The Tiny Sunscreen Stick I'm Hoping Will Save Me From My Birkenstock Tan

To my GREAT shame I have a Birkenstock tan again. It’s basically nothing compared to the Birkenstock tan I had for literal YEARS in LA, that I was only able to get rid of by moving to the PNW, but STILL. I was lax on my sunscreen application and look what I got: Striped feet. I apply sunscreen to my face and neck and chest every morning when I’m getting ready, but for some reason the rest of my body just gets forgotten. As i was perusing the aisles of Target on a quiet morning, I saw this tiny little stick in the corner of my vision, and I decided it was going to be my Summer Sandal Savior.

There are many sunscreen sticks out there, and I’ve even used a few, but for now I’m working with this Blue Lizard SPF 50 Stick. It’s perfect for swiping on my feet before I head out for the day. The formula is kind of thick, and there’s a white cast on ME, the whitest person I’ve ever seen, so proceed with caution if you don’t have the complexion of a sheet of printer paper. But my main issue with top-of-the-foot sunscreen is that I feel like it just ends up on the insides of my sandals. I don’t have the forethought to apply it and sit somewhere in my house barefoot for however long until it dries. I need something thick and tacky and that I can trust to stay put, even if I’m going to immediately put on sandals and take a walk. Blue Lizard is that girl!

I have no sense of how quickly I’ll go through this tiny stick, but I only use it for the tops of my feet and maybe my hands, and I live in Seattle so it’s just a matter of weeks before the sun disappears for what feels like forever. (I do still wear sunscreen when it’s cloudy! I just don’t need to be super diligent about inadvertent Birkenstock tans while I’m in Seattle September-July.)