How to Wear Sunscreen Under Makeup

Sunscreen is one of the most valuable skin care tools in your makeup bag. Figuring out how to apply it with a full face of makeup without looking greasy can be a little difficult, but the right technique will keep your face protected and your makeup flawless.

Do Sunscreen First

Before you apply your makeup or your moisturizer, apply your sunscreen. Rinse or cleanse your face to give the sunscreen a clean palette. Use more sunscreen than you think you need; enough to fill a shot glass is the amount you’ll have to use to get the SPF shown on the bottle. Rub it in well.

Your face needs about 20 minutes before you apply your moisturizer and makeup. If you apply it too soon, you might accidentally rub off some of the sunscreen before your skin has fully absorbed it, reducing its effectiveness. When you’re ready, apply a light moisturizer. Sunscreen is oily, but it may not moisturize your face adequately, which can leave you with dry patches.

Layer SPF Mineral Makeup

When you’re wearing sunscreen under your makeup, you can use foundation or BB cream over it if you want to, but the most important step is to use powder. Foundation and BB cream are both liquid, which means your skin is holding a lot of moisture, and the moment you step into the hot sun it’s going to start smearing. A mineral powder will hold the sunscreen and your foundation in place. Since your powder will stick to the sunscreen more than it sticks to your skin, you may find you don’t need foundation, since you get more coverage from the powder.

Get a mineral matte powder with SPF value. You won’t be adding protection (SPF 15 sunscreen plus SPF 15 powder doesn’t equal SPF 30 protection), but you will be ensuring you got every spot on your face by applying two layers of sun protection.

Cover with Translucent Powder

Image via Flickr by Jörg Weingrill

Translucent powder is especially useful for setting your makeup in place after you’ve applied it over your sunscreen, and will help eliminate any leftover shine. Get a fluffy brush and dust a thin layer of translucent powder all over your face. Check out Amway’s beauty blog for more makeup tips, like how to choose the right brush and the best techniques for applying powder!

Touch Up Throughout the Day

Wearing sunscreen under your makeup will make your face a bit greasier, but don’t worry. The extra shine is totally manageable. Carry that translucent powder with you, and brush it on in the afternoon when your forehead and nose start to get a little shiny. Alternatively, if your powder comes with a fluffy applicator, you can stick that in your bag, too. The fluffy sponge applicator will help eliminate the grease as it applies the powder.

You may also want to invest in face blotting papers. These handy little papers are made to absorb the oil on your face without disturbing your makeup. You just pull one out and blot it (don’t rub!) across the oily parts of your face. In a pinch, the paper towels from the bathroom dispenser will work, too, but they might steal a bit of your makeup in the process.

When to Reapply

If you’re going about your day and getting limited sun exposure (like walking from the car to work, or work to lunch), then you probably don’t need to reapply your sunscreen. If you’ve gone swimming or done an activity that caused you to sweat, though, you’ll need to add an extra layer of sunscreen. Thankfully, you probably have to redo your makeup if your face got that wet, so you don’t have to worry about smearing sunscreen on top of powder.

Just remember to put on sunscreen first. Put it with your makeup so you don’t forget. Sunscreen is one of the most important parts of your skin care routine because it lowers your risk of skin cancer, and it helps your skin look healthy and vibrant longer.