways SPF can go wrong in a formula — chemical UV-blocking ingredients can be harsh on skin, physical sunblock ingredients can leave a ghostly white cast, the texture can be thick and cause breakouts, and so on and so forth.
Coming across an okay sunscreen that merely does the trick without making you miserable is rare enough. Coming across one that you actually like? Near damn impossible. So heed my advice when I tell you that out of every sunscreen I've come across recently — and trust me, I test hundreds of beauty products a month — Kinship's Self Reflect SPF 32 is the gold standard. Casual recommendations from friends, product reviews, and beauty editor praise all made me have higher than usual expectations, but this formula managed to live up to them.
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Shop now: $26; credobeauty.com
I experienced two 'aha!' moments with this product. The first came from my reflection immediately after applying it — I looked rosey and dewy, and not at all like I had just painted my face with white chalk (which is often what I look like after using 100 percent mineral sunscreens). The second came after several uses when I noticed that Self Reflect doesn't make my skin oilier or cause any breakouts, and that it's incredibly moisturizing without feeling heavy. The sun protection has also worked great; I used it in the blistering sun of the Caribbean and during a recent trip to Sicily where it averaged 90 degrees a day, and this SPF (alongside avoiding hours of direct exposure to the sun) kept me sunburn-free.
For the last two years now, this has been the most stalwart sunscreen I own. I have gone through three tubes, plus one tube of Kinship's newer SPF 60 sport version. Hundreds of shoppers similarly claim to be repeat buyers, including one who wrote, "I have been using [Self Reflect SPF 32] everyday for over a year now… It works perfectly for daily use under makeup and has even stood up to the scorching sun on a summer Mediterranean vacation."
There are a lot of sunscreens out there, but none quite like Kinship's Self Reflect SPF 32, the most reliable and unproblematic sunblock I have found. If your interest is piqued, get one for yourself (and read more glowing reviews) at Credo Beauty's site.
