Keepin Cool' The bright new SUNSCREEN stars!

Last November I was diagnosed with a Melanoma. It was in the middle of my lower back and looked like a smear of Vegemite and not like any other mole or freckle on my whole body. It was one of the biggest shocks of my life. I've always worn sunscreen have hardly have been badly sun burnt, I never go 'tanning' and my skin is not freckly or pale. But I had a melanoma.

It was removed and tested and thankfully was all taken out with biopsy which meant no on going surgical treatment was needed. Skin cancers are very much thought of as a 'lower grade' or 'less harmful' form of cancer, this is not true at all. I am not sure how I developed a melanoma, maybe it was that time I was at the beach and I forgot to put sun screen on the one spot on my lower back, maybe it was that other time when I was 11 at school camp and I forgot my rash vest and went swimming in the lake. Who knows, but the one thing I am very confident in is that I never go in the sun without sunscreen ever again! So here are my favourite sunscreens which have been keeping me cool over the summer:

1. Neutrogena Beach Defence SPF 50+ Spray Sunscreen $16.99 available from www.priceline.com.au

This bottle is amazing! It is an aerosol can which allows you to spray the sunscreen on hard to reach places like your the back of your legs and the middle of your back, so you will never miss a spot again. The scent is non offensive and it does a great job at protecting you if you are going in and out of the water.

2. Dermalogica 50 Sport Protection SPF 50+ $45.00 available from www.dermalogica.com.au

If I am exercising or walking around in the middle of the day this is my favourite sunscreen, after applying it to my face and arms it wont budge for hours. It is 50+ and will not let you down.

3 Dermalogica Solar Defence Booster SPF 50+ $62.00 and Dermalogica Oil Free Matte SPF 30+ $62.00 both available from www.dermalogica.com.au

These two Dermalogica sunscreens are fantastic if you are needing to apply a sunscreen under makeup. They don't have any of the regular sunscreen stickyness or oil which is left sitting on the top of your skin, they prime your skin leaving an undetectable vail of sun protection.

4. Wot Not Natural Sunscreen SPF 30+ $26.95 available from www.nourishedlife.com.au

A friend recently told me she didn't wear sunscreen because of how toxic the ingredients were, so I went on a hunt to look for natural sunscreens on the market. After trying a few this WOT NOT sunscreen was the nicest I tried, it was easy to rub in and not too thick, it also wasn't heavily fragranced. People often complain that sunscreen breaks them out, it is actually not the sunscreen that is breaking you out but the fragrance which is masking the spf smell. If you have this problem then I highly recommend trying a natural sunscreen next.

5. Milk and Co Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 30+ $12.95 available from www.milkandco.com.au

My beloved Milk sunscreen, I love you. This has kept my skin safe during many an afternoon paddle at Gordon's Bay. The texture of this sunscreen is lovely and the tea tree scent is so fresh. 

6. Mukti Tinted Moisturiser with Sunscreen SPF 15+ available from www.nourishedlife.com.au

This is a great product if you are looking for a natural tinted moisturiser with an added SPF. The coverage is very sheer so I apply a concealer over the top if I am wearing it as my base. The consistency leaves your skin feeling quite tight and matte feeling, so there is no element of oily slip that's going to happen when you apply makeup over the top.

I hope this post has been helpful for anyone out there curious about new sunscreens that are on the market or for those of you looking to up your sun protection game. On a last note I would like to say is that there is no such thing as a healthy tan and please think before you go out into the sun because you are risking your life.

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Summer Skin Special : 3 Must have beach essentials

From left to right: Korres After Sun Cooling Lotion €22.00 www.korres.com, Neutrogena Beach Defence $13.59 www.priceline.com.au, Uriage Thermal Water $26.95 www.adorebeauty.com.au

It was still only 17 degrees in the water yesterday and it has been taking all of my dutch courage to jump in the water so most of the time I lay on the rocks lapping up the sun, warming off any winter vibes that are still lurking in my bones.

