We all know the rules about going to the beach: stay out of the sun between ten and two when the sun’s rays are strongest, bring a beach cover up, wear a hat, and sunglasses, and oh yes, use lots of sun screen! But what about the days when we’re not spending all day out doors? We sometimes forget that even on a cloudy day the sun can still do plenty of damage. But most of us simply don’t have the time to fuss with slathering on sun block when all we’re doing is driving around on a few errands. Lucky for us, more and more companies are releasing versions of everyday products with SPF in them so that we have one less thing to worry about; and while these products are by no means enough for a day at the beach, they at least give us a modicum of protection while we carry on with our busy life.
For sun protection before you even get out of the shower, Freeze 24-7 has created the Ice Shield Facial Cleanser with Sunscreen, the first ever cleanser of its kind. It works just like any normal cleanser, washing away the dirt, and doesn’t leave any of that greasy film that you would normally expect with products that contain sunscreen. What’s more, it also has some great ingredients like white willow extract for better skin clarification! For full body protection from the sun, By142 has developed By142 SPF 15 Body Wash. A shower gel that contains protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Just use it in your shower in place of your regular body wash and go about your day as normal.
Another option for full body sun protection is body lotion with sunscreen, of which there are quite a few in the stores right now, at prices to fit most budgets. Kiehls makes the Crème de Corps Light-Weight Body Lotion. With a whopping SPF 30, this lotion provides UVA and UVB protection while also listing Jojoba Butter and Olive Fruit Oil in its yummy list of ingredients. Alba Botanica makes a product called Very Emollient Body Lotion, Daily Shade Formula SPF 16. Not only does this lotion contain SPF protection but it also has alpha hydroxy acids in it to exfoliate away dead skin. Lubriderm also makes a Daily Moisturizer Lotion with Sunscreen SPF 15 which is non-greasy and great for everyday use for both men and women.
One part of the body we really shouldn’t forget is the hands. Increased sun exposure to hands can cause liver spots and premature wrinkles.
That’s why it’s great that so many companies are coming out with hand creams that contain SPF. Amongst them are L’occitane’s Immortelle Young Hands, which has SPF 15 protection while also containing ingredients to fade existing age spots. Similar products worth trying that also fade age spots are Skin Milk Hand Lotion with SPF 15 and Molton Brown’s Naran Ji Soothing Hand Lotion SPF 15.
Most cosmetic companies are creating foundations that have some SPF protection, MAC, Revlon and Shiseido are some of the companies, to name just a few, but we can’t forget about our lips. The skin on our lips is very thin, and doesn’t contain much melanin to protect itself against those harmful rays. Certainly a lot of lip balms are being made with sun protection but you might find it interesting to note that there are more than a few good lipsticks and glosses out there that will also provide some protection. A few to think about are Moisture Sheer Lipstick SPF 15 by Clinique, Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lip Soother SPF 20 and Bare Esenctuals Lip Guard SPF 15. All of these lip goodies makes great lipsticks and glosses while also providing much needed protection.
Since we’ve talked about protection from sun exposure for skin, it seems only natural to talk about protection for hair. While hair cannot technically burn, it still takes a beating from the sun, and prolonged sun exposure can cause hair to become dried out and brittle. Luckily there are a lot of hair products right now that have sun protection.
Some worth looking into are Oscar Blandi Capri Sunshield Spray which contains UV inhibitors that protect hair color from fading and add moisture so hair won’t dry out; also consider Frederick Fekkai Glossing Cream or Terax Hair Care Sculpting Wax. Frederick Fekkai’s Glossing Cream is a leave-in conditioner which offers UVA and UVB protection while also giving shine and manageability to hair. Terax’s Sculpting Wax contains olive butter to moisturize your hair while it too carries protection against the sun’s harmful rays.
These double duty SPF products allow us to keep using the products we like, but with the added bonus of a dose of SPF sun protection, to help against day-to-day damage from the sun‘s rays. Just remember though, if you’re planning to do some sun worshipping, don’t forget to put on something stronger!
By: Nikki Arserio
Photo By: Eric Matsushita
