Vol 31 - SPF, Melasma + Toxin Touch-ups
Summer beauty heroes, and a new method for pigment flares.
On the SPF Touch-up:
Isn’t it nice when something is undeniably good?
Let’s take the topic of SPF reapplication. Yes, the ideal option is a lotion or cream, applied generously to the face and body every two hours. But…unless you are roasting on a beach and methodically caring for your limbs as you go about your day, how many people are actually doing this?
Enter the One/Size by Patrick Starrr On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Sunscreen Makeup Setting Spray SPF 28 for the face, which came out with a bang this summer. The original On ‘Til Dawn Setting Spray is a runaway business success and the top-selling item at Sephora. As my friend and makeup queen Rachel Green said in Puck, “It works better than everything else. There’s no dispute.”
I took the SPF Setting Spray version away with me last week to Copenhagen and it really delivered on all fronts. I applied a tinted SPF, then concealer and blush, then the SPF Setting Spray at the beginning of the day. Makeup stayed intact and I actually resprayed, even though all I had was the large size (must get the mini version next).
For those who want a non-aerosol option, there are several: The Vacation Inc. Super Spritz SPF 50 stays with the brand’s retro theme, and is applied with a manual spray.
The MDSolarSciences SPF 40 stick is cute and chubby and easy to use.
I also love the Caudalie Vinosun SPF 50 from the French pharmacy, which is a little more annoying to get a hold of Stateside. Same for the Nature Republic one from South Korea I wrote about a few weeks ago.
If sprays and sticks aren’t your thing, I *might* have something for you. I picked up this sunscreen applicator at the catch-all store Normal in Copenhagen:
You fill it with a cream sunscreen, then use the rollerball and sponge to spread it all over your limbs. Will be testing this weekend with this SPF 50 cream! It does seem like we need a better cream application method in the name of full coverage.
On the Melasma Touch-up:
If you suffer from melasma like I do, you know the annoyance of how quickly it can rear its mottled head. Dermatologist Ellen Gendler shared that she used Cyspera after her melasma came back like an unwelcome house guest after 10 minutes outside. Cyspera makes a really interesting melasma treatment that uses the antioxidant cysteamine (Senté also has a pigment line with cysteamine). I’ve always hesitated to recommend either of these as a day-to-day skincare option because it has to be applied and washed off 15 minutes later, which seems like a big ask, even for people who are really motivated to get rid of their excess pigment and melasma. I love what Dr. Gendler proposes, using it as more of an occasional post-exposure treatment.
On the Toxin Touch-up:
I was lucky to see my dermatologist Amy Wechsler for a quarterly toxin touch-up this week. It’s kind of like a security blanket for my forehead. I see her for neurotoxin injections (aka Botox, though she often uses Jeuveau on me) every three months. Two to four weeks after the initial treatment, I go back, at which time Dr. Wechsler asks me to furrow and raise my brow puts a drop here or there, and sends me on my way. It makes me feel like the treatment lasts longer, and I get a chance to see her and catch up for a few minutes.
Over half of her patients take her up on the touch-up offer (it’s included in the price), and she finds it’s as much a functional appointment as it is a connective one. “I’ve been doing it for 20 years because I always believed lower doses of Botox were better. Plus I like to see my patients and make sure they’re happy. They have the safety net that if it’s underdone, they can always get more. And the fear of being overdone goes out the window.”
Another interesting note: Dr. Wechsler has observed anecdotally that toxin will wear differently depending on how much people are exercising, or how stressed out they are, so the touch-up serves another purpose to adjust for lifestyle factors that shift as the seasons go by. It’s a great reminder to see doctors with a philosophy that aligns with yours, and who are paying attention to more than just your physical appearance.
Happy weekend!
X
Jamie
Love that little Caudalie stick. Highly recc.
Amy 🫶🏻💉