How often do you re-apply your facial sunscreen?
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Fri Mar 29, 2013 1:06 pm

So, I'm using retinoids & obviously need to use sunscreen on my face...

But what I've been reading is that no matter the SPF or PPD you must re-apply your sunscreen every two hours.

Is this true - and if so how do I do this daily when I wear makeup every day? Do I really have to remove my MU, apply SS, re-apply MU every two hours, just to be protected?

I mean, of course I want to be safe, but applying every two hours seems horrific when wearing MU. Sad

free skin care · Fri Mar 29, 2013 4:28 pm

Hello!

I apply in the morning, and if I am going out at all for longer than 5 minutes in the sun before 4pm (6pm in summer), I will reapply completely.

Sunscreen degrades on your skin almost immediately upon exposure to the elements. Chemical sunscreen degrades upon exposure to sun (the chemical changes that protect you are paradoxically catalyzed by sunlight), and physical ss just degrades or loses efficacy with time.

--avalange

free skin care · Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:46 am

If I am going to work, I put on SPF and then makeup. I don't put on more unless it is the summer and I put on a powder SPF over the face and neck for the drive home.

Or at least that is my plan! Smile

If it is an outside all day kind of day, then I put SPF on every 2 hours.

free skin care · Sun Mar 31, 2013 5:48 am

Only chemical sunscreens need to be re-applied every 2 hours. They break down in UV light. Even indoors. Who would want to or could do that religiously??? More the reason to use zinc oxide sunscreen.Preferably one with 15% plus zinc.

free skin care · Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:22 am

I apply sunscreen then my make up. After work, I apply sunscreen again and then use hour glass ambient dim light for a all over before driving home. This seems to work for me.

Sun Mar 31, 2013 10:25 pm

Hi, I'm new here so excuse me if I don't know how to post this correctly.. But I use badger sunscreen which is pretty durable and greAt if you don't mind looking a bit pale. It has a white cast but that's fine by me because that's how I know I need to reapply(when my "ghost face"disappears)

free skin care · Thu Oct 03, 2013 7:20 pm

Pandax12 wrote:

Only chemical sunscreens need to be re-applied every 2 hours. They break down in UV light. Even indoors. Who would want to or could do that religiously??? More the reason to use zinc oxide sunscreen.Preferably one with 15% plus zinc.

What if your sunscreen is both chemical & physical (see below)?

http://www.dermstore.com/product_Bright+Skin+Moisturizer+Broad+Spectrum+SPF+30+Sunscreen_46195.htm

free skin care · Thu Oct 03, 2013 7:20 pm

Pandax12 wrote:

Only chemical sunscreens need to be re-applied every 2 hours. They break down in UV light. Even indoors. Who would want to or could do that religiously??? More the reason to use zinc oxide sunscreen.Preferably one with 15% plus zinc.

What if your sunscreen is both chemical & physical (see below)?

http://www.dermstore.com/product_Bright+Skin+Moisturizer+Broad+Spectrum+SPF+30+Sunscreen_46195.htm

free skin care · Thu Oct 03, 2013 8:02 pm

millyaulait wrote:

So, I'm using retinoids & obviously need to use sunscreen on my face...

But what I've been reading is that no matter the SPF or PPD you must re-apply your sunscreen every two hours.

Is this true - and if so how do I do this daily when I wear makeup every day? Do I really have to remove my MU, apply SS, re-apply MU every two hours, just to be protected?

I mean, of course I want to be safe, but applying every two hours seems horrific when wearing MU. Sad

I wear a lotion sunblock that I put on under my makeup in the morning. I do not ever reapply that. I do, however, use this over the top of my makeup as a "makeup setter" and I keep one in my purse to reapply during the day. I live in the rainy West Coast of Washington State, so it's not necessary to reapply sunscreen every two hours every day here. But I do reapply it on sunny days.

free skin care · Fri Oct 04, 2013 2:52 am

I will re-apply my sunscreen if I'm in beach. If you feel the sunscreen does not work well, you can try have an umbrella or wear a hat.

free skin care · Fri Oct 04, 2013 2:38 pm

grandmajuju wrote:

Hi, I'm new here so excuse me if I don't know how to post this correctly.. But I use badger sunscreen which is pretty durable and greAt if you don't mind looking a bit pale. It has a white cast but that's fine by me because that's how I know I need to reapply(when my "ghost face"disappears)

I Loooove badger! I like their unscented sport sunscreen which I can't wear by itself without it settling into the lines around my eyes. I always have to mix it with mmu and another water based sunscreen. As long as everything I'm mixing is at least spf 30 I know I'm safe.

I use pf quite a bit, but I use their mineral wear line because it's all mineral based.

Sat Oct 05, 2013 3:38 am

I've always wondered this as well. A good solution might be to take make-up wipes with you to work and apply sunscreen 15 minutes before leaving? This assumes, of course, you are going straight home or you aren't someone who can't be seen w/o makeup.

I just think reapplying over makeup is going to be uncomfortable...

Sun Oct 06, 2013 2:55 am

I use every day Peter Thomas Roth SPF 30 oil free with a few Antioxidant in, a great cream not only a sun cream but Anti aging, I do not apply it every 2 hours, unless I was in the sun for a few hours, and I try to stay out of the sun after a few hours

free skin care · Mon Oct 07, 2013 11:45 pm

I use Lancome UV EXPERT and apply twice per day.

free skin care · Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:23 pm

Once a day- in the morning before going to the office and again on my way out the door. On weekends I sleep pretty late so only once still.

free skin care · Sun Oct 13, 2013 4:50 pm

I usually only apply once. I make sure that I wear a photostable formula that will not break down in the sun.

