Should You Apply SPF Before or After Moisturiser?

Should You Apply Sunscreen Before or After Moisturiser?

While most of us are aware of the importance of applying sunscreen as part of a daily skincare routine, so many are still unsure about where to slot it in. Consequently, a question we get asked a lot is “Do you put sunscreen on before or after moisturiser?” It’s an important question because the difference between getting it right and getting it wrong could mean you’re exposing your skin to sun damage.

Sun care isn’t something that you should be just hoping that you get right, so to take away any guesswork, we’ve put together a definitive guide to applying your facial SPF every day.

 

Do you put SPF on before or after moisturiser?

You know the drill, come rain or shine, SPF is a part of your morning skincare routine – no excuses! And as a rule of thumb, you should be applying your suncare product as the very last step of your skincare routine, before you put on makeup. So it’s simple, sunscreen should always be applied after moisturiser (leaving a few minutes for the moisturiser to penetrate). If it’s a chemical formulation, you’ll need to wait 20 minutes before going out in the sun to ensure it’s fully penetrated the skin.

Discover The Correct Order To Apply Your Skincare In The Morning

Should you apply  SPF before or after makeup?

The answer to this is both! Always apply it after your moisturiser and before any makeup, but if you’re outside during the day you should be topping up your SPF – the easiest way to do this is with a SPF Spray Mist.

The Best Facial SPF Mists You’ll Actually Want to Wear

 

Should You Apply Sunscreen Before or After Moisturiser?

Can you combine SPF and moisturiser?

No, because if you’re mixing your moisturiser with your sun protection you could be diluting the protective nature of your SPF, causing it to be less effective and a risk you don’t want to put yourself through.

For those mornings where you are in a rush and don’t want to include an extra step, try a moisturiser with SPF. This type of moisturiser will be specially formulated to hydrate your complexion while helping to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

 

Is it ok to skip SPF if you wear makeup with SPF?

No, absolutely not. You’d have to apply 15 layers of your foundation to receive the protection that is stated on the side of the bottle (for more information about this, read our suncare myths debunked edit). You should always think of the SPF in makeup as a bonus rather than something you should rely on to protect your face, so apply a layer of SPF first, then your makeup.

 

How often should I reapply my SPF?

If you’re outside, it needs to be every two hours to ensure that your face is protected. This is where an SPF mist comes into play, the La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mist Spray SPF 50+ is an excellent choice, just make sure that you’re applying it liberally over your makeup.

How Often, How Much and How to Apply Your Facial Sunscreen

 

Should you apply SPF at night?

No, sunscreen formulas contain ingredients that can block your pores if you wear them at night and potentially cause breakouts.

 

Discover More:

10 of the Most Common SPF Myths Debunked

The Best Tinted Facial SPFs For All Skin Types