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Since my earliest memories of growing up on the beach in Southern California, my parents’ hands slathering Coppertone across my face, accidentally into my hair and onto the edge of my Body Glove rash guard, sunscreen has been an annoyance. It’s annoying to put on, it’s annoying to reapply, it’s always a little too greasy or, occasionally, a runny, sticky mess. As a kid, I’d try to skirt the sunscreen process whenever possible. And then I’d get the burns to prove it.
As an adult, I no longer want to avoid sunscreen. I want to protect my skin as much as I can, and especially my face (nearing 30 does that to a person). But, until recently, it still seemed that every face sunscreen I tried had its shortcomings. Every product I bought either worked well, but didn’t look or feel great; alternatively, I’d rub something on that felt delightfully light to the touch, only to feel it slide off with sweat, or into my eyes, leaving me rosy-cheeked within the hour.
Then the summer of Supergoop happened. Suddenly, every trip I went on, I noticed Supergoop peeking out of Dopp kits, my friends raving about their new sunscreen. After sampling a few of the brand's products, like the Glow Stick, and the thick Daily Moisturizer with SPF, I found the sunscreen to beat them all: the Unseen Sunscreen.
The tube looks dainty, but just a small bead of the smooth gel is all you need. And it swipes on like velvet. It feels lighter than my thinnest moisturizer, with a soft finish than leaves my skin just the right amount of dewy. (To anyone else, the fact that I’m wearing sunscreen is probably undetectable, unlike the high-shine effect I’ve come to expect from other products.)
But most importantly? It has staying power. I’ve worn it free-diving in Hawaii (it’s reef-safe) and on sweaty summer hikes through Maine’s Acadia National Park, always to end my day burn-free. Other sunscreens typically require constant reapplication, but I’ve found that Unseen stays on for hours at a time: one mid-afternoon reapply is all I need. I also love that it’s made with natural ingredients, like hydrating meadowfoam seed and soothing frankincense, which leave my skin feeling even better than if it were totally bare.
To no surprise, I don’t just wear this product for long days in the sun, since it’s the ideal barely-there formula for everyday use. (It also acts as a primer under makeup.) Whether I’m headed to the park to read, or just biking around New York City, I have it on. I even wear it indoors: In addition to SPF 40, this sunscreen has bluelight protection, meaning it shields my skin from harmful UV rays emitting from my computer screen. With months of working from home under my belt, and plenty more ahead, my tube is getting more use than any other skincare product in my rotation right now.
After decades of mediocre sunscreens, it feels slightly unbelievable to have found something I'm excited to put on. Even more miraculously, I’m only on my second tube: A little goes a very long way.