Cosmopolitan posted "13 Best Sunscreen Makeup That’ll Actually Help Protect Your Skin" The article includes Visha Skincare founder, Dr. Purvisha Patel shares her expert insights on the best sunscreen makeups to help protect your skin from sun damage and from the blue-light screens of your electronic devices.
Layer it over your daily SPF, and you're set, bb.
I'll be honest: Up until this point, makeup and sunscreen have been completely separate concepts in my head. It wasn’t until recently that I learned about the wonderful world of sunscreen makeup, aka tinted moisturizers, foundations, lip balms, and setting powders that have a SPF of 30 or higher, meaning they can help protect your skin from sun damage when used with your daily sunscreen (more on that below). And as someone who spends 90 percent of her life applying sunscreen (seriously, I have a constant supply of hand cream with SPF at my desk, water-resistant sunscreen on hand during the summer, and reef-safe sunscreen near me every damn day), this revelation was huge. I mean, if you're already going to be wearing makeup, why not wear makeup that can give your face a little boost of protection too?
But before you (ahem, I) get ahead of yourself, let's go over two myth-busting basics:
- Sunscreen makeup can't—and shouldn’t—replace your regular, daily sunscreen. Why? Because the amount of makeup you're actually applying to your skin is minimal, which means you're not getting the full SPF number you see on the bottle. In fact, you're probably getting about one-seventh of the SPF strength, says Dendy Engelman, MD, a board certified dermatologist at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue in New York City.
- Doubling up on SPFs doesn't double the protection. So if you wear your regular SPF 30 mineral sunscreen, and you layer on a tinted moisturizer with SPF 30, you’re not actually wearing a total of SPF 60—you're still wearing SPF 30. That's not to say you're not getting a bit more protection (the more layers on your face, the more of a barrier you have against the sun in general), but it's not the math equation you might think.
I know, major bummer. Still, the experts I spoke with all recommend wearing sunscreen makeup every day for a little extra protection against sun damage and blue-light damage (yes, it's real, and it's coming from your phone and computer). Even though sunscreen makeup isn't strong enough to protect you on its own, it still helps to ensure that you're getting a full-coverage application of SPF after your tablespoon’s worth of regular sunscreen.
K, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's get to how to actually choose the right products.
Meet the experts
- Dendy Engelman, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue in New York City.
- Purvisha Patel, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon, and the founder of Advanced Dermatology and Skin Cancer Associates in multiple locations across Tennessee and Mississippi. Dr. Patel is also the founder of Visha Skincare, a skincare line that specializes in brightening and fading UV damage.
- Neil Scibelli, beauty expert and celebrity makeup artist who has worked with celebrities like Elisabeth Shue, Elle MacPherson, and Michelle Williams.
What to look for in sunscreen makeup
Choose SPF 30 or higher
First and foremost, set your shopping filters to “SPF 30 or higher.” We'll say it again and again, but SPF 30 is the bare minimum that'll fully protect you from sun damage, especially considering, per my previous email, how little protection you're getting from sunscreen makeup in general.
Consider your own skin type
Makeup artist Neil Scibelli says the type of sunscreen makeup you choose depends on your skin type. If you have oily skin, he says, opt for lightweight, oil-free primers, foundations, and concealers with SPF, then set your skin with an SPF-filled powder. “I’m a big fan of powders with SPF, because they help mattify the skin while also giving you that sun protection," says Scibelli. If you have “normal” skin, look for any type of products with SPF for your ~protective glow~, and for dry skin, look for medium-weight, moisturizing primers, foundations, and concealers.
Our top sunscreen makeup picks of 2022
- Best foundation: Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation
- Best primer: Beekman 1802 Milk Primer SPF 35 2-in-1 Daily Defense Sunscreen & Makeup Perfecter
- Best setting spray: Kate Somerville UncompliKated SPF Soft Focus Makeup Setting Spray Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen
- Best powder: Colorescience Brush-On Sunscreen Mineral Powder for Sensitive Skin
- Best tinted lip balm: MDSolarSciences Hydrating Sheer Lip Balm SPF 30
Ready to get down into the details for exactly which sunscreen makeup products are right for you? Cool. Keep scrolling.