For the record, I will do lots of outside activities (hiking, snorkeling, biking, whale watching, kayaking, via ferrataing, and lots and lots of other fun activities). Just not Texas 😉
As a former beauty editor I just have to weigh in. For real sun protection, you are so much better off using a regular sunscreen. You need to use a lot for your face and neck (think 1T). Tinted moisturizers that have sunscreen would require you to really pile it on (they aren’t concentrated) - and there’s no way anyone would put that much on their face. Try Eucerin SPF 50 with hylauronic acid (it’s very hydrating, does not sting, isn’t shiny and looks good even when you reapply). And we should all be reapplying!
Eucerin Sun Age Defense SPF 50 is about $20. EltaMD is closer to $40, so yes I think it’s better! My teenage sons use it as well because it’s not all goopy and doesn’t have a white cast.
I’m not a physician so always check with your OB, but in general, avoid skincare products with any active ingredients like retinol, glycolic acids, vitamin A and chemical sunscreens.
YES!!! This is the stuff I love to hear. My mom hasn't used an expensive product in her life, and her skin is amazing at 87. I know a lot of it is genetics, but I'm just not convinced we need all this stuff.
I think the more you use, the wear and tear of taking makeup off and all those products does more damage. I go to a water park in the summer and the beach Regan’s wear a ball cap to protect my face.
I moved to asian sunscreens and I'll never go back. They apply easy, its not greasy, doesn't run in my eyes. America is so far behind in the sunscreen market.
I have a similar resistance to the multi-step routine idea. The logic that I'll layer products just doesn't match how I actually move through a morning. One thing that actually works beats two things that technically work better but require me to think about them.
My summer must-have is a mineral zinc stick for around the eyes when doing anything with actual sweating. Cream everywhere else, stick where the sweat goes.
If I want a tinted moisturiser / sunscreen I use Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue (gives factor 30 protection), but most days I forego coverage and use Beauty of Joseon Skin Relief (factor 50); it’s about the only one I’ve found that doesn’t irritate my ridiculously sensitive skin.
Just a sunscreen. But the Bare Minerals one is tinted and gives good cover. (I’ve given up coverage during the day. I figure if I can live with some flushing due to rosacea, so can everyone else 😀).
I am a transplant to Texas and I can only say I wish I had found this heat sooner in my life. I was gravel riding last weekend and just realized how much I adore summer! But hear ya on the sunscreen, my new brand did not actually hold up to a bright, sunny three hour road ride.
So you're a gravel rider and in Texas??? Any mountain biking? I'm just outside of Austin. Have only done one gravel ride, but I can totally see how you would definitely need heavy-duty coverage for long rides.
Yes I mountain bike too. I live in South Austin, close to Buda so lots of trails down my way. Originally only a road cyclist but have been pivoting to dirt more. Love it
I live in the desert Southwest. Sunscreen is essential unless I want to look like a walnut. But sunscreen is a problem now. They stain fabric yellow which entails a lot of laundry with dubious results. The burn and itch. I have resorted to old fashioned zinc oxide. Because I have light skin it looks weird but not as weird as it yould on darker skin. I read that this fall a new product is coming out to protect against UV A and UV B and won't stain or kill ocean creatures. It's Parachute something. So I guess stay tuned and look for this stuff. In the meantime I look like I am shrouded in a Burka. 🤣
It's crazy to me all the things we need to protect ourselves from, and yet sun damage is right up there at the top of the list. If you try that new one, please come back here and let us know how you like it!
Well do if I remember. The dermatologists in the Borderlands must be richer than Crosius. My husband us in there constantly getting stuff peeled off. 😒
A woman at a luxury beauty counter tried to get me to buy a tinted moisturizer about three shades lighter than my skin tone. She was used to working with Mandarin speaking clientele and assumed that I, a CBC (Canadian born Chinese) would want the same for my face. She didn’t speak English well and I think I surprised her with my Canadian accent! I told her firmly that I wanted something that was for my skin tone. I think she thought I was a “dumb farm girl” for wanting my normal skin tone.
This made me laugh because finding the “perfect” product is rarely about the product It’s about finding something that actually fits your real life (and your willingness to use it!).
I just used Elta MD face sunscreen today. I found it in my drawer from last year, and when I put it on, I realized why I didn't like it. It was just so sun-screeny. I'll take a look at the new one you tried. I stay out of Sephora, though. Now that they target mature skin care for tweens and teens, there's always a gaggle of them in there you can hardly move. I also don't like that the brands now have sexualized product names, especially when marketing them to kids. I'm a makeup junky, but I've been boycotting these brands. I find the salespeople at Ulta by me much more reasonable, and I've been there when they've tried to talk moms out of NOT getting Drunk Elephant for their young daughters.
