In today’s video, Melita answers another question from our VIP Facebook group. This time it’s all about wearing sunscreen.
One of our regular clients, Karen, has lots of questions about choosing the best sunscreen:
What is the best sunscreen for your face?
How do you wear sunscreen with make up?
Does the SPF in make up offer enough sun protection?
Should you wear sunscreen even if you work indoors?
If you apply sunscreen and make up on top, how do you top up sunscreen later in the day?
What SPF should you look for in a sunscreen?
What sunscreen ingredients should we be looking for?
There are so many questions about how to avoid getting sun-damaged skin!
What to look for in a sunscreen
Watch Melita’s video as she answers all of this and more.
Don’t have time to watch? Don’t worry – we’ve covered the main points below…
Choosing a sunscreen
There are two main types of sunscreen: physical sunscreen and chemical sunscreen. Melita recommends choosing physical sunscreens as these create a physical barrier to stop the UVA and UVB rays from penetrating your skin.
Physical sunscreens block the harmful rays as soon as you apply it, meaning you are instantly protected from the sun. Chemical sunscreens need to be applied a while before sun exposure as they take time to work. You’ll also find that physical blockers are less likely to cause skin breakouts as they don’t block your pores.
Chemical sunscreens can cause pigmentation on your skin like freckles and dark patches as the heat from the sun + your body heat boosts melanin production. This doesn’t happen with physical blockers.
What ingredients to look for in a facial sunscreen?
You should look for zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in your face sunscreens as these are physical blockers. You need to make sure your sunscreen offers UVA and UVB protection.
Do you need to wear sunscreen indoors?
Even when you work inside, you still need to wear sunscreen! Your skin can be damaged by screen lights and overhead lights, so it’s important to wear sunscreen every single day, even if you work inside.
What does SPF in sunscreen mean?
SPF or Sun Protection Factor is less important than the ingredients in your sunscreen. SPF just relates to how often you are going to need to reapply it – the higher the number, the longer you are able to go before you need to reapply.
You need to be aware that everybody’s skin is different. We all have different types of skin – some people’s skin will burn in minutes and other people might take an hour to burn. The important thing is understanding your own skin type and applying your sunscreen according to your own skin.
A professional therapist at Beautiful You can help you choose the best sunscreen for your needs to suit your skin type.
Is sunscreen in make up enough protection?
Sunscreen in make up is not the same as an actual sunscreen. Sunscreens are thoroughly tested but make up sunscreen tests aren’t as rigorous and the products won’t offer the same level of sun protection. Melita’s advice is to always wear proper sunscreen and then any extra coverage you get from your make up is a bonus, but don’t only rely on the sunscreen in your make up.
How to reapply sunscreen through the day when you’re wearing make up
If you’ve applied sunscreen under your make up in the morning and you’re just popping out for the school run or to go to the shops, it’s fine to just top up your sun protection with some mineral powder with an SPF in it like our Youngblood range.
If you were on a beach day, outside gardening or on the ski slopes this probably wouldn’t be enough sun protection (in those cases you should be reapplying proper sunscreen regularly), but for a short stint in the sun it will be fine to top up your sun protection with make up.
Is a moisturiser with SPF enough?
It’s important to know the product, understand how the product has been tested and know the ingredients in the product. Some moisturisers may have gone through thorough sunscreen tests but others haven’t. Do your homework and always look for the ingredients and make sure it offers UVA and UVB protection.
Melita’s recommended sunscreen must-haves:
The best sunscreen for face is…
>> Image Skincare Hydrating Moisturiser – this is a professional sunscreen product that makes your skin feeling amazing. It contains both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
>> Payot CC crème – this product is SPF 30 and offers UVA (but not UVB) protection. It contains titanium dioxide and is one of Toni’s favourite products!
>> Image Iluma Cream – this miracle pot of skin brightening cream can help restore your sun-damaged skin and reduce skin discolouration caused by use of chemical sunscreens.
>> Youngblood Mineral Power – this powder foundation gives a flawless finish while giving you an extra layer of SPF coverage.
Got some questions about sunscreen and skincare products?
Pop into the salon for a chat and we can show you some of our favourite sunscreen products. We would love to help you protect your skin from the sun.
If you’d like to book into for a facial you can click here to book now.
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If you want to purchase some sunscreen or SPF make up, contact the salon today.