Today I spent the afternoon at Coggee in a special spot, Wiley's Women's Baths. It is an area of the headland designated for women ONLY- Keep out boys! Packing my favourite Benah beach bag I was excited to use my 3 essential beach must have products.....

Korres After Sun Cooling Yoghurt:

When I was little I got really sun burnt on a summer holiday at Currawong. I was laying on a blow up tire ring face down with a snorkel on watching fish for hours as a result my bum got so burnt it blistered and then I had to lay on my tummy for 2 days. Mum put Greek yoghurt on the burn and I still remember it being the most soothing sensation on my boiling hot legs. So when I saw the Korres After Sun Cooling Yoghurt I had to try it. Even if you aren't sun burnt but your skin goes red and blotching from the sun this cream is magic, removing redness and cooling hot skin.

Neutrogena Beach Defence Water and Sun SPF 50:

A little PSA (Public Service Announcement) : Sunscreen has an expiry date and it's usually within the year of purchase, so if you are lugging sunscreens from last year to the beach with you then go and buy a new one and make it SPF 50! Neutrogena's new Beach Defence Water + Sun Barrier Spray SPF 50 is my new ultimate beach accessory, it is so light because of the aerosol can so you have no excuse not to pack it in your beach bag. It sinks into the sun so quickly without being greasy, it is also super easy to spray onto hard to reach places.

Uriage Thermal Water Spray:

For the French Thermal water is considered a pharmaceutical remedy to treat psoriasis and eczema and I totally agree that it as amazing healing qualities. Uriage Thermal Water is such a versatile product for me, it sets my makeup giving me dewy glowing skin and when I get hot and bothered in the sun a little spritz calms me right down.

Photos taken at Coggee Beach 3.30pm Monday 30th September at Wiley's Women's Baths

xxx Nella

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MILKING IT! Milk Dry Touch SPF 30+ Sunscreen

Milk Dry Touch SPF 30+ Sunscreen available in 150ml $17.95 and  375ml $38.95

I am always on the look out for new and different sun protection products, living in Australia I wear a sun protectant year round either under my makeup in a moisturizer or a high foundation with a high SPF and on any exposed skin like arms, legs and especially hands. My Mum recently horrified me telling me her and her friends used to sun bake till they had blisters on their chests!

At 61 my Mum looks beautiful but does have signs of sun damage from her youth and her only beauty advice to me has been to protect my skin.

A couple of weeks ago when sitting at The Boat House - a sun drenched cafe in Palm Beach with my friends having brunch my dear friend Lucinda whipped out some Milk sunscreen for us all to use. I had never heard of the brand before, but after applying it to my arms I was quickly asking her all about it. Milk was created by Australian swimmer Michael Kilm, it I think is essentially is a mens skin care range from scoping out the website offering products ranging from moisturizer to protein bars. Anyway my friend Lucinda has amazing skin and claimed this to be her holy grail sunsreen, so I immediately bought 2 bottles of the Dry Touch SPF 30+ Sunscreen and have been using it everyday since. 

The best thing about the Milk sunscreen is it isn't greasy it applies almost in a gel consistancy and is so easy to rub into your skin, then when it dries it is completely matte and is not greasy or shiny leaving a white cast to your skin like most sunscreens do. It contains Vitamin E, Aloe Vera and Tea Tree, which are all great for your skin, I would avoid using it on top of any cuts or grazes because it does sting and if you cannot stand the smell of Tea Tree oil then you will not like this sunscreen at all. I cannot wait to be using this all summer long at the beach.

Please if you don't wear a sunscreen during the day on your exposed skin because you don't like the feel then shop around and find one you get on with, in the long run your skin will thank you!

Milk is available from www.milkskincare.com 

Milk does ship internationally.

Also via Myer, Coles, Woolworths and Pulse, Nation and Harrisons Phamacies Australia wide.