‘I’m a Dermatologist, and These Are the 2 Skin-Care Products That I *Always* Keep in My Car’

There are certain necessities you should always have in your car, like your registration, a spare tire, and jumper cables. But there are also two skin-care items a dermatologist says belong on that very same list of center-console must-haves: SPF and healing ointment.

First and foremost, sunscreen is a must. If you’ve ever seen those viral images of truck drivers’ skin damage, you likely already know that your car windows are no match for the UV exposure that you’re exposed to on the road—which means you need to arm yourself with a little extra protection. “I just think that we forget about our hands and our neck and our chest when we’re driving,” says Shirley Chi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Southern Califonia. For that reason, she says it’s good to keep some sort of SPF in the car. “I have a lip balm sunscreen and I have a cream body sunscreen,” she says. You can choose whatever formula you want, just be sure to apply it anywhere the sun may hit—including your face, chest, and the backs of your hands.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Sunscreen Milk SPF 60 — $25.00

This SPF 60 sunscreen is great for the body or the face. It protects the skin with a blend of chemical sun blockers to provide completely sheer coverage.

Supergoop! PLAY Lip Sunscreen Balm SPF 30 — $12.00

This lip balm is SPF 30 and combines chemical sun blockers with honey, shea butter, and sunflower seed oil to keep your lips nourished and protected.

EltaMD UV Stick Broad-Spectrum SPF50+ — $34.00

This SPF 50 stick is great for on-the-go application. It uses the mineral zinc oxide to protect your skin from UV rays.

It can also be helpful to have a do-it-all ointment (like Vaseline or Aquaphor) on hand to combat whatever annoying skin issues come up while you’re on the open road. “It’s so useful, because you never know—you can get a paper cut or your lips can get super dry,” says Dr. Chi. “And sometimes, when you take off your mask in the car, you have a scale on your chin… so what I do is I just take a little Vaseline or a little Aquaphor and I just rub that away.” Plus, because these ointments are oil-based, they can also be super helpful at removing or touching up makeup while you’re on the go. While these “skin-care Swiss Army Knives” may not be able to help you change a tire or get out of a speeding ticket, as far as complexion concerns go, they can pretty much do it all.

Aquaphor — $14.00

This petroleum-based ointment is great as a lip moisturizer, hand cream, foot cream for dry cracked feet, minor wound care, and much more.

Vaseline — $3.00 to $21.00

Vaseline is pure petroleum jelly, great for managing wounds and moisturizing dry, cracked skin.

Learn more about the best type of sunscreen to use for your skin:

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