… And Please Don’t Forget Your Sunscreen
Mineral sunscreens have shed their reputation as the earnest but uncomfortable choice, with new lightweight formulas that rub in quickly and won’t leave you looking as pale as chalk. Good timing too, as Hawaii and Key West recently banned chemical sunscreen ingredients oxybenzone and octinoxate to protect marine ecosystems and prevent coral reef bleaching (whether these ingredients cause bleaching is still a matter of scientific dispute).
Mineral sunscreens are a smart choice as we age because our skin becomes more sensitive. These physical sunscreens, which use zinc and titanium dioxide to block the sun’s rays, “are typically recommended for people with sensitive skin since they tend to induce less irritation,” says Toronto dermatologist Dr. Sonya Abdulla.
BEYOND PROTECTION BEAUTY
(On previous page) Swap out your foundation
for sunscreen this summer and just add Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat High Cover
Radiant Concealer, $52 (14 shades, from Vanilla to Ebony) under eyes, around your nostrils and wherever you need coverage.
Loaded with moisturizers and antioxidantrich polyphenols to protect delicate lips, Fresh
Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15, $29, in “Punch” is the perfect shade for summer.
Guerlain Terracotta bronzer, $64, is shimmer-free, so you’ll look naturally bronzed and not glittery, when in full sunlight. Apply with a large, fluffy brush along the perimeter of your face tracing the number “3” from the temples to under the cheekbones and along your jawline.
SENSITIVE SKIN SAVIOUR
For anyone irritated by chemical screens,
Aveeno Sensitive Skin Face SPF 50, $16, with naturally sourced zinc oxide for broad spectrum and sweat-resistant UVA/UVB protection also contains soothing colloidal oatmeal (the same thing you bathed in if you had chicken pox as a child) to calm and protect easily irritated skin.
IMMEDIATE SUN PROTECTION
“Mineral sunscreens tend to work on contact compared to their [chemical] counterparts, which require time to absorb,” says Abdulla.
TINTED LOVE
In addition to being more lightweight, “Mineral sunscreen formulas have evolved and [some] include tinting to more closely resemble one’s natural skin colour,” says Abdulla. New Vichy Idéal Soleil Ultra Fluid Tinted lotion SPF 60, $30, provides non-sticky and non-shiny broad spectrum protection with just enough transparent, universally wearable colour.
HAIR FORCE
Containing nourishing coconut and babassu oil, bi-phase Kérastase Huile Sirène, $24, is a twofer that both protects hair from sun, wind and water and creates smooth, frizz-free beach waves.
—Liza Herz