Chicago may be the Windy City, but we’re also the city of the best beaches in the Midwest—if we do say so ourselves. But with beaches come sunburns, sand-caked faces and sweat. Here are our top five picks to help you feel not so gnarly after your day on the lake.
Drunk Elephant’s Umbra Tinte or Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense
$36/$34 on drunkelephant.com
Whether you’re looking for a little sun-kissed glow or straight-up sunscreen, this new broad spectrum formula from Drunk Elephant combats both UV rays and oxidative damage, as well as battling against free radicals that can cause premature aging. Loaded up with antioxidants—as well as summery ingredients like grape juice and sunflower shoot extracts—this powerful formula will keep you safe from the sun while you lounge in the sand.
Ursa Major Essential Face Wipes
$24 on ursamajorvt.com
These individually wrapped bamboo face wipes are great to throw in your beach bag to use after a long day of sweat and sand seeping into your pores. Loaded up with Ursa Major’s face tonic formula, one wipe works as a cleanser, exfoliator and hydrator to get the dirt off of your face while adding much needed moisture to your skin after a day of frying yourself in the sun.
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Make Marine Salve
$20 on makebeauty.com
Between lake water, sun and sand sapping the moisture out of your skin, this universal salve is great to slather on any chapped lips, cracked skin or sunburns that may thwart your fun day at the beach. This salve’s formula is rich in oils and butters that melt into your skin as you apply it to create a “protective cocoon”—their words, not ours—around the wound.
Lano Lips’ All-Over Everywhere Multi-Cream
$22.95 on lanolips.com
This lotion can be applied liberally to any and every part of your body. The formula is concocted of triple lanolin moisturizer, which copies the molecular structure of your own skin lipids, as well as vitamin E to condition and milk to soothe. With no artificial fragrances or parabens, this all-natural lotion can help repair your skin after a day in the sun and replace needed moisture after dunking in Lake Michigan, if you’re so brave.
Glossier’s Invisible Shield
$34 on glossier.com
This sunscreen is for people who hate wearing sunscreen. If the sticky texture and overwhelming scent of normal sunscreens isn’t for you, give Invisible Shield a try. This light-weight formula goes on clear and absorbs into the skin rather than sitting on top of it. Its watergel formula swaps in drying alcohols for vitamin E, vitamin P, broccoli, aloe leaf extract and UVA/UVB filter microspheres. It’s not totally water-resistant so use only if you’re keeping your toes in the sand and not in the lake.
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