Putting on sunscreens seems to be a no brainer. We live in Florida and July and August are the hottest months of the year and a lot us surprisingly don’t use sunscreen. Or,if we are, we aren’t using as much as we should. 

If we want to preserve the health and youth of our skin we need to be applying sunscreen daily (not just on the beach).  But specifically, on our face. That’s the money maker after all right? 

For the ladies (and gents) “but what if I were make up, is that enough” It can be! If you use enough. According to Cybele Fishman, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist. “Liquid makeup can be as effective as regular SPF, if you put enough on,” she says. “Powder would need to be caked on thickly for it to provide as good of coverage, but most women wouldn’t want to put it on that heavily.”

There are make up brands that have sunscreen mixed in the foundation. However foundation on its own, especially living in Florida isn’t enough to stay protected.

It may seem “extra” but it has to be done if you want to protect the sensitive skin on our face. First, you want to put the skin-nourishing creams/ingredients. After is when you go in with the SPF, and lastly, your makeup. 

Final thing to remember, when it comes to sunscreen, the SPF factors are not additive. If you’re wearing an SPF of 30 on top of makeup with SPF 30, you’re not wearing SPF 60. So look at whichever product has the highest SPF, and go by that number for an accurate idea of how much protection you’re wearing.

For liquid, serums, and sprays, if you’re using a chemical sunscreen (one that has a filter like avobenzone, octocrylene, homosalate, or octinoxate), the order should be SPF, moisturizer, makeup. If you’re using a physical sunscreen (one that has a filter like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) your order should be moisturizers, SPF, makeup. The amount of sunscreen should be about a quarter size dollop. 

Moral of the story, Don’t leave your house without applying your sunscreen!