BILLY

I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s when nothing said “summer” like a reflective mat and baby oil. While most of my contemporaries spent their time “tanning”, I spent the majority of my teen years trying to “burn so bad I tanned”. This goal traces back to an early conversation with my mom, riddled with bad data.

“Mom, how come you tan and I just burn?” I asked, peeling swatches of skin off of my blistered shoulders.

“I burned as a kid, too, until Grampa Harper took us to Mexico and I burned so bad I started to tan.” Hmmm. “Burned so bad you tanned, huh?” Burned so bad you tanned. I liked what I was hearing. Staring down at my fiery red skin, I had the feeling it wouldn't be long. I remember looking up at her bronzed skin thinking "yessssss, yesssssss..........here I come tan skin....."

It’s important to mention that while my mom and I share DNA, my skin sided with my Dad’s Irish-German DNA. In other words, my skin is so pale it could be referred to as “lavender” or “clear”. With freckles. My mom's side is rumored to have some Native American.

I'll let you decide if my mom’s strategy was simply incorrect or lawsuit worthy. I only mention it because there is a silver lining to a burnt childhood. Somewhere in my 20's it became clear that this "burn so bad you tan" theory had holes. I overcorrected with a sunscreen vigilance rivaled only by vampires.

There is A LOT of information about sunscreen out there. Mostly conflicting. Chemical sunscreens are great, except that they are bad. Mineral sunscreens are the way to go, unless the particles are too small and then they are bad. This one looks unnaturally white, that one makes your skin looks greasy. You only need SPF15, but if you don’t have SPF50, it won’t work. Oh, the options, the information, the studies!

It all makes my head spin and I make a real effort to stay up to date. The only agreed upon concept is that if you don't want to tackle melanoma in your lifetime or look 100 when you're 80, you have to wear sunscreen and that sunscreen has to block both the "UVA" and "UVB" rays, aka "broad spectrum". I feel like I have tried them all and I've decided to share a few of my favorites.

Important note: Winter does not mean that you get to lay off the screen. Wear it everyday. EVERYday. Face and neck. All Year. As a rule, I like an SPF of 30 or higher. Why not?:

Skinceuticals Physical Matte UV Defense SPF 50: This is a new favorite that's showing quite a bit of promise as an all around solution to both the ghost-face, the greasy-face, and the sticky face problem that most sunscreen wearers encounter. The texture is almost powdery after it's applied. I don't use a foundation primer when I wear this. If you have an oily t-zone, I would call this a "must try" for you. Only one I've been wearing.

Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Broad Spectrum SPF 50: This is like an old friend. It’s liquid, so it’s good for my oily T-Zone. It goes on white, but the white goes away quickly. Doesn’t make my makeup look weird. My every day goto when I’m in a “chemicals are fine” phase and I'm out of my Skinceuticals.

Cotz Face for Natural Skin Tones, SPF 40: This one is great for super sunny days or as an everyday sunscreen with or without makeup afterward. “Chemical free” sunblock and natural color so you don’t get the white cast. Silky feel. When I’m in a “chemicals may shorten my life” phase. Or in Florida. Similar to the Skinceuticals one mentioned earlier.

Peter Thomas Roth Oily Problem Skin Instant Mineral Powder SPF 30: I love this stuff SO much. The experts say to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, to which I say: GROSS! Especially if you have makeup on. This is a powder that you can swipe on easily throughout the day over whatever you have on your face. Never looks too “base face” or powdery. Perfect product. Get it.

What are your favorites?

Keely