High protection UVA/UVB with Mexoryl XL technology in an ultra-comfortable and refreshing texture with 0% alcohol. 100% suitable for sensitive skin. -vichy.ca

 As you may have heard me talk about a few times before in this blog, I am super sensitive to the sun and its effects on my skin. Yes, I get sun hives. It just sort of happens when I go out in the sun, with or without sunscreen. My best protection is to layer up with good quality sunscreen, reapply and hide in the shade while covered up. But I still get hives. So when I learned that alcohol in my much beloved spray on sunscreens could be further irritating my skin I  decided to look into my options.

Alcohol is traditionally used in spray on sunscreens a carrier ingredient and lends to its 'lightweight' feeling, the very thing I love about spray on sunscreens. As a result skin can feel dry (it is alcohol after all, it does that to the skin). But in my case, if I've had hives the night before and I use a spray on sunscreen the next day with alcohol it can burn a bit, because well I often scratch the hives, I just cant help it, leading to little open soars.
Needless to say alcohol on my skin after hives is just not a good idea.

I learned that Vichy had found a way to make their Capital Soleil Invisible Mist not just feel great on the skin but also alcohol free and hydrating with vitamin E but it also sports the new Health Canada UVA Seal of
Recognition.

Criteria for the UVA Seal of Recognition as follows:

• The UVA protection factor must be at least 1/3 of the UVB protection factor (for example, a product with an SPF of 30 must then have a UVA PF of 10)
• The formula must protect against the long UVA rays reaching a critical wavelength of 370 nm. 

Pros:

• Alcohol free = less irritating
• Smells good
• Vitamin E = a bit of moisture for your skin
• Spray on - my favourite type of sunscreen
• Has the Health Canada UVA Seal of Recognition 
• Feels incredibly nice on the skin - light weight, non drying , but still soft on skin

Cons:

• 30 SPF is the only strength it comes in at the moment - I generally prefer stronger SPF level, but I found it worked quite well.

Overall:
So what do I think of the formula after using it for the last month? I love it. It feels lightweight , my skin feels soft and supple after using it, but still like no product was really applied. My skin is far less irritated, if I use it after a hive breakout I itch far less the next day, it certainly feels more refreshing on my skin.

I would recommend this sunscreen to anyone with sensitive skin who is looking for a good quality sunscreen that wont dry out your skin but still feel ultralight on your skin without leaving a residue.

Calm Some More:

Next up is Life Brands SunThera3. I go some Aloe After Sun Cleansing Wipes  to carry around and calm my skin. They work well but need a bit more moisture to them. I also grabbed their Hydrating After Sun Masks. They are sheet masks and really calm the itch on my delicate face.

Cover Up:
Finally I cover myself, with a lightweight throw over shirt, a scarf (my chest area is always getting it the worst), sun glasses and a big sun hat. You'll also see me hiding in the shade. If I am by a pool, I'll be under some beach towels, I am not getting any extra uv rays if I can prevent it. This truly is my best bet for not suffering later that day or night.

So that is my action plan for this summer, so far so good, only a few days of hives so far. I hope I could help others who have issues. Personally avoiding exposure is my best bet and it might be yours too.