The Beach Genius Award Goes to: Hylunia! My favorite sun-care products.
I realize there is no such thing as a beach genius award, but if there were, Hylunia would have won it last week. Now don’t go hatin’ folks, this is an atypical summer. I was lucky enough to go on another beach vacation last week. This time, I went with a large group of friends and family. As you can imagine, when you go on vacation with an aesthetician/beauty blogger, she will chase after you with skin-protecting serums and non-toxic sunscreens. That’s a promise, and here’s why:
Sun exposure accounts for up to 90 percent of skin’s aging. NINETY PERCENT! That means that not only do you need to prevent sun exposure, you also need to reverse the damage caused when said exposure is unavoidable. I am happy to report that after an entire week of sea-bathing, my skin is only slightly tan, albeit very freckled, but it is SOFT. Softer than it’s been in a long time! I credit this to the following products, in order of use:
Hylunia Gel Cleanser - This might be my all-time favorite cleanser. Zinc oxide sunscreens can be thick and even waxy feeling, so you need a cleanser that is strong enough to remove them, but gentle enough not to dry out your already sun-stressed skin. Like many of Hylunia’s products, it contains the miracle skin-softening ingredient, hyaluronic acid. I recommend this product to almost everyone, it’s just that good.
Hylunia Beyond Complex C Bioactive Serum* - If this list was in awesomeness order, this product would be at the top. This goes on before your lotion and your sunscreen. I use it on my face, neck, and chest. It’s packed with anti-oxidants so it’s a great first line of defense against the free-radical damage that sun exposure can cause. It softens your skin and reduces fine lines, but it’s also great for after-sun care. This product reduces redness caused by sunburn and or rosacea. It’s pricey, but it’s worth it.
*Note, this product does contain Retinol Vitamin A, as do many anti-aging products. If you are pregnant or are avoiding this ingredient, then this product is not for you. As always, I encourage you to read more about ingredients and make your own decisions. I used this under my daily lotion and sunscreen with no problems.
Hylunia Super Moisturizing Facial Day Lotion* - I used this under my sunscreen as it contains a small amount of titanium dioxide and anti-oxidants for an extra layer of protection. It also contains hyaluronic acid which locks in moisture. At times this lotion can make me look a bit shiny, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you have oily skin. Otherwise, this was an absolute all-star for me at the beach. I didn’t wear a drop of foundation all week, just a cream blush, some mascara, and an under eye corrector.
Badger SPF 30 Sunscreen - In a world where sunscreen debacles are a thing, Badger makes sun protection easy. With a stellar Skin Deep rating of 1, this sunscreen is safe and effective. But guess what? It has extra special bonus features. Not only is Zinc Oxide an effective sunscreen ingredient, it also repairs tissue damage, controls inflammation, has astringent properties and is anti-bacterial so it’s great for treating acne. Still not enough? Zinc oxide has impressive skin-softening powers. Spend a week in the sun with this product and tell me you don’t love it. I can’t wait to try more Badger products.
Warning: This is an SPF 30+ Zinc Oxide sunscreen, it WILL give you a ghostly visage. This is something you need to get used to if you are going non-toxic at the beach. A few hours of ghost-face is worth 20 extra years of wrinkle free, non-toxic happiness. Embrace it.
**Jane-ite bonus alert: If you laughed when I said sea-bathing, 1,000 extra points for you! Let’s be friends?
Background photos: Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.
