Sunscreen Lite

SPF Lite: The New Breed of Facial Sunscreens 

I’m amazed that after all these years, the Trident people have never gotten that pesky fifth dentist to cave to the peer pressure of the other four and just recommend their gum. What gives? It’s a relief that among dermatologists, there’s no stubborn naysayer ruining the statistics. The group agrees that the use of a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 is mandatory on exposed areas (face, backs of hands) every day of the year – whether you’re trapped in a cubicle in Seattle or lounging on the beach in Miami – to prevent signs of aging, like sun spots and wrinkles, as well as (and even more importantly) lessening your risk of certain types of skin cancer. 

Beauty industry icons like Bobbi Brown and Patricia Wexler M.D. are in agreement as well, naming the sun as the skin’s worst enemy. According to Brown, it’s vital to select a broad-spectrum sunscreen, meaning that it protects against both harmful ultraviolet rays – the potentially cancer-causing UVA rays and the UVB rays that cause wrinkles. Brown explains that both types of indiscriminate rays “penetrate the epidermis and continue into the dermis” and damage skin cells.

Dr. Wexler believes that protection from daily aggressors, including UV rays, is the key to preserving and maintaining youthful skin, and explains, “Constant exposure to pollution, sun, and the stress of modern living can result in dull, damaged and prematurely aged skin.”

So now we know that the experts agree on the villainess powers of the sun and most reasonably intelligent people will load up on sunscreen during a day spent in its evil rays. Yet, why is it that even the most diligent among us make excuses to skip this step on the average workday? For one thing, on those rushed mornings when we already have a slew of products to apply, it’s so tempting to just skip the sunscreen layer altogether. Secondly, many a so-called “facial” sunscreen formulation is guilty of myriad sins such as causing oiliness, clogged pores and break-outs, and the white chalk finish is anything but invisible. Lastly, even the most light-as-air, impeccably blended foundations and powders end up looking like thick beige globs when they are applied over sunscreen – a look that flatters exactly no one. I’ve tried many types, from drugstore bargains-but-busts to overpriced and underwhelming niche brands, and had given up on finding a truly great facial sun shield…until now. 

From here on, excuses, schmexcuses, facial sunscreen doesn’t have to be a sticky, chemical-laden beauty-kill. Quite the opposite; the following sun protectors are equally great alone or under makeup and actually make your skin look better.

Ole Henriksen Sun-Light Protection Crème With Green Tea SPF 30 is free of parabens and sulfates but packed with antioxidant anti-agers like green tea and algae extract and feels like a face treatment. Matte finish but great for drier skin types, $28; www.olehenriksen.com.

Laboratoire Remede Translucent UV Coat SPF 30 is one of my all-time favorite beauty buys as the best primer-sunscreen-meets-sheer tint hybrid out there. It’s oil-free, goes on like water and uses soft-foscusing powders for an incredible finish. The coverage isn’t a stand-in for foundation by any means, but it’s a giant step above regular sunscreen on your not-so-pretty days, $40; www.blissworld.com.

La Mer The SPF 30 UV Protecting Fluid lives up to its lineage by bringing luxury to the oft-clinical UVA/UVB blocking game. Silky and lightweight, the Fluid diffuses light for a subtle glow and blurs imperfections. Because it hydrates well yet absorbs ultra-quickly into a matte finish, its multi-tasking ability as a makeup primer helps me justify the price tag, $65; www.lamer.com.

MISSION Skincare, the brand created and tested by Serena Williams and other superstar athletes, formulated its Anti-Sting SPF 30+ Facestick to address the need for a UVA/UVB shield that doesn’t run into or sting the eyes, stays where you put it and doesn’t feel greasy. Toss the travel-friendly stick into your purse or beach bag for a quick mess-free SPF swipe on ears, nose, scalp, face, anywhere you need it. Best applied as a touch up over, not under, your makeup throughout the day, $8.99; www.beauty.com.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 30 does the impossible by giving waterproof, sweatproof, rubproof UVA/UVB protection without clogging pores. It’s light, matte, transparent, and quite nearly perfect, $9.99; Drugstores.

Shed A Layer: Tinted Moisturizers with SPF

No longer pointless, greasy combos of inferior humectants and mediocre, zero-coverage foundation, there are now exceptional tinted moisturizers with SPF that are worthy of their 2-in-1 claims and allow you to protect and perfect with one less layer of “stuff.” Among the best:

For Dry Skin: Patricia Wexler M.D. Dermatology Daily Defense Anti-Oxidant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 blocks UVA/UVB rays, drenches skin with time-released moisture and camouflages flaws with dewy coverage, $29.50; www.bathandbodyworks.com.

For Normal Skin: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 – Illuminating Formula takes the cult-classic original formula up a notch with micronized pearls for luminous, lightweight radiance, $42; www.lauramercier.com.

For Oily/Combo Skin: Tarte Smooth Operator SPF 20 infuses skin with lightweight moisture while blurring fine lines and wrinkles, and gives the most silky, natural, glowy yet non-slick finish, $35; www.tartecosmetics.com.