Sunscreen That’s In The Clear — Brighten Your Complexion, Protect Your Skin, And Perfect Your Makeup With New COOLA Dawn Patrol Classic Primer SPF 30
It’s 102 degrees in Austin, Texas, which means I can essentially fry an egg on the hood of my car. If the sun is hot enough to fry an egg, imagine how it’s roasting our skin! Venturing outside for anything longer than a 10-minute span means exposing the skin to dangerous UV rays, so applying sunscreen is as much of a safety measure when hanging outdoors as wearing a seatbelt is when sitting in a moving car. Like most makeup-wearing women, I’m always thinking about how I can incorporate sunscreen into my makeup routine (I even did a segment on the topic for “Studio 512”), and I always start with a primer that offers SPF protection. Throughout the day, meanwhile, I’ll reapply sunscreen over my foundation, bronzer, and blush by either spritzing on a makeup setting spray with UV protection or dusting on a translucent mineral sunscreen powder.
Up until now, I’ve had one go-to primer with UV protection, the Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30, which I love because it goes on completely clear and manages to safeguard the skin against the sun’s rays while also minimizing the appearance of pores and giving the complexion a matte finish. I even wear it on no-makeup days when all I want is to protect my skin, keep shine at bay, and blur any imperfections — all of which Murad’s Invisiblur does smashingly.
Recently, I added a new primer with built-in SPF protection to my makeup rotation: the COOLA Dawn Patrol SPF 30 Classic Makeup Primer ($42 at Sephora.com, ULTA.com, and CoolaSuncare.com). Like the Murad primer before it, this product goes on completely clear and it doesn’t leave the skin looking or feeling greasy — instead, it gives the complexion a matte finish and minimizes redness while making pores less visible. Both primers are transparent and long-lasting and both create a smooth and even base for makeup application, but they have different botanical ingredients meant to accomplish distinct tasks. The Murad primer, then, contains mushroom peptides that help to minimize visible aging signs, along with barely, sunflower, and cucumber extracts that hydrate the skin and strengthen its moisture barrier, keeping it hydrated for longer stretches of time, and black currant seed oil, another anti-aging powerhouse. The COOLA primer, meanwhile, contains sunflower seed oil, which helps to reinforce the skin’s natural barrier; licorice root extract, known to help diminish the appearance of dark spots; and three plant stem cells with anti-aging and brightening properties: honeysuckle stem cells that have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties; white lily stem cells, which prevent hyperpigmentation (dark spots) and give the complexion a radiance boost; and iris stem cells, which stimulate cellular proliferation and speed up collagen production to keep skin taut.
In terms of active ingredients, both primers rely on chemical sunscreens (as opposed to the physical blockers you’d find in mineral sunscreens), which might be a turn-off for those of you who prefer mineral sunscreens but which I don’t personally mind. Those who are skeptical about chemical sunscreens tend to note that studies suggest oxybenzone could lead to hormone disruption and to cell damage that could, in turn, cause skin cancer. Luckily, neither of these primers contain oxybenzone, and the other chemical filters found in their formulas (avovenzone, octocrylene, octisalate, and homosalate for Murad’s Invisiblur and octocrylene, octisalate, and avobenzone for COOLA’s Dawn Patrol) are relatively controversy-free.
If I had to compare both primers, I’d say that COOLA’s Dawn Patrol wins in the fragrance department since the white lily, iris, and honeysuckle stem cells in the formula give the product a crisp, watery, invigorating, sunny aroma. Murad’s Invisiblur, however, does a better job of keeping oiliness at bay and minimizing the appearance of fine lines, redness, and enlarged pores. That said, COOLA’s Dawn Patrol gives the complexion a bit more of a radiance boost than Murad’s offering. Both are amazing as primers and as sunscreens, but I’d suggest using the Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield if you’re most concerned with visible aging signs, keeping oiliness at bay throughout the day, or minimizing the appearance of pores, and reaching for the COOLA Dawn Patrol if what you’re seeking is more of a fresh-faced look, a hint of moisture, and a radiance boost.
In the end, both are stellar primers that you can apply under makeup or wear alone on those days when you want to let your skin breathe a bit but you’re hoping for a selfie-ready complexion. Think of these as FaceTune IRL!
