If you’re anything like me, you have a love-hate relationship with the sun.
My Mediterranean skin is on the pale side, but my olive undertones surface easily and crave the rays (or maybe that’s just me). I’ve spent many a summer day in my youth frolicking on the beach in my native Croatia and closer to home, with zero protection against those harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Related: Everything you wanted to know about sunblock but were too shy to ask.
I’ve always loved that sun-kissed glow and, if I’m being honest, haven’t always respected that too much of this “good thing” can cause me irreparable sun damage, leading to some pretty bad burns (use this as a cautionary tale).
While I’m somewhat late to working regular sun protection into my skincare routine, I am now a convert, hoping to undo much of the damage that’s already been done. As part of my commitment to this, I spent much of last summer looking for a sunscreen that felt good on my face (read: not sticky, not leaving me chalky-white and not making my sensitive skin flare up).
While I didn’t find it then, I found one I love now: Vichy’s Liftactiv Specialist SPF30 with Vitamin Cg (a derivative of Vitamin C that boosts collagen production), peptides, hyaluronic and glycolic acids.
Vichy Liftactiv Specialist SPF30: The pros
I first applied the Liftactiv Specialist Peptide-C Anti-Aging Ampoules that my dry skin drank up, and then layered on the sunscreen. Vichy’s product is light, absorbs quickly and feels nourishing on my skin. It has a light beachy scent that’s a great olfactory trigger, reminiscent of hot summer beach days. My skin looks and feels great after using the sunscreen, and I plan to incorporate this more religiously into my morning skincare routine, even when I’m not planning to spend all day outside. It feels smooth, and while I can’t say the combo totally eliminated my fine lines, I can say my skin looks fresh and plump, and knowing I’m protecting myself against future damage is half the battle.
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Vichy Liftactiv Specialist SPF30: The cons
I didn’t really spot any downsides, apart from wishing the package was bigger (though a little of the product goes a long way). I’d also love to try this particular line in a higher SPF.
To that point, I did try Vichy’s Ideal Soleil SPF50 hypoallergenic face lotion, which is water- and sweat-resistant, for up to 80 minutes and found it was great for those days you know you’re going to be getting your sweat on, say, by paddle boarding or doing some other strenuous activity.
For the rest of your body, Vichy’s Ideal Soleil SPORT body SPF60 is another great option.
See also: Spring/Summer 2021 beauty trend alert: Smouldering eyes.
