Natural Beauty: Sunblock

Me and the sun have had a rocky relationship over the years.  I was a lifeguard and taught swimming lessons for close to seven years.  While I always wore sunblock, I still managed to get a deep, dark tan.  I also love to ski and, while in high school, I was logging about five days a week up on the slopes.  The story was the same: I put sunblock on, but still managed to cultivate a pretty mean raccoon-tan by the end of the season!

Now I put sunblock on just to go to the office!  My days of reading in the sun or sitting on the back porch for a quick ray or two are gone.  I'm already starting to see the effects of my years in the sun!  I have started to get some pretty dark sunspots and fine lines are creeping their way into the corners of my eyes.  While we all know the ideal situation is to never have gotten a tan, I have tried to be diligent about my sunblock use, so matter what the season!

One of my favorite sunblocks to use on my face is Josie Maran Protect Daily Sun Protection Argan Oil Infused 40+.  It's free of all the gunk I try to keep off my skin and it only uses physical sunblockers to protect from the harmful UVA and UVB rays.  There is some hotly contested research that eschews chemical sunblocks because they are so readily absorbed into the body.  I've been trying to stick to sun protection that is physical and inert (meaning your body can't absorb it!): the active ingredients are zinc oxide or titanium oxide.

I also really like Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30.  I dislike how sometimes your sunblock can make you too shiny, this I just use as finishing powder after my makeup!  You also don't have tp wait for 30 minutes before heading outside!

What are some of your favorite sun protectors?  We all know a wide-brimmed hat is brilliant for a sunny day, but what are your tried and true methods for protecting your skin?