‘I think a better word for “clean” beauty is “thoughtful” beauty’

ILIA’s Sasha Plavsic talks to Adele Cardani about skincare buzzwords, low-effort sun protection and her company’s pioneering hero product

‘I was trying to do my full skincare routine with my newborn daughter, thinking, I have to find a way to make this simpler’ (Ed Pulella Photography)

Fresh-faced, no make-up make-up is here to stay. And with that, it’s easy to succumb to the allure of products that promise an enviably dewy, glass-like radiance as if you’re always ingesting leafy greens and are so hydrated that your complexion is entirely unfazed by the effects of central heating. Many impulse purchases and an overfilled shelf (or two) of half-used meh makeup and stale skincare later, an aesthetician shared the ultimate pearl of wisdom with me: “That elusive glowing complexion we’re all searching for comes primarily from a healthy skin barrier, maintained by practising consistent sun protection.”

After all, applying an SPF 365 days a year, not just when it’s balmy and bright out, is considered a cardinal rule of beauty – one that we too often still skip. I don’t blame you for cringing at the thought of slathering the goopy, mineral-y Hawaiian Tropic-esque iterations from your childhood onto your precious face. Cue the dreaded pilling under your makeup and white specks caught in your eyebrows. This is something that propelled skin-centric make-up pioneer and founder of ILIA Beauty, Sasha Plavsic, when she created her award-winning hero product: the Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 30 (now available at Sephora, which has just landed in the UK). The zinc-based sunscreen, hydrating serum, and sheer foundation rolled into one lightweight, hybrid formula has me proclaiming: “This is the least sunscreen-y sun protection I’ve ever used!” So this week, I spoke with Plavsic, whose innovation – which is beloved by celebrities from Miranda Kerr and Gwyneth Paltrow to Pamela Anderson and Riley Keough – might just convince you of daily SPF use in time for summer.

Sun protection with no white cast? Yes please (ILIA)