A realistic guide to reapplying SPF over your makeup (2024)

A realistic guide to reapplying SPF over your makeup (1)

MOST OF US understand why SPF is the most important skincare step in our beauty routines. One thing some of us haven’t quite figured out: how to reapply sunscreen without ruining our makeup. Until now. With an influx of innovative formulas and creative techniques courtesy of K-beauty and TikTok, the beauty community has finally gotten reapplying sunscreen over makeup down to a fine art.

For all the expert tips on how to create and maintain an SPF routine that works with makeup, read on.

When using sunscreen, always read the label, follow the directions for use, and reapply frequently. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and wear protective clothing, hats and eyewear when you’re in the sun.

What is the best sunscreen for makeup?

The best sunscreen for underneath makeup is up to your skin and personal preference, but there’s a few other factors that come into play.

Firstly, there’s your skin type. If your skin is dry and dehydrated, you’ll want to look for a hydrating lotion or cream. But if you’re oil- or breakout-prone, a lightweight serum or gel formula will help keep you glowy, not greasy. Next, consider what your day has in store. If you’re wearing makeup and want it to last, a primer-sunscreen hybrid will help your look stand up to summer sweat. Or if you’re heading to the beach, a water-resistant sunscreen and a sunscreen spray or sunscreen stick will make it easier to maintain your sunscreen routine. Whichever sunscreen you choose, what’s important is that you find an SPF you love and wear it all day, every day.

Take it from actor and model Maddison Brown and her sister Allyson Popovic, the co-founders of Australian sunscreen brand Outside Beauty & Skincare. When looking for sunscreen to wear with makeup, the sisters say to search for an SPF that works like skincare. “Focus on ingredients that nourish and protect your skin, and products that have an emphasis on an almost skincare-product finish are the key,” says Brown. As Popovic explains, “we reverse engineer our formulas and start with our favourite skincare bases and develop these to include SPF50+ protection to make them really wearable and fit seamlessly into our skincare and beauty routines. We ensure that not only is the formula elegant, but applying the right dose is wearable,” says Popovic.

Related: The best Australian sunscreens to try this summer


Is it better to put sunscreen under or over makeup?

It’s best to put sunscreen underneath makeup on clean, moisturised skin. As for how much sunscreen to apply and when to apply sunscreen, the Cancer Council Australia advises applying one teaspoon for the face, neck and ears and 20 minutes before going outside. It’s also important to follow the directions listed on your sunscreen of choice to help ensure an even and adequate application of SPF — and to avoid prolonged sun exposure and wear protective clothing, sun hats and eyewear when you’re in the sun.

Brown’s morning routine is a great example: “I cleanse my face, apply an oil serum and then put our SPF50+ Face Crème on top to seal in moisture and leave my skin glowing,” she says.

How often should I reapply sunscreen?

Your morning sunscreen application won’t keep you covered all day. The Cancer Council Australia recommends applying sunscreen every two hours and after swimming, sweating or drying yourself down with a towel.

“Reapplication is the most important component of staying protected,” Brown agrees. “SPF is recommended to be reapplied every two hours — even for those sunscreens that claim four-hour protection,” adds Popovic.

Related: The best body sunscreens to slather on

A realistic guide to reapplying SPF over your makeup (2)

But why do you have to reapply so regularly? As Popovic explains, “SPF breaks down quite quickly and is further broken down by our skin’s oil and sweat and when we touch our face. This means that your morning SPF application in your skincare routine is only really providing adequate coverage until mid-morning, and by the time the UV levels start to peak in the middle of the day, you don’t have adequate protection anymore.”

“I also keep an eye on the predicted UV levels and when they are predicted to be above three to help inform the timing of my SPF application,” she adds.

Related: 13 of the best body sunscreens to slather on all year round

Should you use a chemical or mineral sunscreen under makeup?

Both chemical and mineral sunscreens can function well under makeup — it really comes down to personal preference.

“Mineral sunscreens have a really beautiful, pore minimising effect. When our SPF50+ Mineral Primer is applied with our Kabuki Brush it really buffs into the skin creating the most amazing makeup base,” Popovic explains.By contrast, chemical sunscreens like their SPF50+ Face Crème “tend to feel lighter on the skin, so they work really well under makeup as well,” she says.

