I have to admit that I judge sheet masks by their covers (this is the case for books, too—shh, don’t tell!). I love sheet mask packages that fall into one of two categories: cute or clinical. Innisfree Peptide Sheet Mask falls into the latter group—I was intrigued by the beaker filled with grape-juice-like purple liquid, and I was inclined to believe that it would deliver scientifically proven results. As a daughter of a chemist, I’ll always be drawn to beaker imagery, if only…

I’ve definitely been on a zinc oxide sunscreen kick lately. It’s the best all-in-one sunscreen filter available in the U.S., and it’s reef-safe. When I first came across Coppertone Pure & Simple Sunscreen SPF 50 For Face in CVS, the high zinc oxide percentage caught my eye: a whopping 24.08% (the FDA allows up to 25 percent in sunscreens). Plus, it was labeled specifically for facial use, and I rarely see that in a drugstore. Usually you only see general-purpose sunscreens…

I’m always on the hunt for a good zinc-based sunscreen, since physical sunscreens tend to be gentler on sensitive skin, and zinc oxide is the only FDA-approved sunscreen filter in the U.S. that protects against UVA1, UVA 2, and UVB rays—the full spectrum! Plus, it’s a reef-safe sunscreen filter, which is a nice bonus. So why doesn’t everyone use zinc oxide sunscreen? Most of the time, zinc oxide-based sunscreens are notorious for producing a ghostly, chalky effect, which makes…