Have you ever tried a sunscreen in a stick? There are different opinions about sun sticks. Some people treat them as an invention, for others - it's the worst idea ever. For a while, I wanted to try Mamonde, because two palettes which I got from this brand are my favourite. Thanks to Miyun I was able to try Mamonde Everyday Sun Stick SPF 50+ PA++++. Is sun stick a new must-have?
Why is sunscreen important in your routine?
Since I was a child, I didn't like sitting for hours in the sun. It's nothing strange since even my physiotherapy lecturer classified my skin tone as 'almost albino, phototype I/II'. My skin burns in the sun, and I believe that my survival instinct was quite high when I was a child. Sun is positive for our lives. It helps with Vitamin D synthesis and deficiency of this vitamin might cause osteoporosis. On the other hand, the sun can be bad for us. The sun is a source of UVA & UVB. Sadly, this duo can speed up the ageing process, cause pigmentation, but even harm your sight and skin or in the worst-case scenario exposure to them can lead to melanoma (skin cancer).
What do SPF and PA mean?
SPF is a standard which you can see all around the world on sunscreens, while PA is common only for Japan and Korea (I'm not sure how about other Asian countries). Sun Protection Factor, aka SPF, tells us only about UVB. SPF tells us how much time we can spend in the sun after the use of sunscreen, it's not always accurate since when we go swimming or do some activity - water and sweat can remove the sunscreen from the skin. To figure out how long the sunscreen will protect you, you need to know your MED - Minimal Erythema Dose, I don't know if any doctors are running such tests for other than research/therapy purpose and please don't do them on your own. We use UV lamps and special patches, each place gets different amount of UV - one fragment of the hand gets 1 minute while other 10 seconds - time depends on skin type then we just wait 24 hours to see the result, and the first fragment of the skin before fragments that are red/brown is nothing else than MED. So if you see tan on your skin after 5 minutes and you want to use SPF 10 all we need to do is to simply calculation - SPF x time (MED) = time which you can spend without reapplying sunscreen. So 10 x 5 = 50 minutes but if you use SPF 50 then it's 50 x 50 = 2500 minutes, still it's better to reapply sunscreen every 2-3 hours.
PA and PPD are two systems which producers use to let you know how good their product is in UVA protection. PPD stands for Persistent Pigment Darkening while PA is nothing else than Protection Grade of UVA. I barely ever see brands using PPD system but also the PA system is mostly used by Asian brands. If you're a European please check your sunscreen - if you're living in any other place check them as well, for example in Europe Avene and La Roche Posay have information UVB + UVA - UVA is in the circle, so what does that mean? I know that La Roche Posay promotes its products as a sunscreen with high UVA protection but check BASF website and you'll find a graphic there which shows, that UVA sign in a circle is equivalent of PA+++ and PA++++, while PA++++ is an equivalent of PPD 16 and over and PA+++ stands for 8-16 PPD. I'm a fan of the PA system because it's easier to use.
About Mamonde
Mamonde is a South Korean skincare brand from the same family as Laneige, Sulwhasoo, IOPE, Innisfree and Etude House. To make it simple, Amore Pacific is a mother company of Mamonde. The name of the brand has a hidden meaning. Part 'ma' means my while 'monde' stands for the world. Since 1991 Mamonde makes products inspired by petals. Even if you check Instagram or the brand's website, you will see lots of floral photos which for me are a huge inspiration. Something I love about Korean brands is how well they can design the interior of their shops, Mamonde didn't disappoint me. The shop aesthetic is as important as branding. Both are related to flowers. The ambassador of the brand is Park Shin Hye, a South Korean actress known from dramas such as Doctors, The Heirs or Memories Of The Alhambra (this one you can find on Netflix).
Mamonde uses a wide range of flowers in their products, such as Bitter Orange, Calendula, Camellia, Evening Primrose, Hibiscus, Honeysuckle, Houttuynia Cordata (called Eoseongcho), Lotus, Magnolia, Narcissus and Rose. Today we are going to focus on Calendula.
Calendula Complex
Mamonde decided to base Everyday Sun Stick SPF 50+ PA++++ on a mix of Calendula and Madecassoside. They called it a Calendula Complex. Calendula is an antioxidant, it can repair the harm caused by UV rays and free radicals. Centella Asiatica is a source of Madecassoside - a popular K-beauty ingredient. It's an anti-inflammatory ingredient which can help speed up the healing process of your skin.
Sun stick - benefits and disadvantages
Sun sticks seem to be an ideal form of re-application of sunscreen, but there are many pros and cons.
Benefits
+ It doesn't take lots of place in your bag - sun sticks are quite small, you can even put them in your pockets
+ Good to use in case of a trip where you don't always have an option to clean your hands - but it also has a disadvantage since you can't always disinfect the product
+ Quick application process
+ Your hands stay clean
Disadvantages
- Hygiene! When I want to use it again, I spray it with isopropyl alcohol - the same way I disinfect makeup.