I’m a transplant to Austin and while I am not as anguished anymore (been here 10 yrs) about “summer” that starts in April and ends maybe-if-we’re-lucky in mid October, I can’t be outside much during this time. I have a pool that helps so I just go into manatee mode. But, horrors, sometimes the pool is 92 deg. Yuck. I think there is something embedded in some people where they see a woman of a certain age and think despite what you’ve cleared indicted as what you’re seeking, you REQUIRE a bob-style haircut and a clinical strength moisturizer. Utter BS.
Ha. My husband’s been here 30 years, and he’s still anguished. And I’ll confess I’ve been here my whole life (minus two years), and it gets harder and harder. We’ll be out soon when my youngest graduates. I’m gonna have to borrow your phrase - manatee mode! We’re blessed to have a pool too, and some days I go straight into the pool post-ride in full mountain biking clothes!
I was totally thinking about the contrast between Lyz's experience and this one. Mine was much more of a nuisance, a funny take on this relentless pressure to self-improve that's largely driven by beauty culture, fear-mongering, and good old capitalism. Hers had my blood boiling. I've been turning it over since I read it. I wanted to write it off as a Midwest thing, like that would never happen here. Austin is so progressive blah blah blah. But I know that's not true. At some dealerships here, I'm sure the same thing happens every time a woman walks in. I wondered if she had walked in and said I'm going to pay cash whether that would have changed the dynamic. Then it would probably have been like, sure, little lady show us the money in your bank account.
Ah, the beautiful, endless romance between capitalism and making women feel bad about their appearance!
For the record, I will do lots of outside activities (hiking, snorkeling, biking, whale watching, kayaking, via ferrataing, and lots and lots of other fun activities). Just not Texas 😉
Lol. Yes, as long as it's not in Texas.
My 12 year old daughter has a 8 step skin routine. It’s insanity.
I miss the 90s when all we had was Noxema and voila! Fresh skin! 🙃
I know, right? The good old days—the Noxema burn! My girls have a similar routine. It is crazy.
As a former beauty editor I just have to weigh in. For real sun protection, you are so much better off using a regular sunscreen. You need to use a lot for your face and neck (think 1T). Tinted moisturizers that have sunscreen would require you to really pile it on (they aren’t concentrated) - and there’s no way anyone would put that much on their face. Try Eucerin SPF 50 with hylauronic acid (it’s very hydrating, does not sting, isn’t shiny and looks good even when you reapply). And we should all be reapplying!
Think it's better than Ulta MD? And a big THANK YOU for weighing in here for the skincare/makeup novices among us!!
Eucerin Sun Age Defense SPF 50 is about $20. EltaMD is closer to $40, so yes I think it’s better! My teenage sons use it as well because it’s not all goopy and doesn’t have a white cast.
What other questions you got? 😄
Pregnancy safe?
I’m not a physician so always check with your OB, but in general, avoid skincare products with any active ingredients like retinol, glycolic acids, vitamin A and chemical sunscreens.
Noxema and Seabreeze for 66 years. Not a wrinkle on my face.
YES!!! This is the stuff I love to hear. My mom hasn't used an expensive product in her life, and her skin is amazing at 87. I know a lot of it is genetics, but I'm just not convinced we need all this stuff.
I think the more you use, the wear and tear of taking makeup off and all those products does more damage. I go to a water park in the summer and the beach Regan’s wear a ball cap to protect my face.
I moved to asian sunscreens and I'll never go back. They apply easy, its not greasy, doesn't run in my eyes. America is so far behind in the sunscreen market.
Yes! My kids are really into Korean skin care. So far I have not been persuaded.
The mineral zinc ending is the right ending.
I have a similar resistance to the multi-step routine idea. The logic that I'll layer products just doesn't match how I actually move through a morning. One thing that actually works beats two things that technically work better but require me to think about them.
My summer must-have is a mineral zinc stick for around the eyes when doing anything with actual sweating. Cream everywhere else, stick where the sweat goes.
Second this!
If I want a tinted moisturiser / sunscreen I use Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue (gives factor 30 protection), but most days I forego coverage and use Beauty of Joseon Skin Relief (factor 50); it’s about the only one I’ve found that doesn’t irritate my ridiculously sensitive skin.
Thanks for the recommendation! Is the Beauty of Jose just a sunscreen or tinted?
Just a sunscreen. But the Bare Minerals one is tinted and gives good cover. (I’ve given up coverage during the day. I figure if I can live with some flushing due to rosacea, so can everyone else 😀).
