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…

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.…

Out of all the products included in the Sephora Sun Safety Kit 2018, the one that perplexed me the most was Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pads. These self-tanning towelettes contain glycolic acid and lactic acid, two alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA), which increase your skin’s sensitivity to UV radiation. That sounds like the opposite of safety to me. I guess maybe Sephora assumes that you’ll use this product in conjunction with one of the other sunscreens included in the kit?…