A few weeks ago I met a friend for a coffee sometime between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm, when the sun’s rays are their strongest. Typically, this isn’t a problem for me—I dodge the sun like I dodge a sneezer on the street. But this time was different. I was with a French friend, which is to say I was trying not to act super North American and be overly picky about everything (like the cafe’s alt milk selection and finding a smoke-free area). My friend grabbed the only open table, which happened to be outside and didn’t have even the tiniest shady patch I could maneuver my little face into. To make matters worse, for the first time in years, I’d forgotten to apply sunscreen.
Don’t ask me what we chatted about—I have no recollection. The only thing I could focus on was the state of my skin cells. I swear I could feel them shrivelling up, joining forces and creating lines, and turning spotty shades of brown. For a little reprieve from the rays, I went to the bathroom, and that’s when I looked in my handbag and remembered I’d just restocked my handiest, most beloved summer skin-care product, a sunscreen stick.
Why do I love sunscreen sticks so much? Is it because the formula glides on easily? That it doesn’t leave a greasy film on the skin? That it sits right on top of makeup and doesn’t smudge it? Or that it comes in a tiny container that fits perfectly in even my smallest handbags? It’s all those things. While I still use Elta MD UV Clear Broad Spectrum Sunscreen every morning, come spring/summer I keep La Roche Posays’s Anthelios Protection Stick in my bag for easy midday face and back-of-hand touchups on the fly (reminder: experts recommend reapplying sunscreen to exposed skin every two hours).
Now, perhaps you’re wondering what dermatologists think of sunscreen sticks. I’m happy to report they say they’re just as effective as the liquid variety. “The most important thing [when selecting a sunscreen] is to find one with a vehicle you like,” Dr. Lisa Kellett, a dermatologist at DLK on Avenue, told me for a story for Best Health. “Sunscreen sticks can [particularly] be helpful for areas where typical lotion sunscreens tend to run.”
Here, a few of the most highly-rated sunscreen sticks on virtual store shelves today.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen Stick SPF 60, $22, shop.shoppersdrugmart.ca
Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50, $32, sephora.com
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Balm Sunscreen Stick SPF 45, $30, sephora.com
Supergoop! Glow Stick Sunscreen SPF 50, $30, sephora.com
COOLA Refreshing Water Sunscreen Stick SPF 50, $30, sephora.com
(Disclosure: If you purchase one of these products, I may make a small commission.)
Until next Sunday,
Renée
We are kindred spirits! I'm actually kind of terrified of the sun and avoid it without becoming a total hermit. So many people get depressed without it, but I am not one of them.