SKINCARMA-HatMark.jpg

Welcome to Skincarma.

These are the musings of Carmine Montalto, NYC-based writer, skincare junkie and brand guru. The former copywriter at Kiehl’s, Carmine has more than 25 years of experience in beauty. Through the Skincarma Blog, he puts all of his product wisdom to work demystifying the ever-evolving world of skin care. 

You can change your skin’s destiny.™

PRODUCT REVIEW: SOLARA SUNCARE TIME TRAVELER AGELESS DAILY FACE SUNSCREEN – BEST MINERAL SUNSCREEN FOR FACE

SOLARA SUNCARE | TIME TRAVELER AGELESS DAILY FACE SUNSCREEN

IMG_2772.jpg

This review was originally part of my blog article titled, “A Complete $175 Clean Skincare Routine with Herbivore, The Inkey List, Solara Suncare & More!” You can still catch the full piece here.

When people ask me my top recommendation for an anti-aging treatment, I always reply “sunscreen!” It never ceases to amaze me how uniformly shocked they are. Like I’m being sarcastic or glib.

I always get some form of push-back. “No, really, I mean which anti-aging product do you recommend? I’m looking for something that really works.” I just rephrase and repeat.

Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!

Seriously, what you want is a clean, well-formulated, anti-aging sunscreen like my latest find from new-to-the-scene indie brand, Solara Suncare. I came across Solara the same way I discovered two other new clean skincare brands — Codex Beauty and Ethique. Yes, I found Solara on the cyber pages of Beauty Independent. And of course I went crazy.

Catching my stride on the cross-trainer that morning, I went straight to the brand’s IG account and website to see it for myself. Voilà! A 100% clean, non-toxic, good-for-skin sunscreen brand! And Solara really gets it — with firsthand experience. The brand was founded by Stephanie DiPisa who discovered while on a family vacation that her 8-year-old son was allergic to the chemical sunscreen she had applied to his skin.

IMG_7478.jpg

So she created a clean, non-toxic brand for herself and moms like her who just wanted to protect their kids from the sun’s harmful rays without poisoning them with toxic substances. Solara identifies what they call “six common sunscreen offenders.” The list of offenders includes chemical sunscreens, PEGs, denatured alcohol, silicones and siloxanes, artificial fragrance and potentially irritating synthetics.

The amazing part is Stephanie set out to create her clean sunscreen brand five years ago, well before the clean craze swept the industry. I love that; I really do!

So, the sunscreen selection for our clean routine was easy — it had to come from Solara. And the Time Traveler Ageless Daily Face Sunscreen is the perfect option. Time Traveler relies upon a 20% mineral concentration of non-nano Zinc Oxide. Remarkable since it uses a non-nano form of the molecule, and still leaves no white cast. It’s kinda miraculous.

IMG_3137.jpg

And the formula is packed with a terrific blend of replenishing, antioxidant plant oils including Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Oat Kernel Extract and a new skincare sensation — Ashwagandha Root Extract, a healthy medicinal herb.

I’ve been known to display irrational fondness for a really good sunscreen. It’s no secret that my fave sunscreen of all time is the Skin Aqua UV Milk, made with alien technology.

But I really love this Solara stuff. Aside from the fact that Time Traveler is clean, really well-formulated and effective — it’s got this unusual added benefit to it. It gives you an out-of-this-world radiance like some sort of “breakthrough skin-empowering illuminator.” (Wait. Where have I heard that before?)

Time Traveler is available on the Solara Suncare website for $42 — the second most expensive product in the regimen yet arguably the most important.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Solara Suncare Time Traveler Ageless Daily Face Sunscreen SPF 30 for $42 here.



The Ingredient List of the Solara Suncare Time Traveler Ageless Daily Face Sunscreen:

Active Ingredient: Non-Nano, Non-Coated Zinc Oxide: 20%Inactive Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, C13-14 Alkane, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Coco-Caprylate, Propanediol, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Magnesium Sulfate, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4, Ceramide Ng, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) Root Extract, Perilla Frutescens (Mint) Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Flower Extract, Avena Sativa (Oat) Kernel Extract, Gardenia Taitensis (Tahitian Gardenia) Flower Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenylpropanol, Sorbitan Olivate, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Fructose

PRODUCT REVIEW: FIRST AID BEAUTY WEIGHTLESS LIQUID MINERAL SPF 30 - ONE OF THE BEST MINERAL SUNSCREENS FOR FACE

PRODUCT REVIEW: FIRST AID BEAUTY WEIGHTLESS LIQUID MINERAL SPF 30 - ONE OF THE BEST MINERAL SUNSCREENS FOR FACE

PRODUCT REVIEW: KIEHL’S CALENDULA SERUM-INFUSED WATER CREAM – ONE OF THE BEST FACE CREAMS FOR OILY SKIN

PRODUCT REVIEW: KIEHL’S CALENDULA SERUM-INFUSED WATER CREAM – ONE OF THE BEST FACE CREAMS FOR OILY SKIN