The Sunscreen Our Digital Beauty Director Applies Every Morning

With new products landing on her desk daily, Danielle James’ beauty routine is always evolving. But there is one mainstay you’ll always find in her morning rotation: EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46.

“Sunscreen is the most important part of my skin care routine,” says Danielle. “There is this myth that if you have melanated skin you don’t need sunscreen. Everybody needs sunscreen—you need to protect your skin.” So regardless of the season or whether she’s spending most of her day indoors or outdoors, she doesn’t leave the house in the morning without first applying SPF.

Danielle discovered EltaMD from a trusted source: her mother, a nurse. “I’ve seen it in my mom’s medicine cabinet for as long as I can remember, so it’s something that I’ve always used,” she says. UV Clear is her go-to pick, because it seamlessly blends into her complexion. “A lot of times sunscreen leaves a white cast, which makes your makeup look so dull, and this doesn’t do that,” she notes. Formulated with niacinamide, it also helps visibly improve skin tone and discoloration over time.

For the body, she’s currently loving EltaMD UV AOX Mist, a mineral sunscreen that’s enriched with antioxidants to target signs of premature aging and utilizes all-angle spray technology for easy application. “It sprays on white so you can see where you apply it, and absorbs quickly so you never have to worry about getting it on your clothes,” she says.

See how Danielle incorporates both into her morning ritual, plus her application tricks, in the video above.