- You're not always in control of the application - you might not apply the sunscreen evenly.
- It doesn't work well with an application on the top of the makeup.
Packaging
Mamonde Everyday Sun Stick SPF 50+ PA++++ comes in a plastic foil. The sun stick is tiny, it's weight is only 20g and I can compare it to the size of a pack of cigarettes. You can choose - sun protection vs cancer. I choose sun protection as always!
Texture & Scent
The texture is nice. The stick looks like it was designed to stick to the face and neck well. It moves smoothly on the skin, and it leaves velvet film on the surface of your face. The scent is mild, hard to say what it reminds me of, but I don't see it as a pro or a con of this product.
Mamonde Everyday Sun Stick SPF 50+ PA++++ - Ingredients
Polyethylene, Dimethicone, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Octinoxate, Silica, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Nonanoate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Squalane, Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymers, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Titanium Dioxide, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Fragrance, Aluminum Stearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Alumina, Glycerin, Madecassoside, Sucrose, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Potassium Sorbate, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Indole Acetic Acid
Polyethylene is a wax and I strongly believe that Mamonde decided to put it in this product to shape the sun stick. Dimethicone is silicone which you shouldn't be scared of! It's an emollient, that protects your skin from dehydration. Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer is silicone in powder, I guess that's why we get this velvet feeling on the skin. Octinoxate protects the skin from UVB. Sadly, this ingredient isn't very stable and it needs a stabilizer to work well in a product. Silica is a thickener, but you probably know it from powders. This ingredient will control the sebum and absorb it. Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate is a lightweight emollient. Another emollient on the list is Cetearyl Nonanoate. What's amazing about this one is that it starts to melt when you let it touch your skin.
Squalane is an ingredient which you probably know well. It's a stable twin of the unstable Squalene. It's a skin-identical ingredient since you can find it in the skin. Squalane used in skincare can come from olives, amaranth or fish. It keeps your skin looking healthy, moist and young. It won't break you out! Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymers look scary but it's just another emollient. Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate might sound weird, but it's nothing else than Uvinul A Plus. It protects your skin from UVA. Ethylhexyl Salicylate protects your skin from UVB. Do you think that these two and Octinoxate are enough? Nope, we still need more protection! The next ingredient Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine is Tinosorb S. It's a very popular broad-spectrum sunscreen ingredient. It protects your skin from both UVA & UVB and it can stable other ingredients.
In general, you can find in this formula lots of emollients like
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate and Glyceryl Caprylate. There's a mineral sunscreen - Titanium Dioxide and the best humectant your skin can meet - Glycerin. Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Extract has soothing properties. In general, the ingredients are very surprising since they mix sun protection, moisture and sebum absorption.
How does this sunscreen work for me?
I was a bit sceptic about sun sticks - it's not a form of a sunscreen I meet every single day. I tried some deodorant sticks before and my experience with them was pretty bad - especially roll-ons since they are impossible to disinfect, hopefully, sticks are easier to disinfect. My first application of this product felt good. I used lifting moves, I was even able to apply it on my eyelids and my eyes didn't complain. The stick moves on the skin so smooth and it leaves a velvet film. Skin is soft in the touch and it feels hydrated. If you use upward moves then you'll see the hair on the skin looking velvety and a bit shiny. It does help with a natural shiny look which we all want to achieve - aka honey skin trend. I had problems with technique - upward or downward moves? I was taught to apply makeup with downward moves not upward while personally, I prefer lifting moves. It's hard to say for me does this sunscreen protect the skin well - we have to remember about reapplying the sunscreen every 2-3 hours, there might be some problems with covering corners of the face like between nose and cheek, but I still enjoyed it! It works well with my makeup and it's ideal sunscreen to use for me after treatments at med school. I enjoy it, even if I had mixed feelings about the application and safety.
How do I disinfect sun sticks?
Fact about me - I disinfect sun sticks. Why? I do the same with makeup brushes and makeup so why can't I disinfect the sun stick? I use isopropyl alcohol - you can use products like skinsept and other drugstore products to disinfect the skin. Spray the sun stick with it and with a paper tissue - remove alcohol with a layer of sunscreen. I do this before every use. Remember that sun sticks are products just like your mascara - you don't want to share them with other people.
Where to buy it?
If you live in Poland then you'll find Mamonde Everyday Sun Stick SPF 50+ PA++++ on Miyun for 58,99 PLN. If you live in the US then Ulta is an option or you can check the Mamonde website to locate the store in your area where you can buy Mamonde.
Overall, I'm surprised that I enjoyed the sun stick. I always thought that it's the least enjoyable sunscreen form that exist. I might try more sunscreens in future and I guess I'll try to find more products made by Mamonde to show you.
Have you ever tried Mamonde? What's your opinion on sun sticks?
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*** This post was made in collaboration with Miyun.pl, even though it still shows my personal opinion on the topic and product**
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