Guys hate wearing sunscreen. We know not wearing it can have long-term effects on our health, not to mention our short-term comfort, but that knowledge doesn’t always translate into practice. Lack of adequate sunscreen usage among men, according to many experts, is an epidemic which leads to men being diagnosed with melanoma nearly twice as frequently as women and actually dying from it at a higher percentage rate (that percentage gets higher as men get older).
Still, I get it. As a grooming editor whose literal job is to wear sunscreen, I’m not immune to the most common gripes men have with sunscreen. It can be heavy, make your skin feel funny, and feel gross on your face. Mineral sunscreens can be hard to rub into your skin and leave you with a chalky cast. Spray sunscreens often have a filmy feeling, like you’re covered in Saran wrap. Even some light weight formulas still feel uncomfortable.
Most dudes only care about sunscreen when they’re at the beach. The holy grail of sunscreen is one that offers you effective protection when you’re purposefully in the sun, but is comfortable enough to wear every day, especially in the summer when we’re all walking around in tank tops and shorts.
I didn’t think such a sunscreen existed, until I tried Supergoop Sun-Defying Sunscreen Oil with Meadowfoam SPF 50. This stuff is like nothing I’ve ever used before. Don’t get it twisted with tanning oil (which is really, really bad for you), this has broad spectrum UV protection (which means it protects against both UVA and UVB rays) and SPF 50. For the record: the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a minimum SPF of 30, but since most people don’t apply sunscreen exactly right, higher protection can be beneficial.
Neither of those things are special to this formula. What blew me away about this specific sunscreen is that it’s completely weightless. It goes on like a body oil and within minutes is completely soaked into my skin. There is absolutely no residue to be seen or felt. It doesn’t leave your skin greasy or oily feeling either. It’s packed with moisturizing ingredients, like meadowfoam seed and grapeseed oils, that makes my skin feel more like I just used a fancy skin cream than coconut-scented glop. Speaking of that scent, it’s natural but not overwhelming, so I don’t feel like I got doused in a piña colada.
Before the natural sunscreen watchdogs come for me, let me say this: it is not a mineral sunscreen (which means it uses chemicals like avobenzone to absorb UV rays instead of reflecting it). This formula would be impossible to achieve with a mineral-like zinc oxide. I understand the need to be conscious of chemical sunscreens, especially given their possible connection to the deterioration of the coral reefs, but I’m not in Hawaii when I wear this—I’m running errands and walking to the office and having dinner outside in New York City. Plus, as several dermatologists have told me, the best sunscreen is the one you will actually wear.
That’s why, as I prepped for my vacation (which is not beach-centric), I made sure to stock up on this oil. It’s so important to me that I sacrificed valuable packing space to make sure I’m well-covered. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I won’t go outside without it.
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