I received a question from a reader the other day, and it got me thinking about when it makes sense to save or splurge on skincare products. Sara left a comment on the Neutrogena vs. Trader Joe’s Sunscreen Stick Comparison blog post, saying that she had tried Trader Joe’s sunscreen stick as a less expensive alternative to her normal go-to sunscreen stick from ThinkBaby—but unfortunately, the TJ’s version wasn’t able to protect her daughter from sunburn. For reference,…

Lancome Bienfait UV SPF 50+ Super Fluid Facial Sunscreen is a premium product, so I was definitely excited to see that it was one of the two full-sized products included in Sephora’s Sun Safety Kit 2018. I like the fact that it’s specifically labeled as a “facial sunscreen,” because it makes me think that it’s been developed to be less irritating and less likely to aggravate acne. I’m not sure if there’s any truth to that—it’s just the way I feel.

If you don’t like the feeling of applying sunscreen with your fingers, sunscreen sticks are the way to go. A sunscreen stick also provides a much easier way to apply sunscreen on a squirmy baby’s face. Sunscreen sticks also travel friendly and portable—great for keeping in your handbag for a quick touchup on a high UV index day. Today, I’d like to compare two sunscreen sticks: Neutrogena Pure & Free Baby Mineral Sunscreen Stick SPF 60+ vs. Trader Joe’s Mineral…