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We all know we should wear sunscreen; we’re all (hopefully) aware of the risks of skin cancer and understand that an SPF is 100% necessary to prevent UV damage and to ward off the ageing process.
While most people pack a couple of bottles of a high factor when they’re away on their holliers and know to slap it on and reapply every four hours (or more if they’re swimming), some of us are a bit confused as to what to do at home, on a regular day. Eh, do you have to put sunscreen on every few hours? Like, over your foundation? And smush it all in and smear your lovely makeup all over the shop? Er, how does that work, then?
So the other day, when I went to meet Dr Elizabeth Briden, the medical director and CEO of the Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Institute in Minneapolis, and a spokesperson for the NeoStrata skincare brand, it was one of the questions I put to her.
While she’s insistent that you protect your skin every single day – “even on cloudy days UV rays penetrate” – your daily routine isn’t as complicated as you might think.
My reckoning is that on a normal day at the office or a Saturday when you’re wandering around town, shopping, taking a walk or generally living your life, one application of sunscreen plus your foundation is sufficient for the whole day. Dr Briden agrees. “Yes, even wearing a moisturiser with SPF15 and then applying makeup is fine. There’s no need to reapply extra sunscreen during the day,” she confirms.
You’re not out of the woods yet though – this really is just for your day-to-day routine. “If you’re on holidays or out in the sun though, you must reapply,” Dr Briden warns.
So, there you have it gals!
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Spotted this on the Clarins counter:
http://uk.clarins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/beauty-products_the-essentials_uv-plus_C010410008_10201_11751_-11_33117_44054_30103
Any thoughts or feedback on it?
Ta!
Sounds pretty good. I currently just use SPF 15 in my Garnier moisturise and SPF 15 in the foundation. Tried Sunscreens but makeup ran off me by lunch-time.
Hmm computer acting strangely again…
Atomic – Suncream does weird things to my makeup as well.
Going to have a proper look at it to see what it’s like.
I’ve heard you should use factor50 on your face, but even with a special facial suncream my face always looks greasy and any makeup slides off. I have really dry skin so I can imagine what it’d be like if I had oily skin! Is factor 15 not too low? Thanks
I figured. I mean like most I’m in an office all day and would be out and about for less than an hour most weekdays so it would seem crazy to be reapplying sun screen for such little outdoor time.
I wear sunscrean daily from April to Oct (factor 40). When I tell people the response is usually “But the sun never shines in Ireland” or “It’s always raining! Why bother?” I bother because I have an intense fear of wrinkles and skin cancer!
Orlando – Well as the Doctor mentioned above, if you have spf in your moisturiser and then put on your foundation, that’s fine for day-to-day.
Obviously more is needed when you’re in the sun.
I’m good for using moisturiser with spf15 or 25 on my face, but how do you protect your scalp?! I’ve got some redness (sunburn) on my hairline recently, just from walking around town n stuff or out for a walk. I’m all for wearing a hat or bandana or something on the beach but how does one protect their scalp day to day?!
My dermatologist recommended Neostrata’s moisturiser due to its SPF (15) for daily use. Wear it every day under make up and it works fine – no greasiness or oiliness for me.
Kewl Monty thanks, just checking…my aunt used to live in Jamaica and is even paler than me with red hair and she said even in the heat she used to wear driving gloves coz the sun through the windscreen in the car was damaging the skin on her hands…how annoying would that be?!
Also, yer one’s eyelashes in that pic are about 70 miles long!
My daily moisturiser has SPF30.
After just under 2 years of living here, I bought foundation that was 2 whole shades lighter, just due to the lack of additional sun exposure from living in Ireland.
What I find scary is that so many people still believe that you can add the SPFs of different products together. If only…
Her lashes totally took my mind off sunscreen, Orlando
I’m jealous…
I wear Lamcome facial serum and moisturiser and Estee Lauder eye cream none of which have ‘any’ sunscreen in them. So now I have taken to putting sun cream over my moisturiser and under my makeup. Now in the morning’s I have to wait for my serum to dry in, then my moisturiser, then my sun cream, before I put on any slap! Surely there has got to be an easier way than this!
I wear my sunscreen over my moisturiser too, but I’m never sure if that’s the right way round or not? I usually wear at least factor 30 and often 50, but I’m not sure if I’m getting the right effect if it hasn’t gone directly on my skin before moisturiser.
Cna you mix your normal day cream with equal parts SPF in a pot and stir it up.
Dunno if that would work but if you think about it you should be getting benifits of both
i use the garnier facial sunscreen spf 50 on two for one in boots atm. its fantastic and make-up does not slide off. it actually acts as a good base! highly reccomended!
I’m a big fan of wearing hats, big floppy brimmed men hats that are huge so they don’t squash my hair down. I pinned some fake flowers onto them, so i’m wandering around looking like a happy hippy…but at a recent bbq i was the only person who didn’t have a red glow at the end of a day out in the sun.
My bobbi brown skin foundation has spf 15 in it, but just wondering now should I be wearing a higher factor under it.. Say in my moisturiser.
To be honest though my spf15 will do just fine….my mum and grandmother never used spf in thier lives or any fancy skin products.
