Whenever our Lead Guide, Emi, mentions a product she loves, the rest of us immediately feel the need to pick one up: she has a particular talent for identifying under-the-radar gems.
Find out which sunscreens she’s been reaching for lately, and read to the end for her very helpful notes about tattoo care.

It’s that time of year when everyone’s talking about sunscreen, so I thought I’d share some of my current go-tos!

DAILY SUNSCREEN

For daily sunscreen, including sunscreen under makeup, I’ve been switching between Clark’s Botanicals Invisible Hero SPF 30 and Ursa Major Force Field SPF 30. What I love about both of these is that they offer a really lovely finish — it’s not a tacky “sunscreen” feel at all like we might associate with some sunscreens of the past. They both wear really well under makeup; neither one is tinted. They’re both around 15% zinc oxide and rated at SPF 30. Sometimes I layer these with a tinted moisturizer on top that also has some SPF in it, but they work wonderfully on their own.

Clark’s offers some hyaluronic acid for hydrating, plumping benefits to complement your skincare routine; Ursa Major includes squalane, which will be really helpful for keeping hydration in the skin, and lingonberry stem cell extract. (I also think it has a subtle smell of lingonberries to it, which is a nostalgic smell for me and one that I think is unique for a sunscreen.) I highly recommend both of these.

SUNSCREEN FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND BODY CARE

If I’m going to be spending a little more time outdoors and maybe going for a hike or a swim, I tend to look for a slightly higher SPF rating; that works better for me. Our MDSolarSciences lineup offers the Mineral Crème for face and Mineral Moisture Defense for body, and both are SPF 50, with zinc oxide at 17% and titanium dioxide at 2%. These are my recommendations if you’re spending a long time outside. They both have a really sheer finish and smooth texture — great go-tos for the summer. The Mineral Crème also comes in two sizes, which is handy.

When choosing a sunscreen, it’s important to think about which sunscreen will work well for the body, too, especially when we’re spending more time outdoors and in short sleeves and shorts. So I’m really excited that we just brought on the Kinfield Cloud Cover SPF 35, with zinc oxide at 20%. The first time I used this sunscreen, I was at an outdoor wedding in LA — it was hot and sunny — and it gave me lasting protection all day. It was a great test for how this sunscreen would perform for me.

A SPECIAL NOTE ON TATTOO CARE

And while we’re on the topic of body sun care in general, I thought I’d mention that for any of you who, like me, have tattoos, one of the most important tips for tattoo longevity and keeping your artwork looking beautiful for a long time is sun protection — especially in the summertime, when you have your tattoos exposed more often. Having a trusted body sunblock is a great way to go, making sure to apply it every day over tattoos every day (as long as they’re healed, of course!).

Another way to ensure tattoo longevity is to keep them moisturized. This is especially true in the summer when you’re getting more sun exposure and skin can get a little drier. For that, I love to use a balm to add really concentrated moisture to my tattoos. The Olio E Osso Balm Vita is an excellent choice; I also love the Manasi7 Kaede balm for that. Pairing sunscreen with a balm would be a great tattoo care routine for the summertime.

- Emi