6 Must-Have Products For Your Next Beach Day, According to Our Editors
By now, we all know the guidelines about sun safety: Seek shade during peak UV hours. Cover up. Apply a shot-glass worth of sunscreen ... and reapply. Yet it's so hard to comply. A 2020 study published in Preventive Medicine found that among the subset of adults who reported taking the most precautions in the sun, 22% still had at least one burn in the past year—and each additional hour of outdoor activity was associated with a 9% greater risk of sunburn, regardless of sunscreen use. So make sure you're truly covered. These products will help guard you from those harmful rays so you can get out there and soak up summer.
- 23.86 Available at Walmart
This broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen contains no oxybenzone or other chemicals that harm coral reefs when other sunscreens wash off in the ocean. Like most mineral SPFs, it takes a little more effort to rub in, but we don't mind the tradeoff; the formula is less irritating to the skin and eyes than traditional ones. And it comes in a handy, eco-friendly tin.
Available at Amazon
Some moisturizer-SPF combos leave a chalky cast on your face that is especially visible on darker skin tones, but this one—from the Black women-owned skincare company Bolden—was created to blend in seamlessly to all skin colors. It also has vitamin C to brighten and diminish the appearance of fine lines, and hydrating, inflammation-reducing safflower oil.
- 3.69 Available at Target
This mineral SPF swipes on smoothly thanks to a combo of beeswax, shea butter and jojoba seed oil. Zinc oxide protects your pout without chemicals or that annoying white tint. And the scents—watermelon or coconut—scream summer. If only everything about sun protection were this sweet. Now, to the popsicle stand!
Available at Amazon
The San Francisco-based company that makes these effortlessly chic sunglasses uses recycled plastic for its lightweight frames. They come in several colors, cost less than many shades of this caliber and the polarized lenses provide 100% full-spectrum UV protection—which means less glare while, say, gazing out at the water from the boat deck. Eye-eye, Captain!
- 9.87 Available at Walmart
No tan is a healthy tan— unless, of course, that glow is faux. And yes, there are all sorts of self-tanners out there, but we turn to this classic again and again because it has a fine mist that distributes evenly for foolproof results. (No weird dark spots.) Plus, it dries in minutes and doesn't need to be rubbed in, so you can get back to your life sipping lemonade by the pool.
Available at Amazon
How many times have you left the beach with sand between your toes—and a sunburned scalp too? (To be fair, who thinks to SPF their part?) Spritz on Coola's hair and scalp sunscreen mist and you'll never make this oh-so-painful mistake again. The light, water-resistant spray won't leave hair greasy and it prevents tangles and color fade from UV rays.
