When SPF Does Double Duty (And Nobody Tells You...but then somebody tells you)

Sometimes the best beauty discoveries happen when you're not even trying

Hello, Gorgeous!

I’m kind of obsessive about reading skincare labels (well, it is my job). Sometimes, though I’ll give a quick scan to find the one thing I really care about. In this case, it was SPF 50. Sun protection? Check. Done. Moving on.

The Murad Resurgence Super Active Moisturizer had been sitting in my routine for a few weeks, quietly and efficiently SPFing (I know that’s not a thing) while I went about my business. Sure, I noticed it said "wrinkle fighting" on the tube, but when testing this one out, I was in Florida mostly concentrating on keeping my face from turning into a sun dried tomato.

Then something unexpected happened. Two people—people who have never willingly given me a compliment in my entire life— randomly mentioned how great my skin looked. Not glowing, not radiant, but specifically great. That's when I paused to retrace my steps.

When I’m away from home and not using my normal skin routine, my face isn’t always happy about it. And yet suddenly people who wouldn’t compliment a glass of lemonade if they were in the Sahara Desert were raving about the way I looked.

What had I changed? What was I doing differently? Gasp! Could it be that unassuming tube of Murad? Turns out, while I thought I was only protecting myself from UV rays, this moisturizer was quietly smoothing things out behind the scenes.

It was a good wake up call for me. Sometimes I’m so busy brushing off claims of efficacy as just that, that I don’t stop to read the fine print. The joke would have been on me, only it turned into a victory lap. I was so excited not to have a thick white residue after applying that I didn’t pay attention to the fact that this was a reformulated sheer formula with SPF and a bunch of active ingredients.

Consider this my PSA: read the fine print on your skincare. Sometimes you're getting more than you bargained for, in the best ways possible ($59, Murad.com).

Have you ever accidentally stumbled on the best thing ever? Let’s meet in the comment section to discuss!

Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