With Memorial Day barbeques now distant memories, it is no longer necessary to declare that despite an unusual extension of April showers into these recent June and July days, summer is indeed here. Although this season is the second-most anticipated, second only to the unmatchable winter holidays, summer is no doubt the most relevant season to celebrate skin. And I am not talking about the anxiety-ridden, fashion-magazine-favored “bathing suit season.†I’m talking skincare!
In “light†of a recent surge of concern for healthy ways to still enjoy the sun, I am pleased to inform all skin-cancer wary sunbathers to check out the latest offerings at their nearest Clinique counter.
SPF 30 and SPF 50 Face Cream
This SPF 30 formulation, like most of the other products in this line, comes in a “sunny†yellow tube guaranteed to stand out on even the most toiletry-ridden of countertops. Standing out is important, because many experts are inclined to agree that of all the rituals a makeup-savvy New Yorker may incorporate in face-maintenance, sun protection is top on the list.
Fancy formulations aside, Clinique’s SolarSmar face cream appears not all that different from the other SPF-ridden concoctions I’ve encountered. As a very experienced beach-goer, I consider myself rather familiar with the various concerns surrounding sunscreen options. This face cream is pleasantly absent of any offensively strong coconut aromas touted by others in the sun-protection industry, yet unfortunately it inherits the viscosity of similar products. That being said, I cannot fault the industry for having yet to discover the secret agent that detracts from the stickiness that is sunscreen. Bearing in mind the product’s much more important inherent defense system, a small degree of tackiness is clearly a small, worthwhile price to pay.
Much like it’s SPF 30 counterpart, the SPF 50 version is that much more protective for those inclined to play it just a tad bit more safe. Other common properties shared by both products are their oil-free, water-resistant, PABA-free, non-acnegenic, sweat-resistant formulas deemed appropriate for sensitive skin.
SPF 45 Targeted Protection Stick
As a young beachgoer always impatient with the sunscreen application process, it was easy to overlook some of the most key skin areas, including the tops of my feet and undoubtedly the tops of my ears. Alas, I would like to alert all mothers to Clinique’s easy-to-apply, easier to carry Targeted Protection Stick.
The practicality of this product trumps any need to find flaws in this portable, non-spillable stick of sun-resistant splendor. And, speaking of flaws, its Vitamin E-ridden formula is meant to prevent just that: flaws otherwise created in hard-to-reach or extra-sensitive areas, including lips, under eyes and, quite importantly, ears!
Furthermore, the ingenious formulation also includes Jojoba esters, which help condition the skin, along with “photostable sunscreens†such as avobenzone to help ensure UVA protection.
Jessica Stein
