Clients often ask me: if I could provide just one product to impact their skin the most, what would it be?

I love this question because the answer is the same for every single person- that product is SPF!

Hold your eye roll, I know you have heard this from me before. But it is so important that I wanted to dedicate an entire blog post to the importance of sunscreen.

If a quality SPF isn’t already a part of your daily skin routine, the time to start is NOW! All of the other products and services I offer are worth nothing if you aren’t using daily sunscreen. Sunscreen will prevent photoaging, or aging caused by the sun. Photoaging makes the biggest impact on how we age, and the best part is that we can control that! Photoaging causes discolorations/ dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles, volume loss, and all sorts of other evil things we don’t want happening to our face (not to mention skin cancer)! Since I have this conversation with pretty much every one of my clients, I’ll list some of the most common SPF missteps below:

“I don’t need SPF every day because I’m never outside/it’s cloudy.”

Wrong!! UV damage comes from more than just the sun. Plus if your car or house has windows you are exposed to sunlight (yes, even on cloudy days). Sunscreen is necessary every single day, not just on pool days or when you know you are going to be outside. Don’t skip your SPF application just because you aren’t planning on getting direct sun exposure!

“There is SPF 15 in my moisturizer or makeup.”

Added sunscreen is great, but not a substitute for an actual, high quality SPF as a part of your daily routine. I don’t love combo sunscreen/moisturizers because odds are that the product is not doing both of those things well. This is because sunscreen needs to sit on top of the skin while moisturizer should be penetrating deep into the skin layer to hydrate. You can read more on my moisturizer manifesto here.

SPF in your make up is awesome but you still need to be applying a dedicated SPF product every morning. I would say an absolute minimum of SPF 35, but personally I recommend SPF 50+. There is conflicting information out there about the efficacy of SPF over a certain level however, in my experience the higher SPFs do provide superior sun protection.

“I’m fine if I wear a hat.”

Yes girl, wear a hat!! But this is definitely not a substitute for applying sunscreen. If you are planning to be in direct sunlight for an extended period of time, absolutely add a hat to your sun protection plan, but lather on that sunscreen too!!

“I can’t stand how it feels on my skin/irritates my skin so I just don’t use it.”

OK, I can totally see your point here. I felt the same way for many years - most sunscreens felt gross on my skin or irritated my eyes so I just relied on the additional SPF in my makeup. My problem was not wearing sunscreen though, it was finding the *right* sunscreen. Once I crossed over to using medical grade SPF, I actually began enjoying and looking forward to applying my sunscreen every morning! I’m very sensitive to textures and just needed to find something effective that also felt good on. If you’ve tried multiple sunscreens in the past and can’t find your love match, let me try! You can tell me your preferences and I can make some recommendations and even let you try out a few. We will find you an option that provides great protection and that you also enjoy wearing!

“Fine, I’ll try sunscreen, what are my options?”

Since SPF is the most important product in a skincare regimen, I carry plenty of options at Bevel Up Skin Bar! Here are a few that I offer:

Skinbetter Science ToneSmart Lotion 

SPF 75

$75

 This is my personal favorite and the sunscreen I reach for almost every day. It has a very subtle tint which helps to give my complexion a “finished” look without looking or feeling like makeup. It goes on as a lotion and needs to be warmed up between your finger tips for a bit before tapping on the face and then blending in with your fingers. It has replaced my primer for my powder foundation This bottle lasts FOREVER too! 

Skinbetter Science Sheer Lotion

SPF 70

$75

This is exactly the same as the ToneSmart version, but without the tint. I use it on my kiddos! 

Skinbetter Science ToneSmart Compact

SPF 68

$65

This compact has a cult following! My clients LOVE this option because it is so convenient to pop in your purse and reapply. It also goes on more like make up with a little bit more tint/coverage than it’s lotion counterpart. This SPF option is a favorite for clients who typically wear make up daily, and many tell me that they actually use it in place of their foundation!

ZO Daily Sheer

SPF 50

$70

This is an awesome sunscreen for the person who doesn’t want to feel any sunscreen on them! It’s incredibly lightweight and has no tint. Any make up will lay beautifully over this product and it dries almost instantly. It even gives your skin a bit of hydration!

ZO Smart Tone

SPF 50

$70

This sunscreen goes on thin and smooth with just a hint of tint! It gives a beautiful, finished glow without feeling thick or sticky. 

Alastin Hydratint Pro

SPF 36

$60

This is the thinnest and most lightweight of all the sunscreens I offer. This sunscreen offers a light tint to even skin tone and leave you glowing! I love this sunscreen most for the winter months or days you know you will only be inside since the SPF factor is on the lower side of the products I offer. 

I’d love for you to come in and try any of these products to find what works for you! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out or come in for a complimentary consultation!