9 Must-Have Sun Protection Products from LUX Nurse Practitioner Erin
Summer days in the Lowcountry are HOT — and the UV index can get dangerously high. Living here makes it important to take extra precautions to protect your skin from those harmful UV rays.
That’s why LUX A Medical Spa’s co-owner and board-certified dermatologist Carmen A. Traywick, M.D., is always reminding our staff and our patients how important it is to use a product with SPF 30+ on our faces and any exposed skin EVERY day. You should be using SPF even in the winter and on rainy/cloudy days. But on those hot summer beach days, SPF protection is even more important!
We love our beautiful beaches here on Hilton Head Island, and it’s tempting to spend every free moment in the summer on them. But exposing our skin to so much sun means we’ve invested in a ton of different products to help protect it — and keep us looking youthful and healthy.
Like Dr. Traywick, LUX staff member and Nurse Practitioner Erin Hutcheson is always trying to find new ways to protect her skin — and how to help LUX patients do the same.
Below, you’ll find a list of her favorite, must-have sun protection products:
1. Go-To Tinted Day Cream — Neocutis® Journée
Neocutis® Journée is Nurse Practitioner Erin’s go-to tinted day cream! It provides hydration, growth factors, antioxidant protection and UVA/UVB SPF 30 protection. This day cream is also fast absorbing, non-greasy, and blends flawlessly into the skin! Just apply to the face, neck and décolleté for every day protection.
NEOCUTIS® JOURNÉE 50 ml | Best Medical Spa Bluffton, Hilton Head SC (luxhhi.com)
2. Must-Have Sunscreen — EltaMD® UV AOX Mist Broad-Spectrum SPF 40
EltaMD® UV AOX Mist is Erin’s absolute favorite sunscreen for the body! It is a 100% mineral spray sunscreen that sprays on white to ensure you don’t miss a spot, and then blends flawlessly into the skin within minutes. It’s also water-resistant and leaves skin feeling hydrated.
3. Best Face Sunscreen — EltaMD® UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 – Tinted
For facial sunscreen, Erin highly recommends EltaMD® UV Clear. This facial sunscreen is great for skin prone to acne, rosacea and hyperpigmentation. The oil-free sunscreen helps calm and protect sensitive skin, while the tinted formula helps even out skin tones. It also contains niacinamide (vitamin B3), hyaluronic acid and lactic acid; ingredients that help you keep healthy-looking skin. Another plus: It’s very lightweight and silky, unlike many facial sunscreens that leave your skin feeling oily.
4. Best On-The-Go SPF — EltaMD® UV Stick Broad-Spectrum SPF 50+
Erin loves this product because it’s so easy to reapply throughout the day! The UV stick is an easy-to-apply, mess-free, water-resistant, all-mineral SPF 50+ formula that’s perfect for on-the-go. It blends easily and absorbs quickly — you just need to apply it 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapply after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating, immediately after towel drying, or at least every two hours. It works on all skin types, and with the active ingredient of zinc oxide it protects against UVA/UVB and HEV (high energy visible or blue light) rays. It also is great for kids — or busy moms on-the-go!
EltaMD UV Stick Broad-Spectrum SPF 50+ | Best Medical Spa Bluffton, Hilton Head SC (luxhhi.com)
5. Favorite Lip Protection — EltaMD® UV Lip Balm
It’s important not to neglect the lips when protecting against UVA/UVB rays! Erin’s grandmother had a precancerous lesion on her bottom lip that required topical chemo. Now, Erin encourages everyone to use this UV lip balm — which is a creamy, long-lasting moisturizing sunscreen that soothes and protects against dry, chapped and sun-exposed lips.
eltaMD® UV LIP BALM BROAD-SPECTRUM SPF 31 | Best Medical Spa Bluffton, Hilton Head SC (luxhhi.com)
6. Best Eye Area Protection — Colorscience® Total Eye™ 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy
This product can be used as a primer (and even works as a concealer for some people) all while providing SPF 35 protection! Erin loves the additional benefits of this product as well — the cooling applicator helps reduce puffiness, and the formula helps brighten and correct dark circles, smooth fine lines and wrinkles and prime the skin for the smooth application of eye makeup.
7. Favorite over-makeup SPF products — Colorscience® Sunforgettable Brush-On SPF 50 + Jane Iredale D₂Oᵀᴹ Hydration Spray
Colorscience® Sunforgettable Brush-On SPF 50 is great sun protection for on-the-go and can be used alone or brushed over your makeup. There are multiple shades to choose from, and it’s also an easy way to get to the tops of your ears and scalp where the hair parts. As with any powder, it can leave somewhat of a matte finish — which is great in the summer when we are more prone to oil and sweat. Erin prefers a more dewy and hydrated appearance, so she finishes the look with Jane Iredale D₂Oᵀᴹ Hydration Spray.
jane iredale D₂Oᵀᴹ Hydration Spray | Best Medical Spa Bluffton, Hilton Head SC (luxhhi.com)
8. Must-Have Accessory — A Wide-Brimmed Hat
Even while using all of these SPF products, a little extra protection never hurts — especially during these hot summer beach days. Erin recommends adding a wide-brimmed hat to your beach look! Her favorite is the straw hat below:
Baja Gyotaku Straw Hat | PELAGIC Fishing Gear (pelagicgear.com)
9. Bonus Skin Protection: Shirts With UPF 50+ protection
If you’re going to be spending a long day in the sun — especially on the water, where the UV rays can be amplified — Erin also recommends wearing a long-sleeved shirt with built-in UPF protection. These shirts can be found at a lot of fishing and sporting goods stores, including Bass Pro Shop and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Erin’s favorite is linked below!
Ws Aquatek Icon Ws Hooded Fishing Shirt | PELAGIC Fishing Gear (pelagicgear.com)