When using sunscreen, always read the label, follow the directions for use, and reapply frequently. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and wear protective clothing, hats and eyewear when you’re in the sun.

Do I need sunscreen if it’s in my foundation? Is sunscreen in makeup effective?

While your foundation, BB or CC cream might promise to contain SPF, you can’t rely on just that to fill your sunscreen quota. That’s because to achieve the adequate level of sunscreen protection from these products, you’d have to put on an absurd amount — “more than even Meredith Duxbury would get through!” Popovic jokes, referencing the TikTok beauty creator known for her 10-pump foundation routine.

“Relying on SPF in your makeup is not enough to ensure you are adequately protected. We always recommend using a sunscreen underneath SPF makeup,” she continues. “SPF in our makeup is helpful to provide additional protection but the amount of sunscreen you need to apply to get the required protection is often not manageable”.

Related: Why you need to wear sunscreen all year round, and 15 of the best facial sunscreens to buy


How do you reapply sunscreen if you’re wearing makeup?

There are a number of ways to reapply sunscreen while wearing makeup — from using a beauty sponge to gently reapply, sticking to cream makeup rather than powders, or using sunscreen mists and balm sticks designed specifically for reapplication.

“It’s also important to take other sun safe measures including avoiding the sun during the peak of the day, wearing a hat and sunglasses and covering up as best you can,” adds Popovic. “The UV levels in Australia are the highest in the world so it’s really important, not just from an anti-ageing and aesthetic standpoint, but from a health perspective, to protect your skin from sun damage.”

Here’s four tips to help you reapply your sunscreen if you’re wearing makeup.

1. Use a lightweight sunscreen with a beauty sponge

One of TikTok’s greatest tricks to apply sunscreen over makeup is using a fluid SPF, like a sunscreen serum. Applying a lightweight and non-greasy sunscreen in a generous layer will cause the least disturbance to your makeup underneath while topping up sunscreen as recommended.

You could distribute sunscreen between clean hands and press onto the face, or use a beauty sponge in gentle, dabbing motions. Two notes here: while beauty sponges are designed to be used damp, it’s best to keep your beauty sponge dry to avoid affecting the efficacy of the sunscreen. It’s also important to use a patting — not swiping or dragging — motion with the sunscreen and beauty sponge, because this is what’s going to keep your makeup in place.

2. Try a tinted sunscreen

If you’re nervous about your sunscreen reapplication leaving a white cast, a tinted sunscreen will help solve that. There’s peach-tinted sunscreens to suit light and medium complexions — and now, an ever-growing number of brands like Ultra Violette are offering tinted SPFs with a wide range of shades.This is a great option for the days where you’d usually just opt for an easy BB-cream-only makeup look — instead, replace it with a tinted sunscreen, and reapplication will be simple (and white-cast-free).

3. Stick to cream makeup (and stay clear of powders)

When you know you’ll be reapplying your sunscreen, choose cream makeup over powder formulas. Cream products melt into skin and are easy to blend, which makes them easy to touch up and layer with sunscreen throughout the day. By contrast, powder makeup is likely to lift or pill when cream and liquid formulas are applied on top.

A realistic guide to reapplying SPF over your makeup (6)

GEM Solar Screen SPF 50+ Lightweight Face Sunscreen Fluid

$29.99

Gem

A realistic guide to reapplying SPF over your makeup (7)

AVENE Sunsitive Sunscreen Serum SPF 50+

$49.99

Adore Beauty

A realistic guide to reapplying SPF over your makeup (8)

ULTRA VIOLETTE Daydream Screen SPF50 Tinted Veil

$55

Adore Beauty

4. Use an SPF product designed for reapplication

There are now a range of sunscreen products designed specifically to be reapplied. Sunscreen mists and balms can easily be topped up over even a full face of makeup, without causing any budging. Read on for more details about these products — including how they work, and which ones to buy.

When using sunscreen, always read the label, follow the directions for use, and reapply frequently. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and wear protective clothing, hats and eyewear when you’re in the sun.

Which sunscreen can be applied over makeup?

