Who doesn’t love spending time outdoors during the summer? However, if we’re not careful about remembering to use sunscreen, then we are putting our skin at risk for aging faster as well as the possibility of developing skin cancer. Nonetheless, it can be confusing about getting the most benefits from your SPF product. For this reason, here is everything you need to know about sunscreen makeup that can help.
One of the first mistakes is thinking that your bases are covered if you wear a sunscreen incorporated into foundation or a moisturizer. The only way that this is acceptable is if the SPF is at 30 or higher and a broad spectrum to protect against UVA and UVB rays. Yet, there are limitations to that coverage that I will explain below.
Another thing about wearing a dual product with sunscreen is that you don’t typically apply it on all the spots on your head that also needs protection. I’m referring to the ears, nose, lips, and hairline. You may typically skip a combo makeup/sunscreen product in places when evening out your skin tone without realizing you missed under the eyes or the far corners of the face in doing so.
Sunscreen makeup choices may have you opting for a physical over a chemical sunscreen ingredient such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide in the formula. The reason that a mineral sunscreen rates so highly is because it throws off the light more due to the small sizes of its particles. Look for a formula that has about 20-25 percent. Though this sounds like the best option over a chemical sunscreen that absorbs the sun’s rays, the physical sunscreen for it to outrank the performance of the chemical version needs to be applied with a thick white coat for it to outperform the other. Let’s face it, how many of us put such a huge amount of that type of product on?
Though I hate to be an alarmist, titanium dioxide is a questionable choice according to a few studies.
What else that can be confusing is about layering different SPF products. If you were under the impression that using something such as an SPF 15 moisturizer and SPF 15 makeup will serve as with SPF 30 protection, then you are wrong. In fact, the concentration of active ingredients of an SPF 30 sunscreen is not the same.
Something else that is important to keep in mind is that you may wear a tinted moisturizer, BB cream or just foundation with SPF when you leave the house in the morning for work, but the protection loses effectiveness after a few hours just like regular sunscreen that needs a fresh application every two hours. What you could do is follow up with a powder sunscreen when you need to leave the building.
Through the day, this formula of makeup may not hold up to sweat that can dilute the formula. If you’re planning to stay out in the heat more than briefly or take a dip in a pool, then a water-resistant formula is a better choice.
SPF makeup is a wonderful option for spending a limited amount of time outdoors, but it still doesn’t offer the same level of protection as regular sunscreen. Therefore, it always helps to take precautions to safeguard that beautiful face. For more on summer beauty tips, I hope that you read my earlier post.
I like using a foundation with sunscreen.