*Image above via Sarah Bray in their special hat collaboration with Over the Moon.
One thing I wish I could go back and tell my eighteen-year-old-self is: WEAR SPF EVERY DAY. I’m determined to engrain this mantra in my children! Here are my favorite sun protection finds for myself and my children…
+For me, it starts with fluid sunscreen on face and neck. (I apply this after my eye cream and serums in the morning.). I’m going to swap out LRP for Elta after reading a ton of incredible reviews when I’m out of my current bottle. I also always apply an excess SPF on the back of my hands — my derm recommended this and said the back of the hands are an often-forgotten spot! On mornings I am exercising, I will swap for Glowscreen because I will not wear anything else on my face and I like the idea of having a little glow in addition to my SPF.
+My tinted moisturizer also has SPF in it. An extra barrier can’t hurt!
+Now that I’ll be going strapless/sleeveless more often, I like to apply a spray to my body — the entire family loves this mineral sunscreen from Babo. Despite being a mineral sunscreen, it has a nice fluid consistency that makes it easier to rub in than other formulas, and my husband likes that it is scent-free. I think I will also buy some of this SuperGoop Play sunscreen for mornings I am running, as it purports to be sweat-free.
+When running, I always wear a hat.
+For men, a baseball cap is a foolproof pick. For something demure, I like these Alex Mill ones. I also bought Mr. Magpie a needlepointed one from Harding Lane to supplement his extensive collection of UVA and Nationals ones.
+Cute non-exercise hats:
CHIC WIDE-BRIMMED FREYA (LOVE THE LILAC COLOR!)
SARAH BRAY LOOK FOR LESS — I WOULD SWAP OUT THE GROSGRAIN RIBBON FOR ONE IN BLUE OR WHITE
SHARED SOME TRENDING BUCKET HATS HERE
+Cute hats for little ones:
HAVE SEVERAL OF THESE UNDER-$20 UPF 50 SUNHATS — COME IN GREAT COLORS/PRINTS
LIBERTY LONDON FOR BABY GIRLS AND TODDLER GIRLS
BALLCAPS WITH BOWS, INITIALS, OR NEEDLEPOINT DESIGNS
BUCKET FOR BABY BOY — PEHR HAS SOME SIMILAR, CUTE STRIPED STYLES THIS SUMMER FOR LESS
LOVE THIS RIBBONED HAT FOR OLDER GIRLS
FUN PATTERNED SUNHATS FOR GIRLS
+If you or your child have a hard time keeping a hat on your head, you might consider SuperGoop’s SPF mineral hair spray. I just added this to my cart for micro, who is ultra-fair and will sometimes resist a hat.
+I shared tons of chic shades earlier this spring, but the two I reach for most commonly are by Chimi (mine are clear frames but very similar shape) and Le Specs.
+One thing I love about my SZ Blockprints dresses is that though they have long sleeves, they are the absolute lightest, most breathable cotton — it’s like wearing nothing at all. A great way to keep shoulders out of direct contact with the sun (though I know this does not substitute for SPF! — the rays can still penetrate!)
+For sunscreen in general for littles, I like the aforementioned Babo spray for wiggly bodies and their sticks for face. However, I did recently see a clever mom apply sunscreen to her children’s faces using an Artis-inspired oval brush — brilliant! (Have also had Magpie moms write in to share a similar tip using a Beauty Blender-type applicator.)
+We are big into rash guards for pool/water play. I love these for boys (I bought the solid blue so it would go with most of my son’s suits) and these for girls, but a few others:
MINI HAD THIS AS A TWO YEAR OLD — TOO CUTE
THIS RUFFLED STYLE IN WHITE WILL WORK WITH ANYTHING IN YOUR LITTLE LADY’S SWIM DRAWER — ALSO LIKE THIS SIMILAR STYLE
GAP HAS CUTE ONES FOR BABY GIRLS
LOVE THE PRINTS THIS NORDSTROM ONE COMES IN
CUTE PATTERNED STYLE FOR A LITTLE BOY
+For rash guards for us women…
THIS SCALLOPED STYLE IS CALLING MY NAME!
THIS STRAIGHT-FORWARD LULULEMON
MOST ELEGANT RASH GUARD I EVER DID SEE
+There are also a few children’s swim brands that offer UPF protection in their suits worth considering, including…
J. CREW SWEETNESS AND EVEN MORE SWEETNESS
+Last but not least, a couple of other ways to keep out of the sun…
POP-UP BEACH TENT FOR BABY (WE USED THIS FOR SEVERAL SUMMERS — NICE BECAUSE YOU CAN PUT A LITTLE WATER IN THE TENT POOL AREA SO THEY CAN PLAY OUT OF THE SUN!)
FOR SOMETHING EVEN MORE VERSATILE, BABYMOOV HAS SOME CLEVER COLLAPSIBLE CONTRAPTIONS, LIKE THIS (COULD BE USED IN PARK, AT BEACH, IN BACKYARD, ETC) AND THIS — ALSO HANDY FOR TRAVEL IN GENERAL
BEACH UMBRELLA — ALSO LOVE THIS REASONABLY PRICED PORTABLE ONE
SUN SHELTER OPTION 1, OPTION 2, OR OPTION 3
P.S. Moving, difficult words I revisit every now and then.