Reapplying sunscreen over your makeup with a lightweight, serum-like SPF has the least chance of ruining your makeup and the best chance of achieving the recommended SPF. But if you’re looking for more options, here are some alternatives to consider.

1. A sunscreen mist

If applying your go-to SPF over makeup feels intimidating or inconvenient, a mist is a great option. We’re not talking about the spray-on bottles of your youth, but those which are designed with invisible formulations to be misted generously over the face without any need to vigorously rub in. Just remember to apply as directed by staying out of the wind and holding the bottle 10-15 centimetres away from the face, spraying liberally and evenly to all exposed areas. You could also spraying the mist into clean hands and press onto the face for even coverage.

“Our SPF50+ Face Mist helps enable our customers to top up regardless of whether they have makeup on or not,” says Popovic. “It comes everywhere with me,” adds Brown.“The formula is 100% clear so won’t disturb your makeup and provides a lovely glow to the skin,” Popovic says.

2. A sunscreen stick

Sunscreen sticks are adored in the K-beauty world as an ideal reapplication method, and local brands are beginning to catch on. Australia may not have as many sunscreen stick options as Korea, but the Naked Sundays SPF50 Clear Glow Sun Stick is a local take on the sunscreen trend. The broad-spectrum formula has a convenient stick balm format which gently swipes on and seamlessly blends into skin — without needing to use sticky or sandy fingers that could ruin your flawless look.

3. A sunscreen lip balm

SPF is important for all exposed areas of the skin, and that includes the lips. That makes sunscreen lip balms and oils great for protection and reapplication — and some options are even tinted, if you’re going for a sleeker look.

“I love layering my SPF. We want a maximalist approach to SPF application,” says Popovic, who layers her sunscreen with the Outside Beauty & Skincare SPF50+ Lip to Cheek. “Applying SPF to the lips is often overlooked but it is just as important as any other area. I also pop it on my cheekbones and use it as a contour to help provide extra protection, as that’s where I find I have the most pigmentation,” says Popovic. The co-founder also adds that the SPF50+ Lip to Cheek is formulated without thebitter taste found in some SPF lip offerings, so it applies (and tastes) just like regular lipstick.

A realistic guide to reapplying SPF over your makeup (9)

OUTSIDE BEAUTY & SKINCARE SPF 50+ Face Mist

$55

Outside Beauty & Skincare

A realistic guide to reapplying SPF over your makeup (10)

NAKED SUNDAYS SPF 50 Clear Glow Sun Stick

$39.95

Naked Sundays

A realistic guide to reapplying SPF over your makeup (11)

OUTSIDE BEAUTY & SKINCARE SPF 50+ Lip to Cheek

$45

Outside Beauty & Skincare

When using sunscreen, always read the label, follow the directions for use, and reapply frequently. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and wear protective clothing, hats and eyewear when you’re in the sun.

How do you apply sunscreen over makeup like K-Beauty?

The Korean beauty community uses a variety of techniques — and K-Beauty sunscreens — to reapply sunscreen over makeup. Due to Australia’s strict SPF standards, we don’t have access to many of the viral Korean sunscreens, sunscreen sticks and sunscreen powders seen on TikTok, but there are a few tricks we can glean from their sunscreen routines. The aforementioned lightweight sunscreen and beauty sponge technique or sunscreen sticks are the most popular ways Korean women reapply sunscreen over makeup, but using a spray sunscreen is common too.

Why does my sunscreen make my makeup separate?

Some sunscreens seem to make makeup pill, separate or straight-up disappear. There’s a few reasons why this could be but the biggest one is that you’re not giving your sunscreen enough time to dry down. Start by taking more care to massage your SPF of choice into your skin — you could do this all at once or in two layers.

If your sunscreen is still making your makeup separate, switch it out for a lightweight, hydrating serum sunscreen. This lighter formula should absorb into skin more easily. Or a sunscreen and makeup primer hybrid will help give your makeup additional staying power.

When using sunscreen, always read the label, follow the directions for use, and reapply frequently. Avoid prolonged sun exposure and wear protective clothing, hats and eyewear when you’re in the sun.

Related: 11 of the best self-tanners to try this summer

A realistic guide to reapplying SPF over your makeup (2024)

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