Your summer 2023 sunscreen guide

Memorial Day is literally around the corner. Are you ready?

Hopefully sunscreen is part of your daily morning routine—and if it’s not, trust me, this will catch up with you eventually in the form of wrinkles, dark spots and hopefully not skin cancer. I recently had a little brush with the third after my annual skin check required two biopsies on my back. One was totally fine, but the other was ONE STEP AWAY from melanoma—which is the most deadly form of skin cancer. My derm referred me to a general surgeon who removed all the bad cells, but here I am five weeks later with an open wound that just won’t heal (and when it does, it isn’t going to be pretty). Just remember this cautionary tale when you put off your annual derm visit—or don’t show your skin the SPF love it deserves.

Enough of that, and on to the fun part. There are lots of new SPF offerings that I’m excited to try this summer—because the key to wearing sunscreen religiously is finding products that you actually want to use. With a family trip to the Dominican Republic just a few weeks away, the hunting and gathering has begun.

First up, a bottle of EltaMD Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46. My husband and son are very picky about their face sunscreen (I wonder how that happened) and this is the only one they’ll use. In my son’s case, using it daily has also faded post-breakout dark spots on his chin (thanks to niacinamide), which were ironically the result of not wearing sunscreen at camp last summer. Obviously I’ll use it, too.

Whenever I go on a beach vacation, I always bring a SPF face mist for touch-ups (like every hour). My go-to in the past has been Soleil Toujours SPF 30 Set + Protect Micro Mist, but alas, it seems to have been discontinued. However, I’m not the slightest bit disappointed because this gave me a reason to order Vacation’s Super Spritz SPF 50.

OK, I’m going to go off on a little tangent here because I am OBSESSED with Vacation’s branding. (Visit their website, sign up for emails, place an order and you’ll see why.) If there was such a thing as stalking a beauty brand, I’m guilty. The evidence: I snagged myself an invite to their holiday party back in December and it was every bit as kitsch as I hoped it would be.

Oh, and I also have their perfume. You’d be surprised how delicious notes of petitgrain essence, coconut water, coconut milk, bergamot, solar musk, banana, pineapple, pool water, swimsuit Lycra and sea salt can be.

While I was at it, I ordered the Classic Whip SPF 30 as a surprise for my son—in hopes that I’ll be able to say “Dude, you need sunscreen” less than 5,000 times over the course of five days.

Beyond these pre-travel sun-protection purchases, of course I have a running list of options for when I exhaust my existing sunscreen backstock (and the bottles of this and this La Roche-Posay I’m currently using).

I never met a Kosas product I didn’t love, and DreamBeam Comfy Smooth Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 is their first foray into sun protection. With a mineral-based formula, ceramides, peptides, hyaluronic acid and a radiant finish, this just ticks all the boxes for me. (If you hop over there, I’ve also tried the concealer, eyeshadow, mascara, lip gloss, lip booster, deodorant and body wash—and recommend them all.)

Supergoop!’s Glowscreen SPF 40 in “Golden Hour” is on my list as well thanks to a blend of niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5 and the promise of glowy, protected skin.

BeautyStat is one of my go-tos for vitamin C—not only because it’s less than half the price of SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic, but because I just really love the creamier texture. (I really like the eye version as well). Low and behold, the brand now offers the Universal C Skin Refiner Broad Spectrum SPF 50, and this is a two-fer both I and my skin can get behind.

If you’ve come across any sunscreen musts for summer 2023, I’d love to hear about them!

Have a beautiful weekend!

xoxo,
Paige

P.S. You know I’m always looking out, so just a few tips while you’re gearing up for fun in the summer sun.

• Skip the spray sunscreen. Dermatologists (almost) unanimously agree that they don’t deliver the protection stated on the bottle—and breathing it in certainly can’t be doing any favors for our lungs or overall health.

• Powder sunscreens are great for touching up and preventing sunburn along the hairline, but don’t rely on them as your primary form of sun protection.

• Check those expiration dates! Sunscreens can lose their effectiveness before their expiration date, especially if you leave them baking in the sun. To play it safe, toss everything from last summer and start over.

• Fun fact: If you’re applying the proper amount of sunscreen when you’re on a beach or pool-heavy vacation, a family of four should use one bottle of sunscreen on vacation in TWO DAYS.