P.P.S. Beach bags!
P.P.P.S. A little romance for a Thursday morning.
100% agree with your advice to your 18 year old self. After living in California for going on 4 years now, I can see how much my skin has aged as the sun here is so intense. I had been using SPF every day living here but I realized I probably was not using enough, and also I was forgetting to reapply after 2 hours (we go outside 2x a day). I remember reading Caroline Hirons’ recommendations on how much to apply for full protection and was mortified to think of how little I was applying over the past few years! Yikes. She recommends “one teaspoon for your face and neck, two per chest, two per back, two per arm, two/three per leg depending on your height”.
I used to always use either Biossance or Farmacy (SPF 30) but I’ve switched to Pipette’s SPF 50. Also a mineral sunscreen with no white cast even for our medium/tan skin! So affordable too (I think $16 on Amazon, but I can sometimes find it for $10), and gentle for little ones. I love that I can just use one kind for the whole family to simplify things.
Question on SZ blockprints dresses — I have a couple of their “Jaipur” caftan style but have been eyeing the “Priya” dress which is also a loose fit but the skirt portion flares out — have you tried this? I’m a bit hesitant because it could be one of those things that look great on the (much taller) model, as it’s a fun shape that’s supposed to hit above the knee, and shortening it will alter the design. Wondering if it will look awkward on my 5 ft stature… would love your thoughts if you’ve tried it!
https://www.szblockprints.com/products/sz-priya-dress-in-padra-print
Thank you, Jen!
Hi Mia! Yikes, the Hirons prescription for sunscreen amount…I am woefully underapplying, too! Thanks for sharing that. Will be applying much more…
For SZ blockprints – I’m in your boat. I love that style on taller women but am skeptical it would work on my short frame. I would probably stick with other styles, personally, but…you never know! Sometimes you just need to take the plunge if it’s calling your name!
xx
Thank you for your input on the Priya dress! I’ll have to weigh it against the return shipping costs, if any, on SZ’s site… or see if it gets restocked on Shopbop.
Yes, the amount of sunscreen needed was eye-opening! Apparently we only get the full benefit of whatever SPF it is IF we apply enough. Which makes total sense.
Lately I’ve really been relying on bigger hats, linen pants, long sleeve cotton tees — the Kule tees you recommended are so great for this — so lightweight even in summer! I was dismayed to see squint lines under my eyes and I think I really need to let go of my inexpensive sunglasses (which I had been using, owing to my toddler’s freaky fast hands) and go back to polarized ones.
Oh interesting – hadn’t thought about the shades!! Thanks for sharing all of this! xx
At the risk of sounding obnoxious, because I’m not a mom, but- as a former nanny who would be slathering sunscreen onto my wee ones , at the pool or oceanside – it dawned on me- do it at the house, hotel room etc- before swimsuits, sunscreen!! I made it part of dressing for the water, getting out of the house… Then straight to the pool/ocean and they don’t have to wait and I’m not the mean SPF wrangler ! I’m sure you’ve already figured this out, but sharing just in case! Xo
Oh yes for sure!! Definitely our last step (precondition!) before heading out the door. As a side tangent, one pro to mineral sunscreen is you don’t need to wait for it to absorb — it serves as a barrier to UV rays immediately (vs chemical sunscreen) — that, and then other benefits, make mineral sunscreens for little ones a no-brainer for me.
xx
PS When I was a very young, my hair was even lighter to the point that it went fully translucent when wet, so my parents would just literally rub a handful of sunscreen into my head. Whatever works!
Love this! So often my kids go out with white streaks all over. They are too wiggly to wait for it to be rubbed in! I figure at least it’s on there…
xx
I am what my dermatologist calls “extremely high risk” aka very fair with light blonde hair and blue eyes, so you’re talking my language here. I just ordered the 18oz pump of Supergoop Play to park next to the door this summer. I also ordered their unseen sunscreen, which I am referring to as “bar sunscreen” aka for when you’re outdoors but not exerting yourself, like having a beer in a backyard bar. But honestly at the end of the day, the best sunscreen for me is just more clothing. I would rather just throw on a rashguard top and a widebrimmed hat than try to stay on top of reapplication on days when I am constantly in and out of the water. I like Sunday Afternoons hats a lot. They’re very affordable.
Haha – “bar sunscreen.” Agree, though, that layers take some of the legwork out of it! Thanks for the intro to Sunday Afternoons!
xx
Ok, in my personal opinion any man sporting a UVA hat looks GREAT!! Go Hoos!I
Glad to hear that your Block print long sleeved dress is cool. I keep looking at them and can t begin to fathom wearing one on a 98 degree HUMID summer day. I just ordered what I call a mexican dress to slip on when those hot days arrive.
I agree with you on the appeal of a man in a UVA hat 🙂
Cheers to heading towards HOT summer days!
xx