Good to know! One of my besties is loving the DRMTLGY Universal Tinted Moisturizer SPF 46 and is planning to give me a sample.
I am a transplant to Texas and I can only say I wish I had found this heat sooner in my life. I was gravel riding last weekend and just realized how much I adore summer! But hear ya on the sunscreen, my new brand did not actually hold up to a bright, sunny three hour road ride.
So you're a gravel rider and in Texas??? Any mountain biking? I'm just outside of Austin. Have only done one gravel ride, but I can totally see how you would definitely need heavy-duty coverage for long rides.
Yes I mountain bike too. I live in South Austin, close to Buda so lots of trails down my way. Originally only a road cyclist but have been pivoting to dirt more. Love it
I live in the desert Southwest. Sunscreen is essential unless I want to look like a walnut. But sunscreen is a problem now. They stain fabric yellow which entails a lot of laundry with dubious results. The burn and itch. I have resorted to old fashioned zinc oxide. Because I have light skin it looks weird but not as weird as it yould on darker skin. I read that this fall a new product is coming out to protect against UV A and UV B and won't stain or kill ocean creatures. It's Parachute something. So I guess stay tuned and look for this stuff. In the meantime I look like I am shrouded in a Burka. 🤣
It's crazy to me all the things we need to protect ourselves from, and yet sun damage is right up there at the top of the list. If you try that new one, please come back here and let us know how you like it!
Well do if I remember. The dermatologists in the Borderlands must be richer than Crosius. My husband us in there constantly getting stuff peeled off. 😒
A woman at a luxury beauty counter tried to get me to buy a tinted moisturizer about three shades lighter than my skin tone. She was used to working with Mandarin speaking clientele and assumed that I, a CBC (Canadian born Chinese) would want the same for my face. She didn’t speak English well and I think I surprised her with my Canadian accent! I told her firmly that I wanted something that was for my skin tone. I think she thought I was a “dumb farm girl” for wanting my normal skin tone.
What a terrible experience. And it's crazy some of the things people will do and say in the name of trying to be helpful.
I agree, but after I told my mom, she thought I should’ve given her a bit of a break due to language differences.
This made me laugh because finding the “perfect” product is rarely about the product It’s about finding something that actually fits your real life (and your willingness to use it!).
You've hit on it! Something that fits your real life.
I just used Elta MD face sunscreen today. I found it in my drawer from last year, and when I put it on, I realized why I didn't like it. It was just so sun-screeny. I'll take a look at the new one you tried. I stay out of Sephora, though. Now that they target mature skin care for tweens and teens, there's always a gaggle of them in there you can hardly move. I also don't like that the brands now have sexualized product names, especially when marketing them to kids. I'm a makeup junky, but I've been boycotting these brands. I find the salespeople at Ulta by me much more reasonable, and I've been there when they've tried to talk moms out of NOT getting Drunk Elephant for their young daughters.
It is very sunscreen-y, but I guess I like that about it. Did not know this about Ulta!
I’m a transplant to Austin and while I am not as anguished anymore (been here 10 yrs) about “summer” that starts in April and ends maybe-if-we’re-lucky in mid October, I can’t be outside much during this time. I have a pool that helps so I just go into manatee mode. But, horrors, sometimes the pool is 92 deg. Yuck. I think there is something embedded in some people where they see a woman of a certain age and think despite what you’ve cleared indicted as what you’re seeking, you REQUIRE a bob-style haircut and a clinical strength moisturizer. Utter BS.
Ha. My husband’s been here 30 years, and he’s still anguished. And I’ll confess I’ve been here my whole life (minus two years), and it gets harder and harder. We’ll be out soon when my youngest graduates. I’m gonna have to borrow your phrase - manatee mode! We’re blessed to have a pool too, and some days I go straight into the pool post-ride in full mountain biking clothes!
Ugh, between this story and Lyz's post about the car salesmen, it sounds like we all need to protect our sanity and avoid the sales teams' "help"...
I was totally thinking about the contrast between Lyz's experience and this one. Mine was much more of a nuisance, a funny take on this relentless pressure to self-improve that's largely driven by beauty culture, fear-mongering, and good old capitalism. Hers had my blood boiling. I've been turning it over since I read it. I wanted to write it off as a Midwest thing, like that would never happen here. Austin is so progressive blah blah blah. But I know that's not true. At some dealerships here, I'm sure the same thing happens every time a woman walks in. I wondered if she had walked in and said I'm going to pay cash whether that would have changed the dynamic. Then it would probably have been like, sure, little lady show us the money in your bank account.