We know you know how important it is to wear sunscreen, not just on sunny days, but can you consistently say you wear it every day of the year to protect your skin from UVA and UVB damage? There is a lot of confusion regarding how much sunscreen to use, where to put it, and how it should be reapplied? We’re here to make it simple for you and take the guesswork out of applying sunscreen to your face.
How often should I apply my facial SPF?
When selecting an SPF for your face, you should choose a minimum of SPF 30 but ideally SPF 50 or more if you will be outdoors for lengthy periods of time. But how often should you be applying sunscreen to your face? Again, this will really depend on what you are doing.
If you work outdoors, out for a day trip or on holiday (basically any time you are outdoors consistently), it should be every two hours. Plus, if you happen to be sweating a lot or enjoying a dip in the hotel pool, then you should be thinking about applying more frequently than this.
Tip: add reminders to your phone, or you don’t want to ruin your makeup, carry a mist with you to top up.
How much sunscreen should I apply?
One of the main problems when it comes to facial SPF, or any SPF for that matter, is that the education around how much to apply isn’t as clear as it should be.
To coincide with sunscreen lab tests, you need to apply 0.002ml of cream for every square cm of skin – so for your face, this equates to around half a teaspoon.
What’s the best way to apply a facial sunscreen?
First and foremost, the application needs to be at least 20 minutes before leaving the house, so don’t leave it too late and put yourself at risk. When applying SPF to your face, the important thing to remember is not to miss parts.
Areas of the face that so often get neglected include the eye area (under eye, lids and the inner corner of your eye socket), ears, neck and the back of the neck. To ensure your application is thorough, we recommend the following ESCENTUAL step by step guide.
1. Put the recommended amount of cream into the palm of your hand and distribute evenly in the following areas:
E – Ears (tops and backs)
S – Sides of your face
C – Chin
E – Eyelids
N – Neck and nose
T – Top of your head and forehead
U – Under your eyes and brow bone
A – All visible areas
L – Let it be the last layer
2. Massage thoroughly into the skin using circular motions to distribute evenly. If using mineral sunscreen, use a downward direction to avoid any white cast.
Discover More:
3 Of The Best Anti-Ageing SPFs That Will Maintain Your Youth
