It’s one of the most common questions in suncare, and it’s a good one: if SPF 30 is already protecting most of the UV that hits your skin, is SPF 50 actually doing anything meaningfully different?

The short answer is yes — but probably not in the way you’d expect. Here’s what the numbers actually mean.

Running is one of NZ's great outdoor pursuits. From the Coastal Walkway in New Plymouth to the trails above Wellington, the Auckland waterfront at dawn, or a quiet country road somewhere south of the Bombay Hills — if you're a runner, chances are you're spending meaningful time outside in all kinds of weather.

Which is great. Your body and your head will thank you. But your skin needs a bit of thought, too — because NZ's UV environment is among the most intense on the planet, and sweating through your SPF is a very real problem if you haven't chosen the right one.

There’s a particular kind of joy in booking a winter escape. Flights to Fiji. A long stretch in Bali. Three weeks chasing the European summer while New Zealand sits under grey skies and four layers of merino.

And there’s a particular kind of regret in arriving at your destination, sun-starved and pale, and reaching for sunscreen only to realise the only thing in your toiletry bag is a half-used tube of something that expired during the last Labour government.

If winter is when you’re planning your getaway, this is your reminder: pack the SPF before you pack anything else.

You know the feeling. You get off the chairlift at the top of the mountain, squinting into that particular high-altitude brightness, and you think: I should have put on sunscreen.

And then you ski anyway, because the powder is good and the queue for the gondola was long and you'll deal with it at lunch. Except at lunch you're starving and also the nachos are on, so. And by the time you're back at the lodge your nose is the colour of a ripe tomato and your lips feel like paper that's been left in the sun.

We've all been there. Here's how to not be there this year.

You're reading this on a screen.

Which means your face is currently being bathed in blue light. Not dramatically — not in a sci-fi way — but steadily, quietly, in the same way it has been for most of the day. Phone over breakfast. Laptop from nine to five. TV in the evening. Studies suggest the average person spends up to twelve hours a day in front of digital screens. That's more screen exposure than most of us get sun exposure — even in summer, let alone in a New Zealand winter.

There's a plant called Babchi. It grows in India, where it's been used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine for centuries — prized for its ability to heal, renew, and protect skin.

For most of its history, it sat quietly in the background of traditional herbalism. Then scientists started paying attention to the active compound it produces: Bakuchiol.

And the skincare world has been somewhat obsessed with it ever since.

An ode to the humble lip balm. The one at the bottom of every bag, slightly covered in pocket fluff, cap missing since approximately March. The thing you reach for when your lips are already sore and it is, at that point, a little late.

We can do better. Let's talk about lips.

There's something quietly powerful about Matariki.

It arrives in the middle of winter — when the days are shortest, the mornings are dark, and most of us are more focused on finding a warm jacket than thinking about sun protection. And yet here it is: a constellation rising in the pre-dawn sky, marking a new year, asking us to pause, reflect, and care — for ourselves, for each other, for the world around us.

Because SPF doesn’t take a season off. As temperatures drop, skin’s need for both hydration and sun protection is just as real — cold air, low humidity, and winter UV rays are a deceptively demanding combination. These three COOLA formulas are built for exactly that.

Does sunscreen cause acne? The right SPF can actually help support clearer-looking skin. Learn which ingredients to look for and how to choose an acne-safe sunscreen that works with your routine. 

Wondering how to choose the right SPF? Use this guide to determine which sunscreen ingredients to avoid to ensure healthy, happy skin. 

Find your perfect sunscreen for dry skin. This guide breaks down the best hydrating SPF formulas, ingredients, and textures to help keep skin soft, nourished, and comfortable.