Don’t Forget the Sunscreen

For me, a skincare product must have four characteristics. It should be:

1. effective,
2. not tested on animals,
3. fragrance-free (or at least undetectable), and
4. attractive on my bathroom shelf.

For a good face moisturizer worn in daylight, I’d add a fifth essential quality: it must have a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

As much as I love all natural, vegan skincare products like my beloved Bulldog Skincare, you’d be hard-pressed to find one with an SPF, which is fine for anything after sunset. But ask any dermatologist worth listening to about one of the best things you can do for your skin and prevent premature aging, a broad spectrum sunscreen with at least 30 SPF would be at the top of the list.

Even though summer triggers a seasonal perception that now is the time for sunscreen, the truth is that we should be wearing it year-round. Damage from sun exposure happens in winter, too.

One favorite sunscreen that ticks all the boxes for me is the SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen from MALIN + GOETZ ($36 for 1.7 oz). It’s effective, not tested on animals and makes a handsome addition to my product display. In addition to being vegan and cruelty-free, it is made without fragrance, gluten, sulfates SLS + SLES, phthalates, PEGs, mineral oils, parabens. And it looks cool on the bathroom shelf or in a weekend bag.

You can get it from the MALIN + GOETZ website or Amazon.

However you play it in daytime, remember that 90% of skin aging comes from sun damage. So be smart and put on a broad spectrum sunscreen.

A note about other brands of broad spectrum sunscreens that might cost less: While many less expensive brands claim to be cruelty free, some of them actually do test on animals because some countries like China and Brazil require it by law. I would neither use nor endorse any product line that tested on animals, no matter the price. When shopping for other options, do your due diligence on Google and find out if a company does the more covert animal testing for markets that require it.

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