SPF 1000
I'll admit, my skin was peeling pretty hard after a recent trip to the beach. I told myself "I'll get a solid tan without products this time and maybe next time I'll put on sunscreen." BIG mistake. My eagerness to get that Summer bod didn't pay off and now I'm the one paying for it.
So, today's blog post is all about SPF!
What is SPF? 'Sun Protection Factor' is the measure of how well a product will protect your skin from UVB rays (the radiation from the sun that can cause sunburns and contributes to skin cancer). To give you an example, products that say 'SPF 15' on the side of the bottle block 93% of UVB rays. You can usually stay outside for about 2 hours before you need to re-apply.
SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays and SPF 50 blocks 98%. It's a pretty small percentage increase as the SPF numbers jump up, but you wanna stay in that safe zone with a minimum of 15.
That's all well and good, but my major issue with sunscreens is how thick they are no matter their SPF! It's like spreading cake batter on your skin. Brands have improved over the years and now offer products that are lightweight AND have SPF built into them, but it can be a bit of trial and error to find out which ones are the best.
I amp up my SPF routine with actual sunscreen when I'm on the beach, but we see the sun a lot more than on vacation, so it's so important to have that protection built into your daily routine too.
Here are some of my favorite moisturizers, lip balms and sunscreens with SPF protection built in (all available on Birchbox):
The Supergoop is my absolute favorite sunscreen! It's lightweight, easy to spray on, and lasts for about 3 hours before you need to re-apply. Kiehl's Facial Fuel is already one of my top moisturizers, so I just switch over to the SPF version when I know I'll be outside a lot. I use that on my face and the Supergoop on the rest of my body.
It may take me a little longer to get that tan, but I'll be doing it in a healthier, more gradual way! lol.
Birchbox.com is my usual go-to website when picking up grooming products. I'm a part of their monthly subscription box service (pictured above), and it's a great way to find new brands like the ones I mentioned.
Huge thank you to Birchbox for supplying the products in this post! Let me know in the comments below what other grooming topics you'd like to see me tackle!