This article was originally published in InStyle.
There’s two categories of sunscreen wearers: those of us who never forget to apply and reapply SPF everyday, and rest of us who know how essential it is to wear sunscreen, but come up with a running list of reasons why it’s ok to slack on slathering it on.
While you may pat yourself on the back for applying a veil of sunscreen on your skin on every morning, it’s equally important to reapply your SPF mid-day. If you neglect on touching up your facial sunscreen because you don’t want your makeup to smear or slide off, we’re right there with you. To break our bad habit of not properly protecting our complexions from UV/UVA rays, we turned to Eddie Hernadez, Chantecaille’s National Artistry Ambassador for his tips on how to keep your skin safe from sun damage while keeping your makeup in place.
First things first: he says to forget everything you think you know about facial sunscreens. “Sunscreen gets a really bad rap for giving a ghostly appearance in photos, when in reality there are so many options now that won’t give off this type of reflection,” explains Hernadez. “Physical sunscreens are formulas with titanium dioxide or zinc that act as an actual reflective barrier against the sun’s UV rays, but will cause reflections and an ashy look if worn under makeup. A chemical sunscreen is a better to wear under makeup because it processes the sun’s rays differently without the buildup of a physical sunscreen.”
Aside from how chemical sunscreens work to block sun’s rays, they’re also typically thinner formulas, which make them much easier to use. His pick? Chantecaille’s Ultra Sun Protection ($92; nordstrom.com). “It has almost a milky consistency that really balances out the skin’s oil while creating a smooth, mattifying base for makeup application,” he says. “It’s a total primer, moisturizer, and SPF all at the same time.”
If you’re loyal to physical sunscreens and don’t want to swap your usual tube for a chemical one, Hernadez suggests avoiding powder products that are too opaque and heavy because “they can settle into cream formulas and create a cakey appearance.” To bring down the shine factor, use a translucent setting powder like Cover FX’s Perfect Setting Powder ($35; sephora.com) to bring down shine without wearing a thick, obvious layer of makeup. Hernadez says that if you’re wearing a lot of cream formulas on top of sunscreen you have to set them with thus sort of product to avoid makeup sliding around on top.”
That being said, the pro stresses that simply relying on makeup products formulated with SPF isn’t enough to adequately shield your skin from sun damage. “Using a foundation or tinted moisturizer with SPF is a great idea, but you need to make sure you have a layer of SPF underneath it that will completely protect skin in case your makeup coverage is lighter in some areas,” explains Hernadez.
Instead, apply your SPF before putting on your makeup, and cut down mid-day shine with blotting papers and following up with an SPF-infused powder like Chantecaille’s Poudre Haute Protection Naturelle ($72; chantecaille.com).
Since skin can generally be greasier during humid summer months, wearing creamy products combined with sunscreen can increase the odds of your makeup sliding off your face. To help the cause along with his other tips, Hernadez suggests switching your usual foundation for one that naturally balances oil control such as Chantecaille’s Future Skin Foundation ($78; nordstrom.com). “This [foundation] is an oil-free option with soothing ingredients like seaweed that naturally balance out oils in skin,” he says.