With sunscreen, the number matters. “An SPF less than 30 doesn’t afford you the level of sun protection that you need,” says Deanne Mraz Robinson, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist at Connecticut Dermatology Group. Higher is also important because you’re unlikely to apply the sunscreen well enough to reach full protection. “The average person applies 25 to 50 percent of the recommended amount of sunscreen,” says Adrienne Haughton, MD, director of clinical and cosmetic dermatologist at Stony Brook Medicine at Commack in New York. “In one study, patients applying what they perceived as an adequate amount of sunscreen labeled SPF of 70 and 100 provided an actual SPF of 19 and 27 percent respectively.”

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Even for women who approach their beauty routine au naturel, a swipe of mascara is a necessity before leaving their home. When our eyelashes are long and wispy, our eyes automatically appear larger and clearer, making us look more awake and vibrant. Unfortunately, this trusty makeup bag essential is a double-edged sword: it gives the impression our lashes are fuller but can also make them shorter and more brittle if we aren’t caring for them properly. There are ways to naturally improve the health — and length! — of your lashes though, without trying an invasive treatment like Latisse. As New York City dermatologist Dr. Hadley King explains, while these products do work very well to elongate, darken and thicken our eyes’ protectors, many people prefer to avoid chemicals that could have side effects.

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