Beauty School Dropout: New Rules for Sunscreen + You Put WHAT On Your Face? 😎
A face-off in big food, and chewing the fat on some beauty trends
4 min read
PSA: Today’s newsletter was delayed from its usual Friday sending as my account was hacked. If you received a “contract” from me, do not open, I did not send it. Sorry about this!
CEREAL OFFENDER
📣 Cleanup in the breakfast aisle: Food giant Kellogg’s reported their first quarter earnings this week, and they’re pretty disappointing for fans of Red #40 and regularly consuming 30 grams of sugar before 9am. But if you want to see measurable changes to our health system that have resulted from a bottom-up approach – namely, a massive consumer backlash and lobbying effort by a handful of interest groups across party lines – the proof is in the Pop-Tarts.
IT’S A SHAME ABOUT RAYS
It’s May, which means Skin Cancer Awareness month is upon us again, so let’s get into it. With the estimated 9,500 people every day in the US diagnosed with melanoma, we need to take sun protection seriously. UV rays are stronger than they used to be (assuming you say YES to science), so it stands to reason that sunscreen needs to evolve with the times. Here’s what you need to know about the different types, along with some of my favorite products for summer faces and other places:
Chemical sunscreen: The formula absorbs into your skin and then into your bloodstream, so if you’re looking to avoid any endocrine-disrupting ingredients, look out for oxybenzone, PABA, octinoxate, octisalate and avobenzone. This is a hard pass for me, simply because with so many good alternatives out there, why risk it?
Mineral sunscreen: Sits on the skin’s surface creating a barrier against UV rays from penetrating the skin. The only two compounds approved by the FDA for mineral sunscreen are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. The brand Vacation sun care is doing everything right – it’s a fragrance-forward line with clean, throwback scents (remember Bain de Soleil??), cheeky branding, and a straight-off-the-yacht vibe. Their Orange Gelée in the classic metal tube will take you straight back to the beach in 1984, but the brilliance is it’s SPF 30, not hot oil.
FYI: All mineral sunscreens are NOT automatically reef-safe, so if eco-friendliness is on your non-negotiable list, avoid butyloctyl salicylate, which might be harmful to aquatic life.
Tinted suncscreen: This has come a long way – in fact, some derms actually recommend it over regular mineral formulae to help even out skin tone and reduce the spooky white cast caused by some mineral sunscreens. I love microtinted sunscreen from Solara Suncare, a clean, mineral-based formula that doesn’t leave a white mask behind but actually amps up the glow, and check out their Good Karma dry oil ! Get 20% off with the code ALLTOOWELL at checkout.
Kids need better sunscreen too! Here’s a great list of kid-friendly formulas
Other Rays: Red > UV, so I’m keeping my face in the red light mask from Higher Dose. Mother’s Day sale this weekend!
🌞 Not so sunny: Having five or more sunburns in your life doubles your risk of skin cancer. So slather up.
IS THIS ANYTHING?
Our fun new section in which we take a buzzy topic to examine, debunk and give you the scoop from all sides of the conversation so you can decide for yourself if it’s for you.
Today we’re looking at tallow, the rendered fat from cows that has TikTok ablaze with purported beauty benefits. We could do a whole issue on the best and scariest of the “clean” beauty products out there, and we will (thanks, Tonya for the request)! But let’s start with the potential bull on cow:
TikTok says: 69 million posts and counting (!) suggest that tallow is a beneficial saturated fat with a chemically identical makeup to our own skin, making it nature’s miracle for treating acne, evening skin tone, and restoring tired and aging skin to a youthful glow, and bonus – you can make it at home! 😱 Not for the faint of heart....
Science says: There’s no miracle here, and while replenishing face oils can be beneficial for complexion, the research does not suggest tallow is superior or even universally effective as skincare. And unsurprisingly, the social media charlatans on the tallow train have done excellent work creating confusion and spreading misinformation, even mistakenly using lard. 🤦🏻♀️
I say: I’m more comfortable with both face oils and saturated fats than I was during, say, the Snackwell’s era, but I haven’t quite gotten there with tallow just yet, based on my own research and some hilarious/gross horror stories. That said, if you have had great results and have brands to suggest, please message! But I’m going with a fat-free face for now.
I LIKE REAL BOOKS AND I CANNOT LIE
A quick shoutout to my amazing community in Austin who showed up for the first launch event for my new book, Tuning Up and bought every copy! I can’t thank you enough for your support. Next stop: NYC. And if you think a book party in your town would be swell, message me and let’s make it a road show!
WELL-COME
👋🏻 Happy weekend, all. I’ve really gotta fly. Howdy to new readers Kimberley, Bre, Maridel, Allison, Caroline, Lisa, Amanda, Chloe, Mercia, Johnny, Kathleen and CB!
