By mid-summer, everyone knows the drill: sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. You’ve heard it a million times, and you probably have at least one bottle rolling around in your tote bag. But here’s the thing—no matter how diligent we are, most of us still miss a few spots.

I realized this recently when I woke up with a sunburn on my top lip. Not my cheeks, not my shoulders—my lip. And while I knew, theoretically, that lips could burn, I had simply never thought about protecting them. The oversight left me wondering: if I’ve been skipping sunscreen on my lips, where else am I falling short?

Turns out, quite a few places.

Lips: Sweet, Not Battery-Flavored

Let’s start with the lips, because they’re often the first casualty of sunscreen neglect. The problem? Most SPF lip products taste like you licked a nine-volt. Luckily, a new generation of formulas has changed that.

Prequel’s Lip Visors are a favorite because they come in clear and dusty rose shades, smell faintly minty, and even taste a little sweet if you over-apply. Naturium’s Phyto-Glow Balms are another winner—one clear, plus four neutral tones, with Getaway (a nude rose) stealing my heart. If you like a little more coverage, Innbeauty’s Sun Balms bring richer color; my go-to is Latte, a soft milk chocolate with pink undertones. For the fullest opacity, BeautyStat’s SPF lip colors deliver a juicy peach or baby pink, complete with vitamin C and an orange creamsicle scent.

In other words, protection doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style—or your taste buds.

Eyelids: The Forgotten Frontier

Few things sting more than sunscreen in your eyes. Which is why eyelids often go unprotected, even though they’re constantly catching rays. The solution? Smarter formulas.

K-beauty brands have long been ahead in sunscreen innovation, and two standouts make eye protection effortless: Beauty of Joseon’s Relief Sun and Round Lab’s Birch UVLock. Both are lightweight, non-runny, and gentle enough to smooth across eyelids without tears. Since they’re designed for the whole face, you can cover every inch with a single product. One and done.

Hands and Feet: Always in the Line of Fire

Your hands and feet see more sun than you realize. Driving? Your hands are baking on the steering wheel. Ballet flats or sandals? The tops of your feet are practically billboards for UV exposure.

I used to ignore both, but Naked Sundays’ Antioxidant Crème changed that. It’s rich, silky, and doubles as both a body SPF and hand cream. Whatever’s left after rubbing it in gets smoothed onto my feet as well. On busier days, I swap the bottle for Tula’s SPF 50 stick—it glides on instantly and makes reapplication actually doable.

Ears: The Strangest Blind Spot

Technically part of your face, yes—but how many of us actually treat them that way? For reasons I can’t explain, I’ve always stopped my sunscreen at the jawline. Now, I cheat the system by using whatever lotion lingers on my hands to dab my ears.

If you’re less stubborn than I am, a simple swipe of the same K-beauty face formulas (Joseon or Round Lab) does the job. No more red, peeling ears come August.

Scalp: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Nothing ruins a day at the beach like realizing your part is flaming red. The scalp is tricky—it’s often hidden, until suddenly it isn’t. Hats are the obvious solution (my trusty baseball cap goes everywhere), but there are product options too.

Supergoop!’s Poof SPF 35 was made for the scalp, and it doubles as a dry shampoo. Colorescience makes a brush-on stick that works through your part while taming shine, and Coola’s SPF 30 mist is an easy spray-on fix—though best left to those without color-treated hair.

A Little Extra Effort Goes a Long Way

The truth is, the spots we forget—lips, eyelids, hands, ears, scalps—are the ones that sneak up on us. We don’t notice them until they’re stinging or peeling, and by then, it’s too late. Adding a few targeted products to your routine doesn’t just save you from discomfort; it protects against long-term damage in places we rarely think about.

So next time you’re slathering on sunscreen before heading out the door, take an extra 30 seconds to cover those overlooked areas. Your future self—and your top lip—will thank you.