My experience with the 3 sunscreen handmade cosmetics from Lush, during my trip to sunny Vietnam.
- Sesame Suntan Lotion: SPF 10 Low
- Powdered Sunshine (Non-stick): SPF 15 Medium
- The SunBlock: SPF 30 High
I just returned from a girls trip from Vietnam with one of my best friends (also the founder of freirauch), Alissa. Keeping in mind how sunny it is over there in Vietnam (AND learning from my careless mistake in Goa from the previous trip), I decided to take good protection of my skin this time. In general, I am a huge fan of the Lush handmade cosmetics and what they stand for (Fresh handmade with almost no chemical), so that was an obvious choice for me. But I wasn't sure if I needed a high SPF sun protection all the time! This is why I was on a hunt to find the best suitable option according to my duration of exposure and the activity in the sun and I think I found an answer. Interested to know what I experienced?
1) Lush Sesame Suntan Lotion: SPF 10 Low
Alissa and I planned to stay only one day in Hồ Chí Minh and to go on a small city tour just on our feet. It was already about 30 ° C so we definitely needed good protection. I chose the Sesame Suntan lotion, as it is quite handy to take on the go and the bottle is not too big. It has an SPF of 10, which is quite low, so I was not sure if this would be enough. On the other hand, we were on a city tour an not at the beach, so not all the time in the direct sun. I applied it in total twice that day and this was really enough. As you can see, I am quite fair and at the risk of getting a sunburn. Two months back I was in Goa, without any sun care and looked like a red tomato the next day!
2) Lush Powdered Sunshine: SPF 15 Medium
The next day we really needed some beach time, as Hồ Chí Minh traffic can get really busy. We decided to take a flight to Nha Trang. This time I took a shot with the non-sticky powdered sunshine with an SPF of 15. .. As the name indicates, it is indeed a powder and smells so damn refreshing. A side effect I do not mind on a trip with a flight. The other reason I applied the powder, is that I do not like to feel sticky during travel, which you avoid with this product. After we reached our hotel in Nha Trang, we had literally one hour before the sun would go down, so we ran to the beach. I also applied here the Powdered Sunshine, as I was quite happy until then. I woke up the next day with no sunburn and ready to enjoy a full day at the beach.
Side note: be careful while applying on a windy beach, especially if you wear a dark bikini it might leave temporary spots, but it washes away quickly.
3) Lush SunBlock: SPF 30 High
Going on a beach during the sun peak time, you better be prepared. So I chose this soap-looking SunBlock solid sunscreen wash with an SPF of 30, the highest available option at Lush. It also keeps the skin moisturized, as it is rich on cocoa butter. I used that product already in Berlin summers before, but I was not sure how sun resistant it will be in Vietnam. I applied it once in the morning in the hotel and at the beach, I layered it with the sesame Suntan Lotion on top. Also here I was completely happy.
Caution: It is very oily and starts melting at a high temperature. I do not carry it to the beach and keep it in a cool place inside a non-leakable case.
Moment of truth:
As you probably might read through the lines, I was not sure if Lush sun protection cosmetics would be enough as the highest available option was SPF 30. From experience, I get mostly sunburned on my shoulders. So one of the days I also experimented Alissa´s conventional sunscreen with an SPF of 50 (applied twice on a full sunny day) to have a direct comparison with my experience with the Lush products. It turned out I got burned on my shoulders the very first day! So at least my experience says that Lush cream even lasted longer on my skin.
I could recommend the Lush fresh handmade cosmetics. You need to carefully choose which products with which SPF to what occasion is best for you. And last but not least, do not overdo it with the sun. Give it a break, give your skin a break and go in the shadow. Don´t return as a tomato from your vacation. A good sun-tanning needs time, unfortunately.