And that’s a mixed blessing.
I remember the texture most of all. No matter what you did, how you moved, how thin you tried to apply it, the sunscreen of my childhood beach trips was inescapably, defiantly oily.
I liked the pink bottle with the little girl and the dog, although the other one had a name that made me smile — Banana Boat. But whatever brand you were using, sunscreen was, at the end of the day, a necessary evil; from a family with a history of severe burns and even skin cancer, you didn't have to tell me twice that sun protection was important from a health perspective, and that a "healthy tan" was often anything but, and so we slathered on the sunscreen. But sunscreen as something desirable? Glamorous, even? Never, I thought.
Oh, how wrong I have been. Sunscreen is, apparently, the beauty world's hottest item this summer.
With the rise of high-end skincare, and subs like r/skincareaddiction preaching the gospel of SPF, it shouldn't come as a surprise that sun protection has become hip, trendy, and even aspirational. SPF-tinted lip balms are nothing new, but the girlies of r/skincareaddiction will have posts outlining their "holy grail sunscreen," or even a post, with over 300 comments on it, dedicated to "Rating. Every. Sunscreen."
There are brands across the world that are getting in on the sunscreen game — from South Korea, where the concepts of "SPF+" and "PA++++" originated, to Australia, where high skin cancer rates mean sunscreen is medically and cosmetically important.
It should perhaps not come as a surprise that Kiehl's has been one of the standard-bearers for the luxury sunscreen market. Their apothecary-themed line of practical skincare and beauty products has always presented themselves as vaguely medical; sunscreen is a logical next step. Australian brand Ultra Violette has adopted the opposite strategy, with minimalist, candy-colored packaging and pop-up launches.
As a lifelong sunscreen user, on the one hand, I'm delighted. Not only are the new options significantly nicer than the thick, oil-slick sunscreens of yore (the rose-scented SPF 50 from Ultra Violette is luscious), but the idea of using sunscreen as a cool, glamorous thing is only a positive. Previous generations had to contend with the opposite — sunscreen was vaguely geeky, while tanning, sometimes with the use of tanning oils or artificial tanning beds, was the definition of cool.
Of course, we all know that tanning beds can cause gruesome health mishaps worthy of a tabloid cover. And tanning oils have mercifully gone the way of mile-high hairspray and other ill-conceived beauty strategies. Although the world of high-end sunscreen can be a little tricky to navigate, with its different sunscreens for face and body, and the sunscreens that match your skin type, where once there was just, well, a tube of goop, it's also a surprisingly wholesome and inclusive corner of the beauty world.
After all, sunscreen is for everyone. There's no color to it, aside from the occasional white cast, which newer sunscreens are increasingly less likely to have as a side effect. You don't need a certain "look," or even a certain skin type beyond the physical presence of skin, to "pull it off." And best of all, it's healthy. Not only is it "not actively dangerous" (making it a major improvement over tanning beds right there!), but it's also good for you. It keeps your skin safe from painful burns and even potential future skin cancer. Sunscreen is beautiful!
But as wonderful as all of this marvelous sunscreen and the people who glamorize it may be, there's something here to give pause. Go on any skincare forum, and you'll see people, often very young women, worried that they should wear sunscreen indoors; while asleep; in Scandinavia in January; or some similarly implausible scenario. You'll see others encouraging them — not to avoid sunburn, but as a "preventative" measure against wrinkles and other signs of aging — and outlining an application and reapplication routine that one Reddit user described as "mentally exhausting," and another claimed was "ruining [her] life."
The "mental exhaustion" is as new as the concept of "luxury sunscreen." While much of the exhaustion may be simple decision fatigue, there are other elements as well – in particular, financial concerns, and the pressure factor. Luxury sunscreens can cost up to four times as much as their drugstore counterparts – and are they worth the difference? Further, is "the difference" just in sun protection, or also in how we're perceived? Just as a pair of jeans from Costco might serve the same function as those from Ralph Lauren, but how you feel about yourself and how others think of you can change depending on which you're wearing, the same may be holding true for sunscreens. And that's another stress, and another expensive budget consideration, in an already fraught landscape.
If a 22-year-old wants to worry about future wrinkles, we really can't stop her. And there are certainly more harmful steps a person can take (hello, retinols) than being overly enthusiastic with sunscreen. There are also far worse ways to spend money than on a healthy luxury skincare product. And yet… there's something about it all that's a little sad. Wanting to keep your skin healthy and attractive is one thing; treating any sign of aging like a symptom of the Bubonic Plague, or worrying that the "wrong" sunscreen will harm you physically or socially, is very much another. Our skin is our largest organ; it deserves to be kept healthy, but also, to be shown grace.
Moreover, an enthusiastic embrace of sunscreen shouldn't mean a shunning of warmth and light on your skin. Quite the opposite; it's there to protect you so you can enjoy the outdoors without concern. So go out and find your "Holy Grail of sunscreen," and apply it generously — and then step outside to enjoy the sun. It's waiting. 🌀
Dr. Ellery Gillian Weil is a writer, historian, cute-animal-video enthusiast, and antique jewelry aficionado. She hails from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., but currently resides in London, England, where, in 2023, she earned her PhD in History from University College London. You can find her on Instagram on @elleryw72.