Currently Loving: Avène Sunscreen

I've been sitting here for an hour, trying to cleverly tell you why Avène sunscreen is amazing, how you should wear SPF daily if you don't already, that Avène's formulas are so incredible I've been wearing these sunscreens non-stop during the Vancouver heat wave. But every time I try for "clever," this post comes out sounding more "fangirl," so here it is: I'm obsessed with these sunscreens in a way I've never really been obsessed with sunscreen before. Let's go over all the reasons why I love them, shall we?

1. They're formulated for sensitive and intolerant skin, which means I can use it on the face or body and I don't have to carry separate sunscreens for both.

2. The texture of the High Protection Spray and Lotion is a thin, lightweight milk rather than a thick lotion, making it easy to apply and more pleasant to wear.

3. It must be the skin-soothing and softening properties of the Avène thermal spring water, but I do feel like my skin dries out less when I use these sunscreens than with sunscreens I've used in the past.

4. Broad-spectrum UVA/UVB, photo-stable protection and SPF 50+ mean plenty of protection, even under the most scorching rays. The boy and I wore Avène High Protection Spray for Sensitive Skin SPF 50+ ($32.50 at London Drugs) for a free salsa concert at the park on Saturday and to the beach on Wednesday. We were pretty much under direct sun almost the entire time, but escaped unscathed thanks to the strong protection and frequent re-application.

5. Each sunscreen is great in its own way. The spray is wonderful for a quick application at the park or beach. The Avène High Protection Lotion for Sensitive Skin ($29 at London Drugs) comes in a 100 ml tube perfectly portable in any tote for re-application throughout the day and ideal for travel, and is water-resistant for up to 40 minutes. (I can attest it was kind of difficult to scrub off in the shower.) For those who are all about the mineral sunscreen, Avène Mineral Cream for Intolerant Skin SPF 50+ ($28 at London Drugs) contains 18.99% titanium dioxide. No way you'll burn with a layer of that on your face, although it does go on a bit chalkier than the orange-packaging High Protection formulas.

6. I have to admit, I feel a smug sense of luxury using a fancy French sunscreen instead of a plain old drugstore one, which makes me more likely to re-apply throughout the day.

This weekend is set to climb to even higher temperatures; there's no time like the present to stock up on sunscreen!