Does anyone else feel like it has been months since we last chatted? We hope you all have stayed well, and if you have not been back to visit us at Renew yet, we are ready and waiting! While we are all focusing on protecting our health right now, it occurred to me that maybe we’re letting some other areas of our self-care fall to the wayside. We wanted to write a QUICK blog talking a little bit about our favorite sunscreens, sun protection and summer skin care recovery — so here it goes!
The summer months are finally here and it’s time to celebrate! Trips to exotic places may be few and far between, but quick getaways to the lake or your favorite poolside are totally within reach. We personally love to be on a boat at the lake with friends! However, it seems like no matter what, some area of our body comes home with a bit of a sunburn or some other less than glamorous “side effect” of a long weekend in the sun. We have a ton of great SPF options at Renew, so today we want to talk about MY personal faves.
First up are our two favorite sunscreens we carry here (see the complete offering list at the end).
We cannot go a day without the Total Defense and Repair Tinted SPF 34 from SkinMedica as part of our skin care routine. We are so picky about what a tinted moisturizer or SPF looks like on us, and this one fits the bill. It’s very light and not greasy and gives just enough coverage so that you can rock a natural summer glow look, or even layer a little powder over the top and transition it to a socially-distanced night on the town look. It also comes in non-tinted, which we love as well. A great perk of this SPF is that it also has blue light and infrared protection. For anyone wondering, blue light is the light emitted from our “screens” aka: cell phones, laptops, iPads, etc. Recent studies have found that blue light damage is just as aging and causes just as much damage as UVA/UVB rays. With all this increased screen time, it is best to protect your skin with this broad spectrum sunscreen that is appropriate for all skin types! Did we also mention that one of the key benefits of this moisturizer is that it reduces fine lines and wrinkles AND improves the appearance of damaged skin?? What more could you ask for?
EltaMD UV Spray & UV Sport
Any fair-skinned blondies out there? For our light skin friends, we love the Elta MD UV Spray and UV Sport! We recommend the spray on the body and the UV Sport on the face, ears, and along the part in your hair so your scalp does not get burned. Honestly, anything from the Elta MD line is FAB but these are the two we find myself reaching for the most. Bonus — the guys love UV Sport too! They can even apply this water-resistant sunscreen to their head (#baldisbeautiful) and face without having to worry that the heat and humidity might get the best of him. This same thing makes it a kid-approved SPF too, no more stingy eyes at the pool!
Two of our other “can’t live without” summer skin care products are more of an after-sun product that helps the skin to bounce back after some time in the sun or in the water. First up is Le Mieux’s Iso Cell Recovery Spray. Use this spray pre- and post-sun exposure to help skin balance and retain moisture. It feels like heaven on sunburned skin and has been proven to help it heal quicker than if you were to leave it untreated. You can also use this spray on any scrapes, cuts, bug bites or any other unpleasant skin issue that comes your way. We also love the Moisture Infusion Sheet Mask by Le Mieux. It gives your skin an instant refreshed feeling and hits the reset on your moisture levels.
We promised to keep this short and sweet, so we’ll wrap it up with this…PROTECT YOUR SKIN! Great skin starts with great skincare, and great skincare should always include sunscreen. As promised, the complete list of our staff sun care picks is below!
Sunburned Skin:
• ISO Cell Recovery Solution and ISO Cell Silver Gel from Le Mieux
Sun damaged/Melasma:
• Lytera 2.0 from SkinMedica
• Discoloration Defense and Metacell Renewal B from SkinCeuticals
Post Sun/Lake/Pool Dryness:
• Dermal Repair Cream from SkinMedica (would be great for swimmers who experience chlorine dryness)
• Biocellulose Masque from SkinCeuticals
• Moisture Infusion Sheet Mask by Le Mieux
Sunscreen
Tinted:
• Essential Defense Mineral SPF from SkinMedica
Outdoor Activities/Sports (great for men):
• EltaMD UV Sport
Non-Tinted Face:
• EltaMD UV Clear
Kids:
• EltaMD UV Spray
Poolside/Gardening/Casual Activities:
• EltaMD UV Lotion