The Spots You Always Forget to Sunscreen (Summer's Sneaky Little Traps)

You know how it goes in summer… you smooth SPF over your cheeks, your forehead, hopefully your nose too (it’s important to be thorough), and then head out the door feeling protected. And for the most part, you are. But the sun has a quiet talent for finding the little spots we forget, the ones that never quite make it into the routine. Those are usually the first places to show it.

Before the season really gets going, let us run through the things that are often missed. A few extra seconds now save you from the sting, the peeling, and the slow build-up of sun damage later. And it is worth remembering that it is not only the burn-causing rays at work. UVA, UVB and visible light all reach your skin throughout the day, even through clouds and windows, which is why daylight counts even when the sky looks grey.

Your eye area

The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your face, making it the first to crease and the easiest to burn. Most of us skip it because regular sunscreen tends to sting, so the answer is a gentle, non-migrating mineral formula that stays where you put it. Sunglasses help too, not only because they look good. Squinting all summer writes fine lines of its own.

Beate's picks: the TIZO3 Facial Primer Sunscreen SPF 40, a tinted mineral sunscreen that sits comfortably close to the eyes, and the Colorescience Sunforgettable Face Shield Flex SPF 50 for an easy, no-sting layer.

Your lips

Lips have very little natural pigment to defend them, which is why a sunburnt lip feels so miserable and why this is one of the simplest places to protect. A lip balm with SPF takes a second, so keep one in every bag and every car, and you will actually use it.

Beate's picks: the TiZO LipTect SPF 45, a mineral stick you can also press onto your ears and the bridge of your nose, and iS Clinical LIProtect SPF 35 for a little nourishment with your protection.

 

Your scalp and part line

 

If you have ever felt that hot sting along your part after a day outdoors, you know how easily this one is missed. A hat helps, but it leaves the parting exposed, and a ponytail offers no cover at all. This is where an SPF powder earns its place, because you can dust it straight along the part and over your face in seconds, with nothing to rub in..

 

Beate's picks: a brush-on mineral powder is the move here, with four lovely option, from our cult faves: Colorescience Sunforgettable Brush-on Shield SPF 50, the made in Quebec options from  ProDerm Mineral Loose Powder SPF 50, Davincia Sunbrella Mineral Sun Powder SPF 30, and Laboratoires Dr. Renaud Loose Powder Broad Spectrum SPF 50.

 

Your Ears, neck and décolleté

Ears often burn because they sit just outside our line of sight, and the neck and décolleté are where sun damage tends to settle over the years, in soft texture changes and the odd brown spot. Take whatever you are using on your face and apply it down past the jaw rather than stopping at the jaw.

Beate's picks: TiZO Ultra Zinc Face & Body Sunscreen SPF 40, sheer from jaw to chest, and a quick spritz of COOLA Classic Body Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 for the ears.

The backs of your hands and tops of your feet

Your hands are exposed all day, especially on the steering wheel, which is why one often ages a little faster than the other. Feet, meanwhile, tend to get the first real burn of sandal season. Both are easy to protect once you remember they are there.

Beate's picks: the swipe-and-go COOLA Classic Organic Sunscreen Stick SPF 30 - Tropical Coconut for hands, and the water-resistant TiZO Solar Protection Formula SPF 58 for feet.

Reapplying through the day

This is the step we all quietly drop. Sunscreen wears off with heat, sweat and time, and a single morning application will not see you through. The trick is to keep an easy top-up within reach, so refreshing over makeup or a tan never means starting over.

Beate's picks: mist COOLA Makeup Setting Spray Organic Sunscreen SPF 30 over makeup, and keep a COOLA Refreshing Water Hydration Stick Face SPF 50 handy for face top-ups.

 

Not sure which formula suits your skin? Book a skin consultation, and with every purchase you’ll collect BSE Loyalty Points while you are at it.

Remember, the best sunscreen is the one you wear, everywhere, all summer (and year) long, including the “forgotten spots”.

Until next time,

Beate