Move Out The Way! I'm Trying To Get To Sephora.
Yes, this is another sunscreen post. Yes, I probably could have made a Heated reference instead.
Climate change is making our skin worse, which got me thinking about how much I talk about sunscreen and how I’m consistently looking for the next superstar—which is always going to be a mineral-based formula that dries sheer on Black and Brown skin. This can be difficult since most mineral-based formulas leave darker-complexed POC looking ashy or like a ghost. But, as the TikTok girlies say, capitalism really popped off with my new fave: Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Mineral Milk Sunscreen ($36 at Sephora).
When I saw this product melt into esthetician Sean Garrette’s skin, I knew it was for me. (If $36 is too pricey, try one of these other options instead.) Any sunscreen you choose should have a minimum SPF of 30 and be broad-spectrum, which means it will protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays. A lot of people go for chemical sunscreens since they’re more cosmetically elegant, absorbing into the skin instead of sitting on top and leaving a cast. But mineral sunscreens are preferred by dermatologists for a few reasons:
It’s better for inflammation and acne scarring.
It’s less likely to irritate sensitive skin.
Protection from UV rays is immediate since it sits on top of the skin. (Chemical photofilters take about 15 minutes to kick in.)
Mineral sunscreens are safe while the active ingredients in chemical sunscreens are “generally recognized as safe,” which means research has shown insignificant or no detrimental effects on animals or humans. (I go in-depth about that in another post.)
Taking care of our skin, our body’s first line of defense against viruses, bacteria, and any other damage, should be a key part of our health and wellness routines. It doesn’t have to be an extensive, ten step process, nor does it have to be expensive. Lots of lower cost drugstore products are comparable in terms of quality to their high-end counterparts now. It’s not 2004 and, thankfully, St. Ives Apricot Scrub and Phisoderm are dead.
To me anyway. I mean, I guess you can still buy them, but why?