I’m kicking off this year’s sunscreen experiments with a positive review! About a week ago I was perusing the sunscreen aisle at Target, as I usually do when it looks like summer is imminent, and I saw something new. It was called Bare Republic Mineral Face Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 (the untinted version). I was initially drawn to it because it was a mineral rather than a chemical sunscreen, which I generally prefer. Luckily a lot more companies are coming out with “natural” options that contain zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, which makes my fair skin and me very happy. Unfortunately most of these mineral sunscreens have turned out to be thick and gooey, make my skin feel sticky, and leave a ghostly white cast on even my pale skin. But I keep trying them, looking for a diamond in the rough! One of the reasons I picked up the Bare Republic sunscreen is because it’s made by Coola. Back in 2013 I tried Coola Sport Mineral Citrus Mimosa Sunscreen (SPF 35) with mixed results, but it did have one thing going for it – no yucky sunscreen smell! That benefit was enough for me to take home a tube of the Bare Republic sunscreen (which seems to be Coola’s less expensive drugstore line) and give it a try. I first used it on my face and neck when I went to Disneyland yesterday. And it was great! Initially I was skeptical because the sunscreen is more liquid than cream, which I wasn’t expecting, and my skin didn’t absorb it quickly. But after about a half hour my face was powdery soft with a surprisingly flattering matte finish. No greasy or shiny skin? I was sold! And the best part was that I spent about three hours at Disneyland with no hint of a tan. Very promising. Then this morning I gave the sunscreen a bit tougher challenge – the LA Galaxy 5K. June Gloom abandoned us today so it was hot and sunny at 9 AM when the race started. I wasn’t sure if the Bare Republic was going to do well in this particular environment, I slathered it on my face, arms, and legs this time to put it to the test. And it worked great! There wasn’t much shade on the course so I sweated profusely during the race, and the sunscreen didn’t get sticky or run in my eyes. It was a brilliant success! I will definitely be taking the Bare Republic sunscreen with me to Hawaii in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait!