ASK ADRIENNE: Sephora's Skinsation Spills Her Secrets

With so many skincare products out there, it often feels like there’s a potion for every pore. Staring at shelves and shelves of pots, sticks, and tubes (each claiming to contain a fairy-tale formula!), it can be overwhelming. Since skincare is such a sensitive and specific beauty category, it requires an expert’s attention—a well-traveled explorer in the world of dermal topography.

It is my pleasure to introduce Adrienne Davis, Brand Marketing Manager for the Sephora skincare department. Working all day with our products and brands, Adrienne’s got skincare down to a science, and her gleaming complexion reveals she practices what she preaches. With each posting, our skincare superstar will put various categories in a nutshell and offer up some tips, tricks, and product dish. -Jennifer Appenrodt

This week, it’s all about the SPF…(fitting, since Adrienne is the mastermind behind the oh-so-popular Sephora Sun Safety Kit.)

Adrienne says: “I can recommend creams and serums galore, but when it comes to aging, the best cure is PREVENTION. Sunscreen is the most important thing you can wear, every single day…for the rest of your life.

It is easier than ever to incorporate sunscreen into your daily beauty routine. Many brands are adding SPF into their best selling products; from lip balms to primers and moisturizers. Be sure to look for a broad-spectrum version (one that protects from both UVA and UVB rays) with a SPF factor of at least 15. These are just 5 of some of my personal favorites and there are lots of other great ones, too. You can ask any skincare expert at any of our stores to help you select the right SPF product for your needs. They will even make a sample for you if you want to try it first.

Remember, if you are going to be subjecting your skin to a lot of sun, be sure to use enough and reapply often. Sunburns aren’t sexy!!!”

PTR Instant Mineral SPF 30 : This is a great option for anyone with really sensitive skin or someone who doesn’t like the way sunscreen feels on their face. Brush it on right over your makeup for an airbrushed look (with protection!). It’s so easy to reapply throughout the day with its flow-through brush design and you really can take it anywhere because of its powder consistency (no airport security restrictions).

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 : This stuff smells so amazing and feels so great on my lips! Lips are the second most common place to get skin cancer (noses are also at high risk!), so it’s very important to keep them protected.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Cream SPF15 : I use this every day to keep my skin protected from free radical damage and to ward off the harmful rays of the sun. Plus, it brightens my under eye area where I am starting to (eek!) see some brown spots…probably from all those years of frying myself when I was younger—ignorance is bliss until it hits you in the face (literally).

Juice Beauty Green Apple Antioxidant Body Moisturizer SPF 20: We all seem so preoccupied with our faces and how they will look when we get older. Don’t neglect the rest of your body!! I am in love with this daily moisturizer for the body. It is super hydrating, and it doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy. The added benefit of an SPF is great because I don’t always want to layer on an additional sunscreen if I am just going to the office (and not the beach—unfortunate as that may sound).

Cosmedicine Global Health UVA/UVB SPF 30 Sunscreen : For when I am active outdoors (which I try to do as much as possible!), at the beach, playing golf, going for a run, or say on a rafting trip with my friends… I always bring Cosmedicine Global Health (face and body). This stuff is amazing! It’s anhydrous (meaning it contains zero water) and it is scientifically proven that it CAN’T “move” or run in your eyes, so no stinging or burning! It won’t sweat off and it is completely waterproof.

Do you have any SPF concerns or questions for Adrienne? I’m unleashing her expertise to the masses—Take Advantage!!