Supermodels Call This Skincare “Unicorn” the Most Important Thing They Use
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As many times as dermatologists and skincare experts repeat that you really do need to wear sunscreen year round, there’s nothing like spring’s warm rays to remind you to get back in the habit. Now that the vaccinated are emerging from isolation like tulips (or cicadas, pick your preference), now’s the time to get back in the sunscreen routine. And according to supermodel Hunter McGrady, one drugstore skincare “unicorn” makes it easy.
“The best accessory you can have is sunscreen,” McGrady wrote in an Instagram caption accompanying a sunny photo. “I was told this my entire life and was always like *eye roll,* until I got in my 20s and really learned about the importance of sunscreen and wearing it every single day (it’s actually probably THE most important skincare you can use).” She continued: “I found my unicorn of sunscreens in Olay hydrating mineral sunscreen. The formula is zinc oxide & B3 + peptide which absorbs super quickly and [is] also hydrating.”
Finding a sunscreen you love can be tricky business, especially if you want an easy-to-use mineral formula that relies on zinc oxide or titanium dioxide for protection. The advantages are solid: According to FDA findings, chemical sunscreens like oxybenzone and octinoxate penetrate your skin and make it into your bloodstream. That alone isn’t cause for concern, doctors say, but combined with the information around those ingredients’ hormone-disrupting effects, sticking with a mineral formula is the epitome of “better safe than sorry” (especially if you’re going in the ocean, where chemical sunscreens can potentially damage marine life).
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Shop now: $29 (Originally $39); olay.com
Which brings us back to Olay’s supermodel-loved Regenerist Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 formula. While McGrady is a partner with the brand, she’s previously explained that her adoration for the line goes back 16 years — and judging by how phenomenal her skin looks, the products are fully working. Reviewers back her up: “LOVE that I found a mineral based sunscreen that goes on sheer without the white residue,” one shopper writes of the easy application. “I love that I am getting the anti-aging benefits while preventing further damage from the sun. I have used it out on the boat and hiking and it stayed in place without running into my eyes.”
True to Olay form, the supermodel’s favorite face sunscreen combines sun protection with ingredients like skin-brightening niacinamide and smoothing amino peptides, and it’s formulated to be safe for sensitive skin without irritating fragrance, petrochemical-derived mineral oil, synthetic dyes, and hormone-disrupting parabens and phthalates. “Sunscreen-obsessed” shoppers write that it’s the non-oily solution they’ve been looking for, with a hybrid formula that doubles as daily moisturizer and SPF.
The skinny pump bottle is easy to reapply on the go, since it sinks in quickly and doesn’t have that tell-tale “sunscreen” scent. Yet the protection guards even very fair shoppers’ skin from sunburn after hours in the sea, and doesn’t leave a white cast on dark skin tones. “It’s not sticky, greasy, or thick like sunscreen, and it absorbs very quickly,” another shopper writes. “It did a great job as a moisturizer as well. I used it in the morning before makeup and I couldn’t even tell I was wearing it.” The sunscreen dream. Get it while it’s on sale on Olay’s website, and experience a “unicorn” unlike any other.