I am active throughout the summer and for that reason it has become more and more apparent to me that I need to explore a good sunscreen option. I, like many, have combination skin on my face and a more normalized body so finding something to accommodate both of these needs is sometimes a bit tricky. I wanted to try out the Stream 2 Sea Tinted Sport Sunscreen which is available in both a 20 and 30 SPF. Because I am very fair I thought the higher level of SPF would be ideal for a day out in the elements and first started my test with this option.
Upon opening the packaging I was a little afraid of the coloration, it looked quite dark despite being considered to be a natural tone. Maybe in my head my version of natural is a bit more pale than others.
I first performed a patch test on my arm and hand, something I recommend anyone do when trying a new product on their skin. Though the ingredients are much more natural than your typical sunscreens you find, it is always best to try a small area first before applying to the entire body.
When doing the test, I noticed that the coloration of the product still was looking a bit darker than my skin when applied, however after a few moments of allowing it to set it started to blend down much closer to my actual tone.
The lotion was not as thin to apply as many other sunscreens I had tried, it was easy to move on the skin but didn’t feel tacky and quickly absorbed into the skin leaving it moisturized feeling but not oily or greasy. I allowed it to continue to sit for 20 minutes before finally determining that I would now try it on my face, this is a face and body product.
I put it on my face without makeup and noticed it allowed me to have a sun kissed glow look without actually having had any sun. It did not have a hard blend line at the jawline or in any areas which might not have been rubbed in as well. It seemed to match my tones and create an even canvas.
The sunscreen is destined to be water resilient and can last up to 80 minutes in hard sweat or water. I noticed that after 80 minutes or normal activity it was still holding in tact and hadn’t become runny or discolored. I did notice over time that after reapplying since I wasn’t really being “sport” active that it did feel a bit oily in my naturally more oily areas.
I would definitely feel comfortable using this sunscreen by itself or under my make up, however I would probably not wear a full coverage foundation which tends to be heavier on the skin if using this product below. I also would stray away from moisturizing my skin within hours of putting the lotion on my face.
I did notice over time this felt a bit more heavy on the skin of my face since I do have combination skin. The natural oils in my T Zone area made the lotion on my face feel as though it was slipping down and off which then required reapplication. Over the days wear this made for a lot of color depositing onto my skin and throughout prolonged wear of day to day it did effect my skin slightly.
I would recommend this for a day or two maximum wear on the face but would probably recommend something without coloration for continued usage. On the body, where you naturally are less oily this product works well for continuous usage.
As for my body, I found this to be perfect product for evening out my tones on my shoulders and arms and while my arms were exposed all day I did not experience any burn despite this only being a SPF of 30. Usually I am having to use a much higher SPF in other products to not worry about burning.
TIPS:
While they do have a larger size I would suggest sticking with the 3 ounce for travel, not only is it TSA approved for beach destinations but it is also the best size for keeping in your bag for your destination. They also have a small 1 ounce version great for a smaller bag or for your day to day.
Remember reapplying is important to keep consistency of product especially when being active. Every 80 minutes a quick once over will be enough to keep your product in tact and protect you against both UVA and UVB.