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Blame it on my sleeve tattoos and pasty Eastern European roots, but I am fanatical about sun protection. My husband jokingly calls me a “beach goth” because I’m the only person he knows who covers themselves head-to-toe in the Caribbean or anywhere else with intense heat and sun. My commitment goes beyond sunscreen though; I also wear UV-blocking makeup, wide-brim hats, and full-coverage swim gear, some of which I discovered while living abroad in super-sunny Southeast Asia. My 17-month-old toddler, Julian, is just as ghostly as I am, so I go to great measures to protect him as well. What follows are an array of sun-shielding products that have served my vampiric family well in recent years, in case you too are on the hunt for more ways to protect your skin from the sun.
UV-blocking makeup
I recently fell in love with Naked Sundays, a vegan brand based in Australia, which has the strictest SPF rules anywhere in the world. I start by applying the antioxidant-rich Naked Sundays 100% Mineral Collagen Glow priming lotion. The silky-smooth formula dries instantly and invisibly, with no white cast. I follow this with a dab of Nars Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer, an SPF 30 miracle worker that masks redness and evens out my complexion. To protect my lips, I slick on Aquaphor’s Lip Repair stick. Infused with shea butter, it offers broad spectrum SPF 30 protection and layers nicely underneath pigmented lipstick.
UPF clothing
UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor. It differs from the widely familiar SPF (Sun Protection Factor) because it measures the amount of UV radiation that can penetrate fabric. SPF, by contrast, is based on the amount of time it takes for skin exposed to UV rays to burn. The Skin Cancer Foundation puts its coveted Seal of Recommendation on clothing with a UPF rating of 30 or higher—with 50+ being the preference, as it shields skin from 98 percent of the sun’s most harmful rays.
Many factors determine a garment’s UPF rating, including color (darker is better because it absorbs more UV rays), construction (densely woven cloth and thicker materials are preferable because they minimize the amount of UV light that can pass through), material (polyester and nylon block the most UV light, but wool and silk can also be effective), and fit (a stretchy garment that clings to the body becomes significantly less effective at blocking damaging rays).
Two versatile UPF 50+ go-tos for beating around town on vacation include Solbari’s loose fit long sleeve swing top, made with lightweight cotton and natural bamboo and including thumbholes for additional hand and wrist coverage, and Coolibar’s floor-grazing Petra wide leg pants, which come in sizes XXS–3X and 11 vacation-ready colors and prints. Mid-calf ties convert the drapey legs into a harem style—a handy trick if there’s beach yoga or seashell hunting on the agenda.
Read more: UPF Clothing, Swimwear, and Accessories to Keep You Protected in the Sun
Swimsuits and rash guards
Unless I’m splashing around in an indoor pool, you’ll rarely catch me in a swimsuit without a Lands’ End long sleeve tunic rash guard over it. The sporty quarter-zip top provides modest coverage (made a little sexier by unzipping the neck) and the moisture-wicking UPF 50+ fabric is quick to dry. Plus: It has pockets! My son, meanwhile, rocks the cutest UV Skinz sun and swim suit. The UPF 50+ bathing costume is a cinch to zip on and off restless toddlers and comes in 10 fun prints, including surfing dingos and partying sharks, and sizes 3-6 months up to 3T.
Sun hats and other accessories
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas make up 90 percent of all skin cancers. These usually show up on the head and neck, so wearing a hat is a no brainer. Solbari’s ultra wide brim hat comes in two sizes and four chic color combinations and provides enough shade to cover the face, neck, and shoulders. A wire in the brim makes the hat shapeable for a structured or floppy look and easy to pack into luggage. It has a discrete ponytail hole at the back and unlike woven straw hats, the UPF 50+ fabric blocks 98 percent of UVA and UVB rays. My son Julian, meanwhile, looks adorable in his bucket-style UV Skinz reversible sun hat, conveniently designed to match the aforementioned swimsuit.
If I’m hiking in dusty or desert-like climates, traveling in heavily polluted cities, or heading into a cold-weather region where I need to layer up, I bring a Solbari Curved face and neck gaiter. The breathable UPF 50+ fabric feels soft against sensitive skin while providing ample coverage of the chest, front and back of the neck, face, nose, ears, and mouth. Should motorbiking or long drives be in the cards—say, on an extended road trip—I might reach for Coolibar’s Salida active gloves, sold in five sizes and offering UPF 50+ protection for the hands, one of our most exposed but often forgotten body parts.
Because I can’t resist a cute sleeveless maxi dress when traveling in tropical locales, this versatile Sanibel Everyday UPF 50+ beach shawl is a life saver. The oversized wrap comes in more than 10 colors and prints and can be draped over the shoulders and arms—or used to bundle up on a chilly plane.
Umbrellas
In many parts of Asia, people don’t think twice about popping open an umbrella on a bright day. This is a habit I quickly adopted, despite the sometimes odd looks I receive in the US and Europe. Solbari’s compact sun-protective umbrella comes in two sizes (42 or 46 inches) and weighs less than a pound. The UPF 50+ canopy is coated in an anti-UV reflective silver, blocking UVA and UVB rays. The frame is sturdy and the interior comes in cheerful summery prints like oranges and lemons. For a beachier setting, where the fam might be hanging out for hours at a time, there’s the BeachBub All-in-One beach umbrella system. The 7.5-foot-wide, UPF 50+ umbrella comes with its own extra-large carrying case and simple-setup base that can withstand winds up to 44 miles per hour.
Sunscreen
It goes without saying, but sunscreen is the foundation of any good skincare routine, and should still be used even when the tactics above are employed. I am forever on the hunt for the perfect formula and stock a small arsenal at home. My current ride-or-die sunblock for clammy-hot summers, snow exposure, or any kind of outdoor activity that might have me swimming or sweating is Neutrogena’s Beach Defense sunscreen spray with SPF 70. It goes on light as a feather, is relatively easy to spray on a squirmy toddler, and has real staying power (up to 80 minutes).
Because my face is acne-prone and a bit more sensitive, I alternate between the nicely absorbent, endlessly blendable Dr. Loretta Universal Glow Mineral Sunscreen in SPF 40 and Bioré’s never-greasy UV Perfect Milk SPF 50+, a Japanese line I first discovered at a drugstore in Thailand. For my son’s precious mug, I like Mustela’s water-resistant mineral sunscreen stick with SPF 50. It goes on sheer and is formulated specifically for babies’ delicate skin (no fragrance, parabens, or other icky ingredients).
More sunscreen recommendations: