Clearly Brighter: The importance of a moisturizer with SPF

How I completed my SPF routines so I never go a day without it.

I’ve confessed before that my SPF usage in my younger years was less than ideal.  I would use tanning oil at the beach, I’d head to the tanning bed every chance I got in college, and I wasn’t afraid of a little sunburn after a day outside. It wasn’t until my college volleyball coach was diagnose with skin cancer that the stupidity of those decisions hit me like a brick wall.  Every single one of us on the team stopped going to the tanning bed immediately.  How could we keep it up and know what he was going through? I’m so thankful that he made it through with just a scar, but I know there are many, many others who haven’t been so lucky.

Nowadays, I still think of my coach every time I put SPF on myself and my family.  I saw the rollercoaster of emotions he went through knowing his time with his sons might be cut short, and I would never, ever want to experience the same just because I refuse to put on a little lotion. I keep my skin out of the sun in a variety of ways, and they all take just a minute to do.  We use sunscreen at the beach, and I love a tinted moisturizer from Laura Mercier that I’ve raved about before in my 5-minute makeup tutorial for days when I put on makeup.

Unfortunately, though, there were still plenty of days when I wasn’t able to put on makeup and wouldn’t use anything on my face.  Maybe a quick swipe of toner, but I would never use a moisturizer that could protect my skin.  Enter Garnier Skinactive Clearly Brighter Smoothing and Brightening Daily Moisturizer. When Vogue Insiders sent me this product to review, I honestly thought, “Great, another moisturizer like all the rest.”  Honestly, how many ways can you reinvent lotion? But you guys, this moisturizer does SO MUCH.  It brightens, smooths, hydrates, and fights anti-aging in one fell swoop. And, of course, it gives me that little boost of sun protection with SPF 15 built right in.

It even has some slight exfoliation with the Lipo-Hydroxyl Acid.  Not with those dangerous microbeads we’ve all been hearing about.  Just a little LHA to reveal a brighter layer of skin.  The antioxidants make my skin feel heavenly, yet it’s light enough to wear under my makeup on a daily basis.  It perfects AND protects my skin, which is exactly what I need as a busy mom of two.  My favorite way to use is on the days I’m rushing out the door and I only have a moment in between brushing my teeth and throwing my hair in a ponytail to put on some moisturizer and run.  And it makes me feel like I have all my bases covered when it comes to protecting myself from skin damage now.  Want to give it a try for yourself? Just click here to find it on Amazon and have it on your doorstep in two days.  Summer is coming for us all, make sure your skincare routine is up to the task!

XO,

A

P.S. I received complimentary product in order to facilitate this review as part of the Vogue Influencers Network.

P.P.S. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase a product via those links, I receive a small percentage of the profits.  Thank you for supporting Haute in Texas!

Official Photography Provided By:

Christina Dianne Photography