Is the SPF in your Makeup Good Enough [are you protected?]? (2019)

See my Facial Sunscreens and Mineral Makeup here:
www.drbaileysk...
Have you wondered if the sunscreen in your makeup is good enough to protect your skin from ultraviolet sun damage?
I'm dermatologists and skin wellness expert, Dr. Cynthia Bailey, and I'm going to explain how makeup and sunscreens work for sun protection so that you can make good choices about your skin care.
Please check out www.drbaileysk... to see the mineral sunscreen and makeup that I like for my patients and my own skin health.
First, you need to understand that the SPF in any product is determined by dosing the amount of product apply to your skin correctly. This means that you need to put enough of that product on to get the full SPF out of your product. If you' are not using enough of a sunscreen containing product, then you're not getting the full SPF protection that is written on the label and your skin is probably under protected.
If you're not applying enough of an SPF product then you will have some protection but not what you expect. Ideally, you need to use the right amount of product for the skin surface that you're covering. How do you know how much sunscreen to apply to your face? We teach our patients that for the head and neck, you want to aim for about a third to a half of a teaspoon for sun protection of that surface area. And again, your surface area is going to depend on the clothing that you're wearing, the amount of skin that's sticking out from hair, hat, etc. So ideally, you can scale that back if you're just applying the sunscreen to your face because you're using a face makeup product. But you want to keep that ratio in mind. Are you willing to put that much makeup on? If so, you may get the full SPF out of the product.
Secondly, you need to understand that there are two mechanisms of action for sunscreen, and you need to know what the filter the UV filter is in your product, be it a makeup or a sunscreen. First, there's chemical sunscreen filters. These need to bind into your skin. The chemical UV filter molecules work by blocking UV rays by absorbing them. When they absorb UV rays the molecule degrades so those actually wear out it as it protects your skin. If you're planning on wearing a chemical sunscreen product for an entire day in the sun you're probably going to run out of protection.
Alternatively, there are mineral sunscreen filters. My favorite is zinc oxide. Titanium dioxide is the other mineral UV filter. Mineral filters actually bounce light off of your skin. Eventually, after a lot of bouncing, they will degrade, but they're working by what we call scattering or reflecting ultraviolet rays. Mineral UV filters are going to be there for you a little bit longer because they do not degrade as quickly. If you top a creamy mineral filter product with mineral makeup powder you get even more protection. Find my favorite mineral facial products here www.drbaileysk...
Thus, you need to know which of the two types of UV filters is in your makeup product AND you need to be certain that the dosing (amount you apply) is adequate for your activities. If for example you are just going to run a few errands in and out of your car and you're not going to be in the sun that much, maybe you can get away with a chemical sunscreen in your makeup. But, if you're going to be out at a wedding all day long, you need to be much more prescriptive about your sun protection.
So, the SPF in your makeup may be good enough if the filter is durable and it matches your daily activities. Alternatively, if you're going to be out a lot, you may want to use a sunscreen that you know you will apply (dose) in the prescribed amount so that it will reliably sun protect you. It may also be tinted, which is my personal favorite way to go, so that it can double as a makeup! My top choice is to use a tinted sunscreen that I like so much that I know I will put the prescribed amount on my skin to get the full SPF dosing out of it. Then, If I also want to wear makeup, I can apply mineral powder on top for additional sun protection.
So is your SPF in your makeup good enough? It depends, and you have to think about what your filter is, if you are putting enough of it on, and what your daily activities are.
I hope that helped. If it did, I appreciate a thumbs up, and I invite you to subscribe to my channel so you can keep up with the skin education health and wellness videos that I'm producing.
Thank you!
Dr. Cynthia Bailey, M.D.
www.drbaileyskincare.com
#SkinCare #DrBaileySkinCare #HealthySkin