I work in an office so I am not out at all. I do wear it everyday.

Physical filters are naturally stable.

free skin care · Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:25 am

Depending on the dryness of my skin and whether I need additional color, I use Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral Powder SPF 45, Physicians Formula Powder Foundation or a Japanese makeup setting spray SPF 50 with zinc oxide. None of these interfere with existing makeup. The key is to use a physical sunscreen as these do not need to be absorbed into the skin.

Wed Oct 16, 2013 11:46 pm

I use Ego Sun sense Ultra Milk 30+ on my face everyday, even on a cloudy day. In my opinion, you would only need to apply your sunscreen once a day unless you are sweating a lot.

free skin care · Thu Oct 17, 2013 12:03 am

Killykilly wrote:

I use Ego Sun sense Ultra Milk 30+ on my face everyday, even on a cloudy day. In my opinion, you would only need to apply your sunscreen once a day unless you are sweating a lot.

Chemical sunscreen becomes inactivated by exposure to UV rays. So if a person is outside or even sitting near a window, their sunscreen is being degraded over time.

Using a physical sunscreen, you may need to apply less often if the barrier is still intact enough to reflect the UV rays.

free skin care · Thu Oct 17, 2013 10:06 am

This is why I almost never wear foundation to work -- I go out at lunchtime and reapply sunscreen. I can't see myself putting a whole face of foundation back on. I use Clinique City Block Sheer SPF25, which has a slight tint so it "splits the difference" and I can layer it. I'd like to find a pretty parasol and just use that instead, frankly.

Do all mineral powder foundations have natural sunscreen?

free skin care · Thu Oct 17, 2013 11:58 am

I'm not sure why people are still discussing removing makeup to reapply lotion sunscreen when there are so many powder options. Would you seriously remove all your face makeup every day to apply a lotion sunscreen several times? Seriously?? Confused

Thu Oct 17, 2013 1:05 pm

Softskin, I have collected parasols for years and am in the habit of carrying one in sunny weather. In the beginning I felt a bit conspicuous, but quickly got over that and learned to just enjoy the shade and the occasional compliment. I am also fond of wide brim hats. I live in the Deep South and the sun here can be quite oppressive; I am very uncomfortable if I am unexpectedly caught bareheaded in the sun. I hope that you will find a lovely parasol and shield yourself from uv rays while making a charming fashion statement.

free skin care · Thu Oct 17, 2013 1:40 pm

ellatu wrote:

Softskin, I have collected parasols for years and am in the habit of carrying one in sunny weather. In the beginning I felt a bit conspicuous, but quickly got over that and learned to just enjoy the shade and the occasional compliment. I am also fond of wide brim hats. I live in the Deep South and the sun here can be quite oppressive; I am very uncomfortable if I am unexpectedly caught bareheaded in the sun. I hope that you will find a lovely parasol and shield yourself from uv rays while making a charming fashion statement.

I'm in Western Washington, the sparkling, green, wet "west side". My husband was born and raised in Los Angeles. He came up here on a sunny, hot day in June. One of the first things he said was "the sun just BEATS DOWN here". LOL The sunshine in L.A. is always "filtered" through the smog and he's used to that. We don't have that here; I'm on the coast, away from Seattle. I suspect that the fact that I use some of the strongest sunscreens is a GOOD thing. Laughing

free skin care · Fri Oct 18, 2013 4:19 pm

I really don't apply enough sunscreen even though I try and it's honestly a bit foolish to think 1-2x a day is enough. Sorry, but it's true.

The best I can do is stretch the time a water resistant physical or mixed (zinc and/or titanium + something else) sunscreen stays on my skin up to 6 hours. But I wouldn't trust that protection in full-on midday sun. And 6 h looks like this: 1st layer, then another layer 1/2 h later, setting powder or makeup fixing spray (both work equally long with sunscreen).
Lately with my skin needling adventures I run around with red face more often than not, but 2 layers of tinted sunscreen cover that. More or less. Rolling Eyes

So with physical/tinted sunscreens I can see perfectly where sunscreen is applied and where I missed a spot because when applied in the required quantities they cover redness about as well as a good foundation. Without any fixing/setting that sort of thing lasts no more than 4 hours, after that there is less stuff left on my face and the red peeks through = no protection. 100% physical 40 minutes water resistant sunscreen in a rather boring climate, no excessive moisture to melt it off. Result consistent with my findings using other similar sunscreens.

And those powders, like PTR or Colorsciece sell, they don't protect against anything, even when caked on in thick layer. The only powder that seemed to work was one with 25% bulk zinc+25% bulk titanium and left a wonderful blue-red hue on skin, probably reason it was discontinued. Those light powders - you're cheating yourself and earning sun damage points if you believe touchinh up with them extends sunscreen.

When I used the ugly blue-white physical sunscreens and hid the ghoulish color with makeup they tented to last quite long as well, but never a full day. 8 hours maybe. With a lot of wishful thinking.
So I switched to tinted sunscreens, less steps and easier re-application. I'm still in the process of training myself to re-apply every 3 hours, but it proves very difficult because I lose track of time at work.

Point of this too-long ramble is that no matter what someone says or writes, sunscreen needs to be reapplied every 2-3 hours. Says so on the bottle for a reason. Does not matter that it's 20% zinc or whatever. Does not last all day long. It may outlast some chemical sunscreen, but after ~4 hour mark there is not enough to give you those promised protection ratings, whatever they may be. And I think we all know that sporadic and incorrect sunscreen application defies the reason we use it - to prevent photoaging.

Not trying to lecture anyone, everyone has the right to do whatever they want with their skin. Just sharing my experience.

Now exuse me, emla has kicked in and I'm off to the torture chamber. Shock

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