please wear sunscreen!!! I've seen "fuck the beauty industrial complex" posts about complicated skincare regimens and am 100% with them except sometimes they mention sunscreen and no. no. absolutely not. sunscreen is a wonderful supportive friend who wants to keep you safe, and you should let her do it. throw out all your other cosmetics and skincare products if you want, but keep your sunscreen. and if you're not wearing sunscreen, start wearing it!!!! this is not about terror of aging, this is not about every tiny imperfection our fucked-up culture has made you feel insecure about, this is about protecting yourself from skin cancer. wear the damn sunscreen.
And LISTEN, if you are hesitant. i know sunscreens can be pricey. and theres a lot of fearmongering around cheaper sunscreens. and i know they make your eyes sting. and i know it can feel gross is u have sensory issues. but please hear me out. invest in 1 big tube of cheaper sunscreen and 1 smaller tube of any 'new generation' sunscreen that won't sting (reddit is a great place to look for recs). both at least spf50 and pa+++. use the more expensive one for the UPPER PART OF YOUR FACE. and the cheaper one for the rest of your face and body. apply generously and reaply.
If your skin is darker and you're worried about the white pasty sheen that sunscreen can leave on your skin, stay away from the mineral ones and look for the ones that say "clear" or have good reviews from other poc! I use Neutrogena Invisible sunscreen on my face and Hawaiian Tropic on the rest of me, and it works for my sister too -- for visual clarification we span the following skin tones:
If you still find it looks a lil ashy on your face, mix in a dot of tinted moisturizer or foundation. You need barely any at all and you can use a BB cream or something else that's super light coverage if you don't care for makeup.
