Including a packable wide-brim hat and makeup-friendly sunscreen
Mom-Approved Sun Protection Essentials
- Non-Greasy Finish: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Light Fluid SPF 60 Facial Sunscreen, $27 (orig. $36)
- Everyday Essential: Eucerin Daily Hydration SPF 30 Body Lotion, $11
- A Reese Witherspoon-Inspired Summer Essential: Furtalk Straw Wide-Brim Sun Hat, $26 (orig. $36)
- Your Lips Need SPF, Too: Supergoop! Play SPF 30 Lip Balm, $12
- Breathable Beach Towel: Antfuny Turkish Beach Towel, $12 (orig. $14)
- On-the-Beach Reapplication: Neutrogena Beach Defense SPF 70 Sunscreen Spray, $9 (orig. $13)
- Lightweight Protection: Zoye Chen Long Sleeve Swimsuit Cover Up, $20 (orig. $24)
- Sunless Post-Vacay Bronze: Jergens Natural Glow Firming Self Tanner Body Lotion, $10 (orig. $12)
- Easy to Apply Over Makeup: Supergoop! Re-Setting SPF 35 Face Powder, $35
- Sand and Surf Resistant: Neutrogena Beach Defense SPF 70 Sunscreen Lotion, $8 (orig. $13)
When it comes to avoiding the sun’s damaging rays, my mom does not play around.
She’s fanatical about protecting her face and body against melasma, sun spots, wrinkles, and other signs of sun-related aging, and she’s clearly doing something right, as she’s often mistaken for my sister — despite our 32-year age gap. She recently took a trip to St. Lucia, and while her calendar read as “out of office,” she did not take a vacation from her sun care regimen.
Now that she’s back home without a sunburn or extra freckle in sight, she’s sharing the essentials she packed for beach days and long hikes, starting at just $8.
Related: 13 Pants That Look Like Linen but Stay Wrinkle-Free in Your Suitcase, Carry-On, and Closet — from $15 on Amazon
Furtalk Straw Wide-Brim Sun Hat
$36 $26 at Amazon
An oversized hat is on both my mom’s and Reese Witherspoon’s lists of summer essentials, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a packable, foolproof way to add an extra layer of sun protection where you need it most.
My mom never goes outside without sunscreen, like her go-to La Roche-Posay SPF, on her face, but she doubles up with a sun hat similar to this Amazon find for pool and beach days. It has a wide brim, so unlike a baseball cap or visor, it shades her entire face, scalp, and neck, while doubling as a cute accessory.
Eucerin Daily Hydration SPF 30 Body Lotion
$11 at Amazon
My mom applies this SPF 30 body lotion every morning when she gets out of the shower, so she always has a layer of full-body sun protection even when she’s only outside to walk the dog.
In St. Lucia, when she knew she’d be out in the sun for more than a few minutes, she applied a higher SPF (like this Neutrogena lotion), too—she’s a firm believer that more is more when it comes to sunscreen. She explains that while layering like this doesn’t necessarily increase either product’s efficacy on paper, she finds that with dual application she’s less likely to miss a spot.
Related: Sienna Miller Uses This ‘Ultimate No-Foundation-Foundation’ as a Bronzer, Too — and It’s Under $50
Jergens Natural Glow Firming Self Tanner Body Lotion
$12 $10 at Amazon
Avoiding too much direct sunlight doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a bronzy vacation glow. My mom prepped for her trip with this gradual self-tanning lotion and returned looking like she’d spent hours sunbathing. While there are foam and mousse self-tanner options that can deliver faster results, she appreciates the easy application and buildable color this lotion delivers.
It achieves a non-streaky tan without surprise dark patches, as the color builds with each application over several days. Plus, it has skin-loving ingredients like collagen, coconut oil, and elastin that moisturize, firm, and strengthen the skin barrier.
As a true suncare fanatic, of course, that’s not all my mom packed for her tropical vacation. Keep scrolling to shop more of her most-used sunscreens, a smart UPF swimsuit cover-up, and more of her favorite finds at Amazon.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Light Fluid SPF 60 Facial Sunscreen
$36 $27 at Amazon
Supergoop! Play SPF 30 Lip Balm
$12 at Amazon
Antfuny Turkish Beach Towel
$14 $12 at Amazon
Neutrogena Beach Defense SPF 70 Sunscreen Spray
$13 $9 at Amazon
Zoye Chen Long Sleeve Swimsuit Cover Up
$24 $20 at Amazon
Supergoop! Re-Setting SPF 35 Face Powder
$35 at Amazon
Neutrogena Beach Defense SPF 70 Sunscreen Lotion
$13 $8 at Amazon
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