Protect Ya Neck (And Save Your Face) With These Sunscreens

In addition to giving you that not-at-all-fab lobster look, a day in the sun without sunscreen lotion can contribute to premature aging (from wrinkling to discoloration) and skin cancer. To keep your skin looking radiant and healthy, while you slowly build up a nice, golden tan, make sure to apply a generous amount of sunscreen — and don’t forget to tend to more delicate areas, such as your lips and eyes.

Check out this round-up of the best sunscreens and moisturizers with SPF, so you can bask in the sun’s rays without paying for it later.

FACE

Clinique Sun SPF 30 Face Cream, $17.50. Visit Clinique.com

I credit Clinique’s Sun SPF 30 Face Cream for keeping my skin from looking like a George Hamilton-esque disaster during recent day trips to the beach, where I’ve basked in the sun’s beaming rays. The face cream is part of the new Clinique Sun with Solar Smart collection, which is based on a 3:1 ratio of UVB versus UVA protection. The idea here is to ensure a proper amount of UVA protection since researchers now believe that, while, UVB rays are responsible for sunburns, UVA rays are greater culprits in accelerating the aging process.The formula contains: avobenzone, which protect the skin from UVA rays; ethylhexylsalicylate and homosalate, UVB absorbers that prevent sunburns form happening; oxybenzone, which provides broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays; and octocrylene, a water-resistant molecule that stabilizes UVA and UVB protection. In addition to warding off sunburns and premature wrinkling or spotting, I love that this product doesn’t have any adverse results in terms of the clarity of my complexion.

Kiehl’s UV Protective Everyday Facial Moisturizing Sunscreen Cream SPF 15, $29.50. Visit Kiehls.com

Think of this as an invisible veil, shielding you from every type of potentially hazardous sun ray. Kiehl’s UV Protective Everyday Facial Moisturizing Sunscreen Cream SPF 15 includes Parsol 1789 (otherwise known as avobenzone) to guard you from long UVA rays (and, to a lesser degree, short UVA rays), Mexoryl SX (ecamsule) to safeguard you from short UVA rays (as well as provide some protection against long UVA and UVB rays), and Ococrylene to ward off UVB rays. The milky, fragrance-free lotion is extremely lightweight and easily absorbed by the skin, plus it won’t leave your face feeling sticky, oily, or cake-y.

Zo Skin Health Oclipse Sunscreen and Primer SPF 30, $45. Visit ZoSkinHealth.com

I’m currently obsessed with this sunscreen — if it were my student, it would make the Dean’s List (and be the teacher’s pet). Zo Skin Health’s Oclipse Sunscreen and Primer SPF 30 feels nothing like your traditional sunscreen. The air-tight container ensures that the formula isn’t contaminated by exposure to air pollutants while the pump applicator allows you to utilize only the necessary amount. The sunscreen is so lightweight and its consistency so thin, its texture so creamy and light, that it almost feels like whipped cream or margarine when smoothed onto your skin (minus the stickiness of course), making the very application process feel luxurious and indulgent. Containing all-natural melanin, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, Oclipse protects you from both UVA and UVB rays plus it hydrates, moisturizes and promotes collagen production (thanks to the Lipopeptides in the formula).

Your skin absorbs the substance rather quickly, plus the Oclipse has a creamy brownish tint to it, so you don’t have to worry about that kabuki effect that you can get from so many white, chalky, old-school sunscreens. Because of the tint, the Oclipse can almost function as a foundation of sorts, evening out your skin tone and concealing any imperfections. You can wear it by itself or under your powder, blush, etc., to protect your skin from the sun’s rays — and the best part is this: putting it on won’t even feel like a chore.

H2O Plus SPF 30 Face, $30. Visit H2oPlus.com

Broad spectrum sunscreens like oxybenzone, octisalate and avobenzone protect you from the sun’s oppressive rays, while vitamin E, vitamin B and a potent blend of marine ingredients like wakame, sea fennel and sea lettuce moisturize that funny face of yours. One pump of H20 Plus’ SPF 30 Face is plenty to cover your whole face. Like most sunscreens, it’s not particularly appealing on an olfactory level (and it is white and rather thick and creamy like the old-school Coppertone and Hawaiian Tropic products), but it does do the trick.

Coppertone NutraShield Faces Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70, $10.99. Visit Drugstore.com

First, let’s separate fact from fiction. Yes, this is the highest SPF factor Coppertone has ever granted any of its products. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean your skin will be any safer, as researchers have discovered than anything above SPF 30 will only provide 1-2% more UVB protection (it’s also important to point out that no universal measure for UVA rays currently exists). What is, particularly interesting, however, is that this product focuses on more than just blocking the sun. Unlike the sunscreens of yore, Coppertone’s NutraShield Faces feels rather lightweight and it doesn’t clog the pores, plus it’s packed with antioxidants meant to nourish skin and promote a more youthful appearance. If you’re going for a less expensive sunscreen lotion, this one should be among your top picks.

Kiss My Face “Sun Swat” Sun Screen & Natural Insect Repellent, $12.95. Visit KisMyFaceWebstore.com

My son’s been getting attacked by mosquitoes every time we hit the park or the playground and since that’s my little king right there, it makes me beyond livid to see his little arms covered in bug bites. Yes, mama be wantin’ to knock those bugs out! So, recently, I resorted to Kiss My Face’s botanical, DEET- and paraben-free Sun Swat Sun Screen & Natural Insect Repellent, spraying the clear oil onto his arms and legs to protect him from the sun and keep bugs at bay. Not only did Sun Swat safeguard my lil’ man from pesky insects and harmful sun rays, but I found that it smells way better than most bug repellents. I mean, it’s not the yummiest scent, since it’s still a bit musky, like lemon mixed with chamomile and oat bran, but it does run circles around the alternatives.

EYES

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Sun Damage Daily Eye Cream with SPF 15, $9.99. Visit Amazon.com

In Garnier’s Nutririoniste Skin Renew Anti-Sun Damage Daily Eye Cream with SPF 15, Vitamin C, magnesium and lycopene work to replenish moisture to the skin around the eyes, hence smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles, and to diminish the appearance of sun spots. Avobenzone, octisalate and octocrylene, meanwhile, offer protection from UVA/UVB rays. White and slightly milky, the eye cream looks like ordinary sunblock, but feels a bit lighter when applied onto the skin. It does, however, leave the area feeling a bit oily, so use sparingly.

LIPS

Nuxe Paris Lip Gloss Prodigieux, $23. Visit Amazon.com

Nuxe Paris’s Lip Gloss Prodigieux has become an absolute must-pack for me. With ingredients like mango butter, sunflower extract, shea butter and sweet almond oil, it moisturizes lips, while also protecting them with vitamin E and SPF 15 sunscreens (avobenzone, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, and octinoxate). But the kicker is the shimmering infusion of color delivered to your now hydrated pout. Available in Natural Crystal (clear), Shimmering Chocolate (a golden brown) or Rose Legendaire (a perky pink), this lip gloss will have you walking on sunshine — just like the The Waves song.