August 7, 2020

A non-sunscreen-sunscreen, an AI-guided resource for finding the perfect SPF and a mascara delivery program designed to keep your eyes healthy AF.

Sunscreen you won’t mind wearing even if you’re not going anywhere

It bears repeating: Yes, you still need to wear SPF every day, even if your only excursion is from the couch to the kitchen. Odds are you’re sitting near a window that allows UV rays to penetrate, or you’re spending more time in front of a computer or on your phone. No matter your current schedule, it’s important to protect your skin from UV damage, as well as screen-generated blue light, which continues to get a lot of attention. It’s bad enough that I haven’t gotten Botox since February, and I definitely don’t want to come out of isolation with discoloration or older-looking skin texture that makes people think, What happened to her? 

Every time I venture out of the house (which is pretty much limited to doctor’s appointments and picking stuff up curbside), mask-wearing inevitably results in at least one zit—and I know I’m not alone. This can make the sunscreen situation a bit trickier, but there’s a way to side-step the issue of excess oil while still getting the sun protection you need.

I’ve been a long-time fan of Colorescience’s brush-on sunscreens for a few reasons. First, they can totally double as makeup, and second, they make it easy to reapply your SPF when you’re already wearing makeup. The mineral-based formulas come complete with a brush so you can toss one in your bag and have sun protection at the ready whenever and where-ever you need it.

In exciting news, Colorescience recently launched the Sunforgettable Total Protection Sheer Matte SPF 30 Sunscreen Brush, which is perfect for keeping extra oil (mask-induced or not) under control while protecting against environmental damage caused by UVA and UVB rays, pollution, blue light and infrared radiation. (BTW, it’s also a great product for squirmy kids who run away as soon as they see you coming at them with sunscreen.)

So as I sit here looking out my office window with a huge computer monitor in my face and my cell phone within arm’s reach—at least I don't have to worry about skin damage. (COVID and Tropical Storm Isaias are different stories!)

A chat-bot just helped me find the perfect sunscreen

If I can find a way to avoid talking to people I don’t know or like, I will. Take customer service for my bank, phone, internet and other such companies for example… I’m all about the online chat option if it’s available, as I’ve found it’s usually more efficient than talking to someone in a call center halfway around the world (and I don’t have to worry about coming off as nasty if I get aggravated). But at the same time, there’s nothing more aggravating than a bot who just doesn’t understand you.

I was intrigued when I got an email about What’s In My Jar’s new Sunscreen Finder, which uses AI smart-chat to guide you to the ideal sunscreen that matches your preferences as well as your skin’s needs. And, OMG, it totally works.

The “conversation” starts with questions about where you live (since available products and ingredients vary by country) and whether you need SPF for face or body (or both) and if it’s for an adult, child or baby. Great questions from the get-go!

These were followed by some skin-centric questions such as how your skin feels when you wake up and how sensitive and acne-prone your skin is. I particularly liked the question that involved a colored dot for skin tone comparison, since some mineral-based sunscreens leave darker skin with a white cast. Last, I was asked how I felt about tinted sunscreens—and although it was a multiple-choice answer, I wanted type, “I LOVE a tinted SPF—thanks for checking!”

Then we got into water-resistance and if I was planning on swimming in the ocean—because even this bot wants to preserve what’s left of the coral reefs! The next query was about eye-stinging (and if I prefer a non-stinging product). I think we’d all prefer something that doesn’t burn our eyes if it happens to get in there, but I realized this was basically a veiled attempt to find out if I want a mineral- or chemical-based sunscreen (or if I don’t care).

The last batch of questions was about my desired price point and level of SPF, and the bot said it strongly recommends sunscreen with at least SPF 30. (I didn’t ask for its opinion but the advice was certainly appreciated.)

Then, poof!, I got my personalized list of five, which included:

Supergoop! Daily Correct CC Cream SPF 35

PCA Skin Sheer Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 45

SkinMedica Essential Defense Mineral Shield SPF 32 (Tinted)

Clinique Pep-Start Daily UV Protector SPF 50

Peter Thomas Roth Max Mineral Naked Broad Spectrum SPF 45

Upon closer inspection, all of these options seem to meet my needs and wants, but I was also able to view an expanded list that allows you to filter the products further. And guess what was on there? My all-time favorite yet sadly discontinued Eau Thermale Avene tinted sunscreen. This bot hit the spot—and it only takes a few minutes. Trust me, try it! (If you need me, I’ll be checking out all the other fun stuff on the What’s In My Jar site.)

A genius way to always have fresh, sanitary mascara

Just a reminder… You’re supposed to replace your mascara every three months to prevent microbial growth than can lead to eye and skin infections—because every time you do that wand-pumping thing you’re introducing air (and anything the brush picked up from your lashes) into the tube. I’ll 100% admit that I am guilty of not following this rule as I have a hard time throwing away products that aren’t even close to empty (especially these days, when I wear mascara maybe one a week).

But what if there was a guilt-free way to make sure your mascara is always in tip-top shape? There is, with My Little Mascara Club, and here’s how it works. This subscription-based model sends you a mini-sized mascara every six weeks (you can customize your shipment timing if you’d prefer one every four or eight weeks—and you can pause your subscription any time), so all you have to do is chuck the old one when the new one arrives. When you sign up, you choose between Length + Definition or Volume + Curl (both formulas are 90% natural, vegan, cruelty-, paraben- gluten, mineral oil-, beeswax- and paraffin-free), and they even throw in reusable mascara remover wipes—even though these lash-enhancers wash away easily with water—and a mystery surprise!

You don’t have to subscribe if you don’t want to, but then you kind of miss the upside of taking care of your eye health without giving it a second thought. Even better, you’ll never have to deal with dried-out mascara that leaves your lashes clumpy again either.