BEST FACE FORWARD: That’s probably what you’re trying to put out at the next bash on your schedule, be it at the beach, club, swanky ballroom, or even your own bedroom. But of course – you want to look only your best in all the photos that you’re going to be tagged in after. We’re here to help with what you should be adding to your routine in the lead up to party day, and also remind you that what happens post-party matters as well, unless you want to subject your skin to the equivalent of a bad hangover.
Fun In The Sun
To anyone who doesn’t wear sunblock, do a Google Image search on “UV camera” – we sure hope the results will shock you into applying and reapplying on a daily basis. We don’t mean to be scaremongers, but you can never underestimate the kind of damage UVA and UVB rays can do to the skin: quicker aging and melanin spots are just the tip of the deep iceberg. Whether you’re frolicking on the sand during your beach party or being fancy at a garden dinner party, there’s no such thing as too much sun protection, even after said sun has set.
BEFORE:
Kiehl’s Dermatologist Solutions Ultra Light Daily UV Defense Mineral SPF50/PA+++ and Dermatologist Solutions Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF50/PA++++
- The mineral version of Kiehl’s cult Ultra Light Daily UV Defense is named so because it uses a mineral-based filter to protect the skin from sunrays instead of a chemical one – it’s less prone to irritating sensitive skin. Chemical filters absorb UV rays before they can hit the skin, explaining the potential to irritate; mineral filters, on the other hand, form a barrier to deflect UV rays.
- The mineral filter in question here is titanium dioxide. If you know anything about this compound, you might be worrying about a resulting white tinge on your skin. But Kiehl’s has this all sorted: “We purposely chose a titanium dioxide that’s very micro-fine, because it’s less visible on skin,” says Roberta Weiss, Kiehl’s Senior Vice President of Innovation & Product Development. “Then we added mineral pigments, which help with UVA protection but also make the formula look very natural on every skin tone.”
- If irritable skin is not a concern, the regular Ultra Light Daily UV Defense gives an extra layer of protection you never knew you needed. It’s able to absorb long UVA rays, which are UVA rays of a longer wavelength that are able to extend further into the atmosphere to cause photodamage to the skin.
What we love:
- The Ultra Light Daily UV Defense Mineral is lightly tinted, so it gives just a bit of sheer coverage as well. Weiss promises it has been tested on a whole spectrum of skin tones, and it’s a one-shade-fit-all.
- The bottle has to be shaken before each use, for the pigments to be distributed evenly within the formula. Don’t see this extra step as being troublesome, as it’s for good reason. “We could have really thickened it to suspend everything and eliminate the fact that people have to shake, because everything would be not settling within the formula,” says Dr. Geoff Genesky, Head of Kiehl’s Skincare Laboratory. “But what we chose to do instead was combine the powders we had in our formula with a very specific kind of oily emollient ingredients that could still allow the formula to be lightweight.”
Kiehl’s Dermatologist Solutions Ultra Light Daily UV Defense Mineral SPF50/PA+++, $72; Dermatologist Solutions Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF50/PA++++, $52. Available at Kiehl’s stores. kiehlstimes.com
See the rest of the pre and post-party skincare in our #41 Lucky Number Four issue, out on newsstands!
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