I can’t believe this Saturday is the first day of autumn. But according to the EPA UV index widget, my zip code still had a pretty high UV index today: 6. So don’t go thinking that you can put away the sunscreen just yet (or ever). I’m still slowly working my way through Sephora’s Sun Safety Kit, and today’s post will focus on a chemical sunscreen: Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield SPF 30 Sunscreen.

On a recent trip to Sephora, I picked up a small travel size of IT Cosmetics CC+ cream (yes, I’m a sucker for browsing through those little product bins while waiting in line). This product bills itself as “Your Skin But Better” (and it even trademarked that phrase). After taking a quick scan through the massive ingredient list, I saw that it contained physical sunscreen ingredients (a mix of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide), so it offered full protection against the full…

I just spent the past week in Vegas, and boy, did my skin feel like it was actually sizzling in that 100-degree heat. The sun feels much stronger out there—and indeed, the UV index was 9 in Vegas today, compared to 7 in NYC. You can look up the UV index for your city here on the EPA’s website. It definitely served as a catalyst for getting serious about finding a quality sunscreen that I could apply on my body every day (without going broke). And I think I found it: Alba Botanica…