I was a kid the first time I saw the effects of skin cancer, when my Grandpa Bill did one of his infamous pop-ins and strolled into our living room with what I thought were earmuffs made of bloody gauze. He explained, in his booming voice, that he’d had a “bit of skin cancer” taken off his elephantine ears. It was no big deal, he insisted, but when I saw that “taking off a bit of skin cancer” looked more like “a piranha chomped off chunks of your ear” I had to disagree (silently, as Midwestern children ought to do).
Prior to this day, I had thought of cancer as an ailment created only by cigarettes or bad luck. It had not crossed my mind that Mr. Golden Sun, whom we begged to shine down on us in preschool singing circles, would try to kill us. I was diligent about applying the SPF 8 No-Ad sunscreen my mother brought home from Walgreens, which bought me…8 minutes of sun protection for the 8-9 hours I spent outside.
My fear of skin cancer paled in comparison to my desire to not be pale, and in high school I snuck off to the tanning beds and paid for $50 “accelerator” and told myself that light bulbs in a strip mall couldn’t possibly be bad for you. I spent every summer from ages 16-21 lifeguarding at the Richfield Public Pool spending my off days “laying out” to try to even out the tan lines from my red Speedo.
I shudder to think of what this insouciance could cost me someday, when the Piper demands to be paid, and I pay the sun his proper respect now, from a lounger under an umbrella, wearing a long-sleeve rash-guard and a wide-brimmed hat, absolutely lubed up with layers of sunscreens, dutifully applied at the proper intervals. And in honor of Bill, I never, ever forget my ears.
🌞 For Face 🌞
Under makeup:
☀️ Good Weather Skin sunscreen feels like skincare: it’s moisturizing, smooth and a great feel.
☀️ The Dr. Brandt liquid sun shield is a mineral sunscreen, and I like how it still seems to soak into the skin and still let me put makeup on without pilling. I generously allowed the children to use this in Europe and now they have a taste for the finer things, which is bad for me because it is $$ (but lasts!).
☀️ For my money, the Cerave Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 is tried and true, and works perfectly under my makeup every time.
☀️ I understand the hype over the EltaMD sunscreen! I get it! It’s worth the money!
Instead of makeup:
☀️ Tula Protect & Glow sunscreen is great for days when you don’t want to wear makeup but still want a little glow (in my experience this pills under makeup). This does have a fragrance, so if you’re sensitive to that, you will not love this!
☀️ I live for a spray tan, but I do my face myself. Spray Saltyface on a makeup brush (I like a kabuki brush) and blend in over your skincare for a really natural look.
IS makeup:
☀️ The Uniform by Merit is a tinted sunscreen that has been my makeup lately. I was influenced to try this brand not by my best friend Caroline Moss who has been singing their praises for years, but by Martha Stewart. That is my truth.
☀️ I was gifted Ciele and fell in love: the SPF 30 primer alone is good enough to skip makeup altogether, but is truly a primer. The tinted serum is SPF 50 (!!!) and the blush is SPF 45 and blends beautifully.
Over makeup:
☀️ The Supergoop Resetting Mineral Powder goes on over makeup, but I love it in my part to keep my hairline from burning.
☀️ Ditto with the Vacation Spritz — stows right in your bag and goes on over your makeup (or in your part!) without making you too greasy. Q loves the smell and happily lets me spritz him throughout the day.
😎 For Body 😎
☀️ Buying a bottle of the Kopari Sun Shield Body Glow is a summer treat for me. It’s an SPF oil with shimmer, it smells like summer, and makes everyone’s skin look a little better.
☀️ We keep a jug of the Supergoop Play sunscreen on our kitchen counter, so it’s easy for everyone to access. I love that it feels like regular lotion, and has a light fragrance that doesn’t taste like sunscreen (does this make sense to anyone else? Can you, too, sometimes taste sunscreen when you smell it?)
☀️ The Vacation Classic Lotion smells so good, like it’s summer in the 90s but you’re actually wearing SPF and not just “tanning lotion.” Again, Q loves this one and keeps his own bottle in his pool bag.
☀️ In Europe I bought a bottle of Avene Calcifate SPF 50 and it’s heaven and you can’t get it in the US I am kicking myself for not buying ten bottles of it!
UPF Clothing
☀️ Caroline Moss bought me a SunShield and when the UV is 11 and I’m on the beach…I’m under an umbrella wearing this guy and looking VERY COOL.
☀️ And you know what? Rash guards are not just for kids. A UPF shirt (even over sunscreen!) is just smart (and cute, in my opinion). I also have a one-piece rashguard to go over a two-piece (and yes I wore this in Vegas).
