We all know that sunlight emits evil UVA and UVB rays that can cause your skin to be darker, or develop unsightly spots! Worse, it can even cause aging and skin cancer. These threats are very real and bear a little damage every single day during your activities sub-consciously. Another misconception people would have is: only ladies need to remain fair - the guys can be exposed to the elements in order to be manly. Skin cancer is obviously not sexist, it can occur to both men and women! But there are so many different sunscreens in the market, which one would you be comfortable relying on?

Backstory: One year ago, I do not use sunscreen at all because I find it an immense hassle. Besides, it does not contribute to any immediate beautifying effects so sometimes, I conveniently skip this step when I am in a rush! However, I've heard enough horror stories about the unforgiving aging effects of sunlight upon the skin. When you can visibly see yourself aging, you cannot reverse it anymore unless you purchase even more expensive and time-consuming anti-aging products. The effects of the sun wear your skin down bit by bit everyday, and you really need to start wearing sunscreen - regardless of your age (even children has age-specific sunscreen catered to them). It's a necessity, and should never be made a choice.

I recently got two sunscreen samples from Samplestore.com - firstly, the Sunkiller Perfect Strong Plus SPF 50 and secondly, the DHC Suncut Q10 Aqua Gel SPF 50. I received the other two products from the Fun in the Sun event organized by Channel 8 (will be covered soon!) - Avene High Protection Mineral Cream SPF 50 and Avene High Protection High Protection Emulsion SPF 50. I've already been using Avene's Emulsion SPF 50 for a few months as my primary sunscreen, and hence you usually see my face maintained to be quite fair.

This is how the textures of each of these four sunscreens look like when placed side by side to one another on my hand - they have been rubbed into the skin by equal number of circular motions. I used a different finger to smear them into the skin, so no cross-contamination there.

Glossary of terms for sunscreen knowledge!

UVA:  UVA rays account for up to 95% of the UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Although they are less intense than UVB, UVA rays are 30 - 50X more prevalent. They are present with relatively equal intensity during all daylight hours throughout the year, and can penetrate clouds and glass.

PA: Japanese protection grade to measure the degree of UVA protection. PA+++ or PA++++ will be what you should be looking out for!

SPF: Sun Protection Factor to measure the degree of UVB protection. An SPF 15 product blocks about 94% of UVB rays; an SPF 30 product blocks 97% of UVB rays; and an SPF 45 product blocks about 98% of rays. Get a SPF 50 or SPF 50+ product and it will be just perfect.

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.Look out for the "Sponsored Samples" on the left column for sample bundles with waived handling fees. If you are interested in some of the products in travel-size just to try it out instead of buying it at retail price, you can also grab a sample bundle of 4 products and only pay $5.99 for the handling fee. Let's get pampered!