Finally I made the ultimate skincare purchase - a sunscreen. I always saw sunscreen as luxury skincare because why would you want to put yet another layer of cream on your face after a whole skincare routine? Initially, I thought I didn't need sunscreen because I'm dark skinned and felt my skin wasn't getting harmed by the sun rays. I was so wrong. In secondary school when I'd get back home in the evenings, I always looked way darker than I left in the morning and this has continued the rest of my life. I can't say I have had sunburn but I got worried about looking darker every time I was out on a sunny day. I've used several moisturizers with supposed sun protection factor (SPF) but I think the SPF on them was just a marketing strategy. I've been holding off on buying an actual sunscreen because they're so expensive. I couldn't bring myself to buy a product that's more expensive than my whole skincare stash.
Sometime last year, I came across this Gavia sunscreen on the internet that retails for $5. I was using their face wash then and it was quite good for a $2.5 face wash. It was not until last month I finally found this on the shelf of a physical store.
For the fact it was just $5 and had great reviews from skincare enthusiasts, I grabbed one for myself.
It's the Gavia Sunblock & Whitening Cream SPF 60.
Excellent sun protection, brightening and lightening effect. Excellent protection against radiation UVA and UVB With Vitamin C. Water resistant.
The product description claims it is an oil-free sunscreen that will not leave you with pasty skin and protect the skin from environmental damage. It says it can be used under makeup with no need for extra moisturizers. The skin will be left soft, smooth and protected. It offers 60 times the protection against UVA, UVB and infrared rays to prevent sunburn, freckling, skin damage and uneven discoloration.
It has a long list of ingredients that are known to be sunscreens as seen below on the tube.
Firstly, I love the packaging, it's very handy with an easy cap and it's a weighty 7.05 oz tube. The yellow and orange colours on the tube are very attractive, who wouldn't want to spend on pretty things?
The 'whitening' on the tube didn't throw me off because from the reviews I read, it doesn't whiten. I don't know a lot about sunscreens but I know people complain a lot about having a white cast after using a sunscreen and I can say that's not the case with this.
The Gavia Sunblock sits well into my skin, is very moisturizing and leaves no cast.
I use it every morning right after I'm done with my moisturizer before leaving the house. It says on the tube to reapply every 4 hours under the sun but I've never done that. I couldn't be bothered to even take it out 💁
One thing to note is the smell is not offensive at all. For someone who is easily nauseated by smells, I don't find this irritating even when it smells chemical-ish.
I've used it in the last two weeks each time I go out and I can say I no longer come back home looking darker than I left. My only problem is when applied, it makes me hot and sweaty. I haven't tried it under makeup yet, maybe I'd do without my moisturizer if I'm to do that.
For the price, packaging and effectiveness, I'd rate this a solid 7/10.
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