I’m a self-crowned queen, but I haven’t always been so committed to applying it—especially on my . My mom didn’t exactly show me the best lip balms with SPF when I was growing up, and like a true elder millennial, I have a handful of times in high school in pursuit of that early-2000s Britney glow (what a time). Thankfully, rule follower that I am, it only took reading one magazine article when I was 18 to convince me that slathering on sunscreen all day, is essential for protection and, more importantly at the time, a smooth and bright complexion.
But it wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I realized (via another beauty article) that I was missing a very important spot on my face: my lips. “People tend to completely forget their lips when it comes to sunscreen and, actually, the lips are probably even more susceptible to damage because they have less melanin [pigment] to protect them from sun exposure,” , a board-certified dermatologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. “So you want to make sure you’re being more diligent about applying and reapplying on your lips because they’re more sensitive to UV rays and at a higher risk when it comes to skin cancers and .
” What should you look for in a lip sunscreen? No need to purchase a separate product if you don’t want to: Dr. Massick says swiping on regular sunscreen will work just fine. Ideally, it should have an SPF rating of at least 30, and you should always look for “ ” .