Sunscreen Every Day Is Easier Than You Think

You know you should wear sunscreen every day. Your dermatologist and esthetician have told you, beauty editors, sunscreen companies, blogs and influencers have told you. But when it is January, freezing cold outside, and all you want to do is snuggle under the comforter for a little bit longer, applying sunscreen feels like a step you can cut out to save some time. After all, you may not even go outside for a more than a few minutes, right? And if you do take the time to do it, the next thing all those sources will tell you is that you need to reapply it…once doesn’t last the whole day! What a pain.

First let’s talk about why it’s important, and then we’ll talk about how to make it take virtually no extra time.

Why wear sunscreen every day?

You have probably heard of the two main types of UV rays from the sun, UVA that cause signs of aging, and UVB, that cause sunburn. And you may have heard that those pesky UVA rays penetrate clouds very effectively, so even when it is overcast, they are still reaching your skin, causing wrinkles and spots, and possibly even skin cancer. And that’s the thing about UVA rays, they not only penetrate the clouds, but they also penetrate deeper into your skin, making them more likely to cause damage.

If you live somewhere where snow and ice are commonplace, or you enjoy winter sports, sunscreen is even more critical, as the surfaces of snow and ice reflect the UV rays back up to your skin, giving you an extra dose of UVA. (Also note, light colored sand and water are the two other reflective surfaces you should be concerned with.)

But what if you really are indoors all day? Or maybe you park in your garage, get in your car and drive to work, then park in a parking garage, go into the office and repeat the same thing later in the day. All of the rules still apply, because windows allow UV rays in.

How to spend next to NO additional time on sunscreen

It starts with your skin care routine. You wouldn’t skip moisturizer in the winter, right? Then simply use a moisturizer with SPF! Luckily, our Sheer Genius SPF 50 Mineral Sunscreen + Moisture fits the bill perfectly. Not only do you get SPF 50, broad spectrum protection from zinc oxide (no chemical sunscreen actives here) WITHOUT the whitening effect that some mineral sunscreens can have, but you get long-lasting hydration.

With great moisturizing ingredients like aloe leaf juice, jojoba esters, apple fruit extract and glycerin, Sheer Genius is an ideal daily facial moisturizer that also reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Allantoin and bisabolol soothe dry, irritated skin. Antioxidant Tocopherol helps protect your skin from free radicals in the environment, meaning less visible damage in your future.

Apply Sheer Genius as your moisturizer, then apply your regular makeup over the top…extra time spent, 0 minutes.

Now that your face is almost done, it’s time for lip color before you head out the door. But in the cold of winter, lips can be dry and parched. Sun exposure only makes this worse, leading to chapping. So what’s the point of applying a drying lipstick to already dry lips? Especially when you can use a triple-threat like Sun Shine SPF 30 Protective Lip Oil. Triple threat, you might ask? Our Sun Shine Lip Oils protect from UV damage and sunburn with SPF 30 mineral protection. They add a healthy dose of moisture from Argan and Sunflower Seed oils. And best of all, they come in three subtle and wearable shades so you don’t need a dry lipstick. As an added bonus, the mineral pigments also help protect lip’s delicate skin from HEV (Blue) light!

Use Sun Shine Lip Oils as your lip moisturizer and lip color…extra time spent, 0 minutes.

But what about the reapply rule?

It’s true, that Sheer Genius you apply at 7:30 am doesn’t offer you SPF 50 protection by lunch time. But as many people do before they head out to get lunch, apply a little powder to absorb oil and freshen your makeup look. Make that powder one of our Brush On Mineral Sunscreens (available in SPF 30 Translucent, SPF 30 Touch of Tan and SPF 50 Translucent), and you’ve just reapplied your sunscreen! Freshen both your makeup and sunscreen at once with Brush On Block Brush On Mineral Sunscreen…extra time spent, 0 minutes.

One area we may have forgotten?

We confess, this one might take an extra minute of your time. But it is worth it. When you drive, your hands are exposed to UVA light coming in through your windshield. If you want to keep your hands looking young and soft, you must protect them from the sun. Take your Brush On Block Mineral Sunscreen (we recommend one of the translucent shades, SPF 30 or SPF 50) and buff it generously on the back of your hands, and any exposed parts of your arm. Believe me, you’ll be glad you did.

Protect your hands from UV light with Brush On Block Mineral Powder Sunscreen … extra time spent, 1 minute.

So there you have it, you can be well-protected from the harsh light of winter by spending just one extra minute when you get behind the wheel. Sun protection isn’t as difficult as you feared!