Like most Gen-Xers, sunscreen was anomaly during my childhood.  As a fair-skinned kid, I spent most of my summers with a crusted, peeling nose and galaxies of freckles on my face and lightly-scorched shoulders.  Despite all the education I’ve received since then – as well as many painful sunburns – sun-worshipping has been a tough habit to break.

However, last year, after a dear friend’s father passed away from skin-cancer, I knew it was time to get serious about protecting myself from further damage.

I’ve used Retin-A for years, so using a daily moisturizer and make-up with an SPF has been imperative.  But it hasn’t provided me the level of coverage I know I need.  (Certainly not enough to sustain me through my kids’ long seasons of baseball and softball!)  I needed to find a serious sunscreen that I could wear every day that would block those damaging UV rays almost as well as if my forehead sprouted a visor.

After researching and testing several different brands in several different price points, I finally found The One.  La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid for Face has everything I’ve been looking for: thorough coverage in a non-greasy, non-acne producing formula that doesn’t make me look like Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High.  It’s mineral based, so it’s a physical sunscreen (not chemical) and loaded with inflammation-fighting, collagen-producing ingrediants.  And the matte finish makes it perfect to put on under my make-up.

I like this stuff so much, I now have my kids wearing it each day.  (Although there is some data to suggest that repeat exposure to zinc can be harmful for kids, I have a history of skin cancer in my family, so I’m willing to take my chances.)  If they decide to ditch the sunscreen later in life, so be it, but at least I will have given them a few good years of protection.