SPF Gel and Moisturizer

    Sunscreen is not something that I enjoy putting on my face because of my oily skin. I feel like sunscreen just makes my skin even oilier. Also, I wear glasses so sunscreen makes it fall down easier.  Every time I know I have to put sunscreen on my face, I totally dread it. After I was done with color guard, I felt so relieved that I don't have to put sunscreen on everyday because I don't have to be out in the sun. I know sunscreen is important for protecting my skin from uv rays, but I just didn't like the texture. 

    Fast forward a year later, I began college and actually started working out. I never like running, but upon entering college I feel the need to excercise and get into shape. For a while and in winter, I would use the treadmill and elliptical since it's convenient. However, I decided to run outside when spring came along. I know that uv rays are to strongest between 12-3 pm so I would wake up early to do morning runs. 

   Unfortunately, I noticed that my face got way darker and my skin started to have some dark dry spots two or three weeks later. Then, I realized that it must have been the uv rays :( I didn't know what to do, but to ask my mom to send me some lotion or something. I opened the package that she sent me and it was a moisturizer or lotion with SPF 30. Immediately, I started to put some of the moisturizer/lotion every morning before going to class and running. I think maybe in a week or so, I saw my skin improving (no more dry spots). From then on, I would use the SPF moisturizer/lotion everyday. However, I'm still not satisfied just because the moisturizer/lotion still makes my face feel oily, but I continued to use it since I didn't have any other options. 

Things changed when I went to Korea for a few weeks. I know that Korea has many beauty stores so I decide to look around to see if there's any SPF gels or something that won't make my skin feel oily. Finally, I found what I was looking for in a Missha store. I think I was at a subway station and went inside Missha with a friend. There I saw an ice sun gel with SPF 27 that wasn't too expensive so I bought it. I tried it on the next day and my life changed because the gel doesn't leave my skin oily at all and dries fast. 

   As I got older my skin does feel quite dry in the winter so I switched it up and use back SPF moisturizer. I made up my mind to use gel in spring/summer and maybe autumn and moisturizer in winter. I really liked the Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer with SPF 40 because it smells very pleasant, but I ran out of it so I started using Kiehl's facial moisturizer SPF 30 these past few weeks. The smell is definitely not as good as Josie Maran's, but as long as it works I'm fine with that. I got Kiehl's facial moisturizer as a sample. In the end, I learned my lesson: it's important to protect your skin!

Here's my SPF gel from Korea: