At this point we all know how necessary it is for our health to wear sunscreen daily. Nevertheless, even though we “know” that we should wear sunscreen, how often do we tend to forget it? It’s an extra step in our daily routine and we don’t always prioritize it. An obvious solution for people who wear make-up is use products that already contain SPF in them. However, how effective are these cosmetics against UV damage, and do they really replace everyday sunscreen use?
Does it Work?
One of the first questions that comes up when thinking about SPF in our makeup is, “Does it even work?” It feels that more and often when cosmetics are involved the statements on the packaging tend to be nothing more than marketing. Though in this case it would be highly unlikely that a company would claim their product had SPF if it didn’t contain some form of it.
SPF is a universal standard and should be tested the same way regardless if it is in a sunscreen, foundation, or any other form. British Association of Dermatology confirms this stating, “SPF used in moisturizers are tested the same way as sunscreens, so an SPF 15 moisturizer should provide an SPF of 15”
The SPF numbers have a pretty specific meaning and are not just arbitrarily assigned even though it feels like that at times, (SPF 100…). During testing, a group of individuals is first exposed to UV until they begin to burn, recording the amount of UV rays it took. Then the same test is preformed, but with the sunscreen on, still measuring the UVs. Then the “with sunscreen” number is divided by the “without sunscreen” number, and the result is rounded down to the nearest five. Confused yet?
The bottom line is if the bottle says SPF 10, it works as SPF 10 should work.
Is it Enough?
Great, so we know that the SPF works! All good right? Well, now we should probably investigate how effective it is. We’ve discussed the importance of the ingredients in your sunscreen that block UVA1, UVA2, and UVB, (check out EWG’s guide). These rules should also apply to SPF in your makeup, meaning you need to read the ingredients labels.
Moreover, in order to receive proper SPF coverage on your face, you would need to apply quite a bit. “To achieve the SPF on the label, you would have to apply about 2 mg of product per square centimeter of skin, or a dollop about the size of a nickel to {just} the face,” says Sonia Batra, M.D., a dermatologist. Do you really put that much foundation or concealer on? Probably not.
Another thing to consider is how durable is it? Does your foundation wear off quickly? When wearing moisturizer with SPF do you reapply the cream? You can always test this by putting the makeup or moisturizer on your Smartsun UV indicator and see how long it lasts. Dermatologist Justine Hextall notes, “These formulas are less likely to be rub-resistant and water resistant, and most importantly are likely to be applied a lot more thinly than sunscreen. They therefore are unlikely to offer the same level of protection.”
In short, the SPF in makeup is effective if used properly, but not truly practical.
Should I wear it?
Most dermatologists agree that an extra layer of SPF is never a bad thing. However, it is important that we don’t just rely on the SPF in cosmetics alone, otherwise we might end up with a bad burn. It is also still good to look for make-up that does contain SPF in it. As noted above, SPF layers will help protect you, and considering that we touch our faces to often, rubbing it over, the more layers the better.
Prior to putting on foundation, it is best to apply a good layer of sunscreen, let it soak in, then apply the rest of your make-up as normal. Also keep a bottle of sunscreen with you, so you can reapply as often as your UV indicators shows.
References
ACS, 2019. “How Do I Protect Myself from Ultraviolet (UV) Rays?” American Cancer Society. [Online] Available at: [LINK]
BAD, 2019. “Sunscreen Fact Sheet” British Association of Dermatologists. [Online] Available at: [LINK]
Grabel, A. 2018. “Making Your Sunscreen Work with Your Makeup” Skin Cancer Foundation. [Online] Available at: [LINK]
Lien-Lun Chien, M.D., A., 2019. ”Sunscreen and Your Morning Routine” John Hopkins Medicine. [Online] Available at: [LINK]
Pearl, E., 2017. “The Truth About SPF in Cosmetics” Huffington Post. [Online] Available at: [LINK]
Rusbosin, M., 2018. “The Truth About Makeup With SPF” Women’s Health. [Online] Available at: [LINK]
Young, S., 2018. “SPF IN MAKEUP ISN’T ENOUGH TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN, EXPERTS WARN” The Independent. [Online] Available at: [LINK]
