We’ve been harped on for years about the importance of wearing sunscreen, yet raise your hand if you have avoided applying it so you wouldn’t mess up your makeup? I’m raising my hand too. After using primer, foundation, powder, contouring bronzer/highlighter, blush, eye primer, eye shadow (all three shades), brow pencil, eyeliner, mascara, lashes, lip liner, and lipstick – the last thing you want to do is mess it all up with sunscreen.
Even the spray sunscreens can feel gooey and icky – and if you are a makeup enthusiast, you are basically destroying all your craftsmanship with a coating of sunscreen (or so it feels!).
You have probably experienced your foundation sliding all over the place, or your bronzer turning into a muddy mess after putting sunscreen on – but you also know the importance of sunscreen for keeping your skin safe and youthful. Because regardless of how much or little makeup you wear, sun protection is a must-have for your beauty routine.
How can this effectively be done without lousing up your face? There are a few options:
1. Reapply foundation With Sunscreen
When you can gently mix the two together, this can be an option for some – but unless you like a face full of foundation, it may not be the best choice. You’ll want to use an adequate amount of sunscreen to ensure proper protection. Sometimes you can find a great foundation with SPF, but it’s rare to find one that is at least SPF 30, which is the recommended amount for the face. You’ll also want to ensure it has broad-spectrum protection. You will need to use at least half a teaspoon for this to help barricade your precious dermis.
Here are a few foundations with SPF:
- IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF 50 – $39.50
IT may be $39.50 but healthy, glowing skin is invaluable. With a sun protection factor of 50, this color-correcting full coverage cream and anti-aging hydrating serum are packed with skincare benefits to smooth over and quench your skin. In just 10 days 96 percent saw softer, smoother skin, 85 percent saw an improvement in the appearance of wrinkles and 77 percent said pores appeared smaller. The formula contains collagen, niacin, peptides, antioxidants, and hyaluronic acid to perfect and beautify skin while keeping it safe from the sun.
This medium to full-coverage foundation that remains flawless for up to 24 hours with a radiant finish and SPF 35. Highly rated, this liquid results in a radiant finish and goes on silky smooth. It blends effortlessly and won’t dry you out or have you breaking out. There are a wide variety of colors to meet any skin tone. The only thing people seem to talk about is the price, which is $52, but it’s totally worth it.
2. Use A Tinted Moisturizer With SPF
If you are one of the brave (or blessed) souls that can face the world without foundation – more power to you. A great option here is ditching the foundation and just applying a tinted moisturizer with SPF. Or you can get a light coverage foundation and blend the tinted moisturizer seamlessly.
Here are a few of our favorites:
This formula is feather-light and barely detectable. This is the perfect option for those who don’t want a full face of foundation and want to stay protected from harmful UV rays. This tinted option stays in place all day so it won’t streak, slide or melt into puddles. This perfect blend of skincare and makeup improves your skin over time with a Hydrating Complex made up of Macadamia and Kukui Seed Oils that helps increase the skin’s moisture levels long-term for 24 hours of hydration, while reducing the signs of visibly dry skin. It is also infused with Tamarind Seed Extract, helps skin retain moisture to prevent water evaporation, for long lasting hydration. You can snag this at Ulta for $47.
This Allure Best of Beauty winner is super sheer, comes in a ton of shades, and boosts superior skincare. This first-of-its-kind formula fuses skincare, makeup, and sun protection into one easy step: a weightless serum that leaves your skin looking like skin. Features SPF 40 coverage with Non-Nano Zinc Oxide to safely shield skin from UVA, UVB, UVC, blue light, and infrared rays. ILIA’s Skin Tint is created with a blend of hyaluronic acids, plant-based Squalane, and niacinamide and evens tone, softens fine lines and imperfections, and dries down to a natural, dewy finish. And this super serum doesn’t stop there: it also creates a natural barrier for your skincare—sealing in hydration, plumping the skin, and boosting any antioxidant effectiveness by 200 percent Plus, it’s silicone-free, fragrance-free, chemical screen-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic, and safe for sensitive skin. This is SPF, made super, and runs $48.
3. Use Non-Oily Sunscreens
If you’re lucky, you can find a great non-oily sunscreen for full coverage and put your makeup on top of it. This is a pretty popular option for most unless you are super prone to breakouts or acne. What’s awesome is that there are now powder sunscreens that can add some coverage. And, it’s a double bonus because these can serve as setting powders also, which prolongs your makeup. The only real issue is that you should be rubbing the sunscreen into your face for it to be most effective and that can even take off waterproof makeup sometimes.
Here are a few we like:
This sunscreen offers glow-boosting hydration and invisible broad-spectrum UV protection made with a 50 SPF. Fans love this because it goes on clear and smooth and can be used as a primer under concealer or foundation. It combats fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness or elasticity. It protects against sunspots without leaving you weighed down. You can pick this up at Sephora for $25.
This five-star sunscreen has been praised around the world because of its invisible sunscreen veil that becomes stronger when exposed to heat, water, and sweat. If you are super fair and can’t go a day without sunscreen, this SHEISEIDO option has you covered. It is lightweight and has a slight fragrance – that clean scent we know so well of the brand – and will improve the luminosity of your skin. This sunscreen runs $49.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve got a little more knowledge on how to keep your face looking gorgeous and protected, you should be feeling a little more confident about stepping out in the sun this summer. While sunscreen can be a major inconvenience – it doesn’t have to be with some of the products and options we’ve listed here.
If you’re new to a sunscreen and makeup combo, you may want to test out some product sample sizes first so you don’t end up shelling out a ton of dough on something that won’t work for you. And if you have any worry spots, don’t hesitate to contact your dermatologist or skincare professional for advice