My nan died aged 93 with feck all wrinkles and my mum is in her 60’s and has hardly none either!
I use Neutrogena Factor 45 moisturiser but I find it’s too harsh for my skin and kinda burns it if I use it for a few days in a row. Had the same problem with La Roche Posey, factor 50 on holidays. I also have Clinique factor 40 sun block over moisturiser which is good but what I find the best is MAC Primer with spf 50 to go on under makeup. Unfortunately it’s only a small bottle and pretty expensive.
JustMe, there’s a Dermologica product that has a high spf that you can mix into any moisturiser. Can’t remember the exact name though.
At the Clarins counter once, the SA told me to reapply the SPF foundation every 2 hours to make sure the SPF worked! can you believe that?!
Becca does a mineral primer that is SPF 30 and designed to be worn under make up – so maybe the girlies who said their make up slides off could try something like that?
I wear sunscreen every day – over the top of a primer or moisturiser and i have oily skin. I usually just dust some powder over my make up to keep it from getting too oily. Definitely think a good sunscreen is an investment!
Clinique city block in spf 40 is v. good-designed to be used under make up
Just looked it up – it’s called Dermologica Solar defence booster spf 30.
It “Morphs any make up or moisturiser into a weapon against sun damage”
I think it’s on special at the moment on Strawberrynet.
Monty, I have that Clarins stuff – at least I think I do, I bought it last year and they seem to have changed the bottle shape slightly. Anyhoo, I lurve it, the consistency is quite milky and it goes on well and sinks in quickly without leaving your face greasy. I will say, however, that it does not give a matte finish as claimed…it gives the skin a teeny bit of a sheen, but I quite like that look on summer skin anyway. I don’t wear foundation so I don’t know how that goes on over it, but the make-up I wear (highlighter, concealer where needed and bronzer) goes on fine. It says that you can put it on over your maquillage too, but how you would manage this without swiping your painstakingly-applied face off is beyond me! It’s factor 40 anyway so one application daily should be grand (unless you’re on your holliers, obv).
The Solar Defence Booster sounds great Polly, just what I need. Will purchase some straight away on the trusty strawberrynet!
Starbar – Thanks a million for your feedback!
Will definitely check it out
Nay bother Monty, if you know anyone going through duty free/up North you could ask them to nab you a bottle as tis pricey enough here for a teensy bottle. That said, you can’t be too careful when it comes to sunscreen. I don’t use it daily, just when it’s dead sunny and I’ll be out and about – last time I used it was the June BH weekend and I didn’t get so much a a freckle on my face.
Starbar – Hubby is travelling with work next week so I can add it to my list
sorry to be so late on this! I was out all day. while you can’t add spfs together do remember that the pigment in makeup acts as a physical blocker to UV rays, so it adds an extra component of protection. That’s why it and an SPF15 would be sufficient for those 15 minute bursts when you may be out and about during a normal day. Not sufficient for a day at the beach, however.
MontyC – nice one!
i was in spain last week, and waited a good 20 mins to apply my specially purchases loreal matte face spf thingy after my moisturiser. World of product balling. even himself noticed ‘whats the white crap on your face’ I was v disappointed. One day, it was very overcast, and i just popped on a spot of makeup and no seperate spf. stripey nose ahoy by the end of that day… and i was so good – factor 20 down to me tootsies the entire 10 days. Now i have a peely nose.
Jill – aww, shame, was it expensive? I had some pigmentation lasered last week and a glycolic peel and so have been even more super-vigilent than usual with the SPF. Been using La Roche-Posay 50+ every day and it’s fabulous over moisturiser (matis one) and under foundation (dior). No chalkiness or a horrible occlusive feeling.
I’ve been using my Neutrogena SPF 55 dry touch -I put it on after cleansing in the morning and have breakfast and 15 mins later I apply my Dior nude skin its brill you don’t even notice its on the only drawback is its not available here only in the U.S . although I mentioned it here before and one of the girls got it on amazon but I think she bought the SPF 80. Its billed as the no.1 Dermo recommended and has had write up in ELLE best bit is its under $10 so I back stateside in two weeks I shall be stocking up.
I used it in high humidty of Florida and no sweaty runny face which is amazing as in high heat most creams start to melt and give the ucky feeling -you feel like there is nothing there and I can’t recommend it highly enough
Orlando, I recently bought LaRoche Posay’s facial SPF in factor 20 as they have a new one for oily skins (I usually use their Effaclar M moisturiser which is the business!) It’s lovely and hydrating without leaving that oily slick that so many other brands do. And for bout 20 quid in chemists, it’s not the worst moolah-wise either
I use Shishiedo 55 every damn day no matter what.
L’Oreal Solar Expertise Anti-Wrinkle and Brown Spot Matte Fluid Protection SPF20 – to give if it’s full title was about €19 – but i got it with my regular suncream on boots bogof – good thing too, i just saw it for £10.77 on their uk site.
in fairness, i was protected the rest of the time, it was only the day i went without that i got a bit burned. i just didn’t trust it to replace my moisturiser altogether, but i might try it solo over the weekend to see how it sits on its own. (in the clouds no doubt)