If I Can Only Use One Product, What Should I Spend My Money On?

So you are on a budget, but skin care is important! How do you decide which product that you should spend your money on? The choices are limitless, but there is one that will help make more of a difference.

How about I give you clues and you see if you can guess what it is?

Clue #1 - This product is one that stays on the skin. So you don't rinse or wipe it off.

Clue #2 - This product is always the very last one to put on the skin.

Clue #3 - This product is considered either physical or chemical ... though some of them are both.

After reading clue #1, you should have eliminated a cleanser, exfoliant and mask, since these products are taken off of the skin. Maybe with clue #2, you thought moisturizer, so that means that the serum is out (serum is always applied BEFORE a moisturizer.) Did clue #3 trip you up?

Well, if you only have money to spend on ONE PRODUCT, the product that will be most beneficial to the skin is ... (insert drumroll here) SPF! That's right! Sunscreen! Did you know that SPF stands for sun protection factor? We'll get into the numbers in a minute. It stays on the skin, is the very last thing you should put on, and they are classified as either physical or chemical.

How can you tell the difference between physical or chemical? The first thing is to know how they work. A physical SPF acts like a SHIELD and BLOCKS the UV rays. A chemical SPF allows the UV rays to ABSORB into the skin and then SCATTER the harmful rays. Ingredients that constitute a physical sunscreen are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Popular chemical sunscreen ingredients are avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone.

An SPF 15 to SPF 30 is recommended for daily use. A broad spectrum SPF 15 protects you from 93% of the rays while SPF 30 protects up to 97%. Just 4% difference! An SPF 50 protects up to 98%.

My unpopular opinion is to use the one that you LOVE (regardless of if it is chemical or physical.) If you use a product you love, you will be sure to use it right! I offer two that are both amazing and would love the opportunity to show them to you!

Don’t forget to

Breathe. Let Go. Relax.

Zoey Jolley, LE