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…

If you’ve ever seen the package for an Asian sunscreen before, you may have noticed a lot of plus signs on the bottle. They aren’t just there to make you feel positive (get it? ha!)—they actually refer to the sunscreen’s level of UVA protection. SPF measures a sunscreen’s UVB protection. Europe and Asia actually have established UVA testing and labeling standards (hence the PA+++ on labels). However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t ask companies directly,…

I discovered a new product category the other day: men’s facial sunscreen! How long has this been a thing? At first glance, it sounds smart: Men get razor burn and they need protection from UV rays, too. However, it feels like facial sunscreens shouldn’t be gendered at all—what would prevent a woman from experiencing similar “razor burn”-like side effects (from threading or waxing)? I have some theories about this, but that’s for another time and another post.…