Is the SPF in My Foundation Enough Protection?

Last week, I wrote an article about SPF products and some of the key terminology and things to look for when deciding on one to buy. A commonly-held question among many of us beauty lovers and makeup wearers, though, is, "What if my foundation or base products already contain SPF, wouldn't that be enough protection?" Really, it depends on the situation. If you spend all day at the inside at the office or it's a rainy day, chances are you will be fine. However, if you are exposed to any direct sunlight at all, including something as simple as sunlight streaming through your car window, it's best to assume that your makeup alone won't be enough. This is true even if your foundation or tinted moisturizer has an SPF of 30 or even 50. Still, having SPF in your base products is never a bad thing to have, but it is still important to look into the reasons why it is better to layer it with a dedicated sunscreen.

Ensuring Recommended Coverage: Most dermatologists and estheticians recommend a daily application of sunscreen equal to a half teaspoon to cover the entire face, neck, and ears. This works out to be about seven times more than the average amount of foundation used per wear, and that amount would likely feel very heavy, uncomfortable, or become cakey throughout the day regardless of if you wear a liquid or powder foundation. Also, many of us do not always blend our foundations into our necks or into our ears. But it is important to make sure that these areas are protected from the sun too-- not just our faces-- especially since the skin on our neck and ears is very delicate and is not often covered by clothing, even during most of the autumn and winter.

Taking Time To Wait: Another reason why many skin professionals don't suggest solely relying on makeup products for adequate sun protection is our tendency to do our makeup in a hurry. To ensure you're getting the full protection offered in any SPF product, you must always follow the directions on the bottle both in terms of the quantity applied and the time the product needs to settle into the skin. It is usually best to wait a minimum of 15 mins to let the product fully meld with the skin before either going outside OR before putting anything on top of it. When we begin doing our makeup, lots of us do it quickly and don't have the time--or patience-- to pause for that long between steps, especially during a busy morning. Instead, can be a much more practical routine to make SPF the last step of our skincare routine and wait for it to soak in while we eat breakfast and get dressed. Then, we come back and proceed with the makeup we want to put on before heading out the door.

Having Most Likely More Minimal Protection: As more research has been done about sun protection, it has become increasingly recommended that the minimum amount of SPF the average person should wear on the daily is SPF 30. Though many base products have come on the market with this rating (and some even higher), most makeup products that have SPF in them have a much lower rating, usually around SPF 15 or lower. Adding so much of the SPF ingredients into a color cosmetic like foundation can interfere with the color pigments in the products, making capturing certain undertones to blend with skintones across the board difficult and also can leave a gritty or powdery look and feel to the skin. . Similarly, many SPF ingredients can also leave a gray or white cast on the skin, which can be noticeable especially on medium and deeper skintones. Using an SPF product separate from their base, allows the wearer to have adequate sun protection, let that soak into the skin and create a smooth and even canvas for their base makeup to glide on and blend seamlessly with their skin.

With all this said, then what is the advantage to having SPF included in your foundation, even when you apply a sunscreen before it? Well, the foundation gives you an extra barrier of protection. While it is true that SPF ratings are not cumulative (you can't add a foundation that has SPF 15 to a sunscreen containing SPF 30 and get an SPF 45 for example) and you will only ever get as much benefits as your maximum-rated SPF product, SPF products do start to break down throughout the day, particularly in a hot environment but even just from normal oil production within the skin. Having extra layers of products containing SPF helps to make sure the protection stays on and evenly dispersed on the face throughout your day.

Experts often say that protecting our skin from the sun is perhaps the most crucial part of skincare and skin health of all, and any products you use containing SPF will only help this cause. The key things to remember to be sure you wear enough for whatever all the day might throw at you anytime, anyplace. For more reading on SPF and new innovations coming about new forms of plant-based SPF ingredients, check out my other articles here and here.