We all know the importance of wearing sun protection year-round. And now that summer is in full throttle, you may be wondering if the SPF in in your makeup is enough to protect your skin from the sun alone. The short answer is no – but let’s get into the why.
Why do you need to wear SPF?
With nothing but sunny days and high-intensity UV rays ahead, it’s important to step up your sun cream practices to provide full and lasting protection from the summer sun. But exactly why is protection from the sun so important?
Ultraviolet A rays are so strong they can penetrate through glass and can cause premature ageing and hyperpigmentation, whereas ultraviolet B rays can damage cellular structures in the skin and can result in skin cancer – so an adequate method of protecting yourself from both types of radiation is key.
And it’s not just in the summer; a great deal of UV rays can penetrate through cloud cover, meaning you should be applying your SPF year-round.
Why isn’t SPF in makeup enough?
In order for a product to be effective at protecting you from the sun, it needs to be broad spectrum (to protect against UVA and UVB rays), have a sun protection factor of 30 or above and of course, you need to apply a lot of it (at least two fingers worth).
This means that the scanty amount of sun protection found in your SPF 15 foundation powders won’t be enough to provide full and lasting coverage. You would actually need to apply five times the amount of makeup in order for the ingredients to be in sufficient quantities to protect your skin from the sun.
In addition to this, makeup preparations are unlikely to be water-resistant or rub-resistant, which means that over the course of a few hours, you’re likely to sweat all of that protection away.
The correct way to protect your skin whilst wearing makeup
When it comes to wearing SPF and keeping on a full face of makeup, you need to start your day off right with a broad spectrum, high sun protection factor sun cream just before you leave the house. If you use one with a matte or dewy finish, it can act as a primer for your makeup and can even improve the look of your foundation.
Swipe and shop: SPF for under makeup
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In order for your SPF to remain effective however, you need to reapply it every two hours over the course of the day, particularly if you’re staying outside.
Here are my top tips in order to maintain a gorgeous face of makeup whilst protecting your skin from the sun.
- Use a makeup sponge to dab on additional SPF throughout the course of the day and blend it into your makeup. This works best with lightweight, water-based SPFs that contain ingredients such as polyglutamic acid and hyaluronic acid. Many makeup preparations contain these due to their hydrating humectant ingredients, which will act as a dewy boost to your makeup.
Swipe and shop: SPF for reapplication
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- Reapply your SPF by using a mist-over-makeup sunscreen. This will help to spritz the skin with additional sun protection to keep you protected, particularly if you’re outside. These mist-over-makeup preparations often contain an anti-shine or matte finish, which is particularly useful for high intensity sun.
Swipe and shop: SPF mists
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- Use the SPF in your foundation powders. SPF in makeup can’t be your sole method of protection from the sun. Instead, it should be seen as a helpful boost of sun protection that works in tandem with your designated SPF that can be reapplied over the course of the day.
- And if all else fails, physically protect your skin from the sun with a hat and glasses for the days that you absolutely can’t mess up the glam.
SPF formulations have come a long way in the past decade. They can be lightweight, non-greasy and even leave a complementary finish to your makeup and so there really is no excuse not to wear and reapply your SPF regularly, to protect yourself from the sun. Remember, healthy skin is sun protected skin, and there are lots of options to keep you safe.
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