Here's everything I use OTHER than SPF to protect my skin.

I'm not relying on sunscreen alone to save me this summer--here are the extra steps I take when the sun is shining to protect my skin from UV damage.

I never thought I would be something of an outdoorswoman at this age.

I always pictured that in my early 40s, I’d be at my Peak Fancy—wearing tailored separates and living my best, and more importantly, indoorsy life.

But instead I am schlepping, digging, walking, and exploring in the Great Outdoors more often than not in my non-work time. And quite honestly, I love it. It’s true what they say about the restorative power of nature, and the collective mental health of my family improves in proportion to how much we are outside. Our weekends, summers, and family vacations revolve around the outside world, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

However, this unexpected lifestyle is not without its challenges for me. Again, as someone who was neither athletic nor outdoorsy, creating an identity and wardrobe around a life I didn’t picture for myself stirs up more than a sprinkle of existential crisis.

The other big challenge is the sun protection of it all. My chosen profession of dermatologist make the stakes of being unscathed by the sun incredibly high. Going to work looking like I “got a bit of color this weekend” is NOT an option. Apart from the whole not being able to go to work with a sunburn thing, my fair skin and strong family history of melanoma put me at a higher risk of skin cancer development than average. A review on skin cancer if you missed it:

When I’m clocking long hours outside at the beach or on epic national park hikes, I’m not relying on JUST sunscreen to keep my skin protected from UV damage. It truly takes a village, and you should not be living and dying by your SPF alone if you’re outside as much as I am. These are the things I do to help increase my skin’s tolerance of UV rays so I can maximize the all the benefits outdoor life brings me while minimizing the potential damage.

But first, sunscreen!

We can’t ignore sunscreen, of course. Which is the best kind? The one you will use AND reapply! As a reminder, I’m a reformed mineral sunscreen purist who got tired of zinc stains all over everything she/her family touched, so I’ve lived on all sides of this argument. You want broad-spectrum (meaning it protects you from UVA and UVB rays) product, AND you need to reapply every 90-120 minutes, more often if you’re swimming/sweating/toweling off.

If you need a primer on my favorite sunscreens, here goes:

• Face: this and this

• Body: this, this, and the hardest core

• Sticks: my fave, my daughter's fave, for the babies/littles

• For scalp, and for face touch ups: this

• For lips: clear and tinted

The Supplement

Polypodium leucotomos is a fern extract that has shown the ability to protect the skin from UV damage when taken orally. Is this a substitute for sunscreen? Absolutely not! But it’s a great addition to your sun protection arsenal. I personally start taking it in the mornings when it starts getting sunny consistently (aka now-ish), and through the summer. There’s really not much downside to taking it, but there is potentially a lot of upside, so I think it’s well worth it.

I’ve taken both this one (and will be reupping while it’s on sale!), and this one.

The Skincare

There is evidence for topical vitamin C, vitamin E, and niacinamide in helping to fight free radical damage in the skin that occurs from UV rays. As someone with sensitive skin, it’s taken me awhile to find my vitamin C, but I’m happy to have finally found this option, and I just purchased this for body! There are a bajillion vitamin C options out there, but this brand also makes a great option.

If you need a refresher on vitamin C:

Let's Dig In! Vitamin C for skin

The other thing I work into my regimen this time of year are DNA repair enzymes. These are extracts from plants and bacteria that have been shown to aid in repairing the DNA damage in the skin that specifically results from UV rays.

As someone who loves a double-duty product, I will often switch to this sunscreen that contains DNA repair enzymes when at the beach or on a hiking trip. They also make a night serum that contains a different enzyme than the sunscreen for additional repair (def adding this to my cart as well!). A lot of derm offices (including my current practice) carry this face cream and this body option as well.

The Physical Protection

The older I get, the less tolerant I am of feeling slimy/sweaty, which makes sunscreen reapplication less appealing in the dead of summer. My work-around has been to embrace covering up to avoid feeling sticky AND to take the pressure off my sunscreen. The great thing about UPF clothing (aka clothing with built-in sun protection) is that you don’t have to reapply. As someone who is also getting warmer and less heat-tolerant (thanks, hormones!!), I have found options that don’t make me feel like I’m suffocating.

My in-laws live year-round at the Jersey Shore, so we are at the beach A LOT during the summer. Last year, I finally broke down and went long-sleeved option (with this top and bottom underneath) as opposed to messing with other cover-up/rashguard/long-sleeved one piece options. BEST THING EVER. It makes me feel cute, it doesn’t make me feel overheated, and I don’t have to rely on anyone else to put sunscreen on my back¹. And the COLORS!

For long hikes/all day outdoor extravaganzas, I’m almost always in a long-sleeved top. I also picked up this jacket that is super-lightweight, has zip-off sleeves, and works on the hiking trails as well as with a lot of my other summer go-to outfits. It’s easy to throw in a bag and pull out in case I’m in a sleeveless situation and encounter more sun than I was anticipating.

Confession time: I haven’t dipped into full sun hat territory yet, and I’ll tell you why: most are not quite my style, and I hate how big they are. A lot of my outdoor time is spent with my kids, and I’ve hated how much they limit my peripheral vision. BUT. As my kids need less of my acute visual supervision, and my sun protection needs are increasing, my goal is to get one this year. I was gifted this number, and it’s getting the job done for now, but I’m on the lookout for something with a little more personality…²

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If you spend a ton of time outdoors in the spring and summer, it’s probably worth considering upping your sun protection game. Future you will thank you!

Are you an outdoors person? What do you do for sun protection beyond sunscreen? Should I do a UPF clothing roundup? Discuss below!

1. Tell me you’re a hyperindependent eldest daughter without telling me you’re a hyperindependent eldest daughter…

2. I was also gifted these gloves, which I’m planning to keep in my car/wear when I want to channel Tina Boetto !

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