I've worked in beauty for almost a decade, and if there is anything writing that many stories about skin, hair, makeup, aging, and mascara has taught me, it's this: Sunscreen is the single most important thing you can do for your appearance. Wear it diligently every day, and you'll look younger than everyone else around you. It's kind of that simple. That being said, sunscreen isn't really sexy. When people ask me for beauty tips—around a lake in Maine, at the nail salon, at my sister's 40th birthday party in New Jersey—I ask if they wear sunscreen everyday and their eyes glaze over. It's kind of a nice way to end the conversation when I don't feel like talking shop, actually. With such fervent dedication to sunscreen, you'd think I'd have a crown jewel version I swore by. Instead I sort of use whatever's around. An Aveeno version with antioxidants. A fluid Lancome version that's drippy when you apply. Cetaphil I bought in a pinch on vacation. My BFF who follows beauty more diligently than anyone I know tipped me off to Kypris, a line of luxe holistic skincare, about a year ago. I never ended up trying it because I sent all my samples to her.

About a month ago, I started using their latest: Pot of Shade: Heliotropic. It's a SPF30 mineral based sunblock that also works as a primer, and it's completely incredible. Once you get through the outside box—which is beautiful and detailed, like a tiny gold filagree necklace, I still haven't thrown it away—the cream inside the jar is a moony blue/white, and smells clean and earthy, like clay. Because it's not a chemical sunscreen, you can smear it all around your eyes, even if they're really sensitive, like mine. But the best part is that thanks to botanical oils, silica, and some other magic, the sunscreen also works like a primer, temporarily softening fine lines and filling wide pores. In the summer, it's nice when foundation can be optional. Heliotropic makes that totally possible. Maybe sunscreen bores you. I don't blame you. But maybe, just maybe, this version is perfect enough to pique your interest.

Kypris Pot of Shade Heliotropic Sunscreen, $68, integritybotanicals.com.

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Hannah Morrill
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Hannah Morrill is a writer and editor based in Portland, Maine. She’s an avid reader, an indifferent face-washer and a sunscreen/retinol evangelist.