SPF, SPF, SPF is what every beauty expert should be chanting in your ear year round and undoubtably this summer. It’s undoubtably our #1 beauty must-have and the best anti-aging defense you can have. If there’s one thing we saw this week is that the sun is no joke! So I’ve rounded up my favorite SPF’s for the summer so no matter what your complaint — it’s too oily, heavy, It has a white cast… these are my fool-proof picks from head to toe — and even for your pet!
Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Defense SPF 45 – This is the SPF I like to keep in my purse and travel with since it’s only 1oz and use when I’m not wearing any makeup. It goes on sheer, soaks up my oils and dries almost matte. If you are going to layer anything on top, make sure to put this on prior to your moisturizer to avoid pilling. Although I prefer any number of SPF’s on my list more for when I’m layering products on top.
Paula’s Choice Resist Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 – Probably one of my favorite SPF’s of all time, it comes out like water and is so hydrating on skin and then packs a serious SPF 50. It’s the lightest SPF I own and like all Paula’s Choice products is 100% fragrance free and great for sensitive skin.
La Prairie Cellular Swiss UV Protection Veil SPF 50 – Leave it to La Prairie to make you feel glamorous while putting on SPF. From the packaging to the application, it’s perfection. It can be used over your moisturizer, goes on smooth and sheer without any aftermath. It’s the furthest thing from greasy or messy and gives skin a very pretty sheen.
BeautyRX By Dr. Schultz Solar Defense Sheer Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 – goes on like a creamy lotion and then dries and absorbs beautifully. No white residue and is a great SPF for under your makeup. I’m a big Dr. Schultz fan and his formulas and this is one that’s great for all skin types.
Image Prevention + SPF 50 – My friends at the HeyDay facial spa turned me onto Image as a customer favorite for anyone looking for an effective light-weight moisturizer with a built in SPF 50 for the day. For anyone that likes a fragrance in their moisturizer, this one has some plant extracts that gives off a sweet and yummy scent. I generally prefer fragrance free but this wins me over with the formula which I often use on my arms as well since I’m less sensitive to fragrances on my body.
Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream with Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 – Regenerist is the drug-store holy grail of anti-aging skincare. The original has probably won every skincare award for anti-aging so when the SPF 30 version came out I was overjoyed! This is what I put on when I’m running out the door and just walking to the subway or not really hanging outside in the sun but am outdoors for small pockets of time and want the added skincare benefits.
Neutrogena CoolDry Sport SPF 50 – For the athletes (and men) in the house, I point you to the Neutrogena Coldly Sport SPF collection. My two favorites from the line is the Sunscreen Spray which goes on sheer (apply indoors for even application) and the Sunscreen Stick, which is the only SPF I can get my boyfriend to use. The stick is great for anyone that prefers to apply their sunblock like a deodorant and not get their hands greased up. It’s sweat and water resistant for 80 minutes and what I spritz before going for a run.
Aveeno Protect + Hydrate Lotion SPF 30 – When it comes to family trips or sharing a beach house, this is my go-to. It’s affordable so I don’t mind sharing and burning through a bottle and reliable. I’ve used this countless times at music festivals and at the beach and have never burned. It’s also sweat + water resistant for 80min. It’s a little more creamy and oily when you first apply it which is great for the beach when everything is dry and then dries sheer.
Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Soother SPF 20 – There are loads of lip balms with SPF but for anyone that loves to wear lipstick or a gloss, or just wants some added shine, add these Lippies on top. They pack an SPF 20, give a lovely cooling mint-like sensation, have a gloss like finish that isn’t sticky and come in a bunch of different shades (although the color coverage is very sheer). Probably one of the most underrated products from Neutrogena.
Mederma Scar Cream SPF 30 – When you scar or have a burn turn brown the last thing you want is for the burn to be exposed to the sun! It has the potential to turn into a permanent brown spot. So cover until the injury has closed and then use Mederma SPF 30 when exposed to the sun to help heal while protecting from further damage.
Epi-pet Sun Protector Spray – Charlotte Reed, pets industry veteran and founder of Petrend Events turned me onto the veterinarian developed product line Epi-Pet. Since I of course rescued a dog with skin issues (who also got sunburnt when I adopted him in Palm Springs), this is the only sunscreen in the pet industry that meets the FDA’s guidelines. And includes 4 sunscreen ingredients to protect your canine from UVA & UVB rays as well as Tocopherol, which is an antioxidant to promote the healing of burned and damaged skin.