The best sunscreen for under your face mask is one that doesn’t feel heavy or greasy, and improves the look of your skin
- Make-up with SPF probably doesn’t contain enough sun protection – experts say you should use one teaspoon’s worth of sunscreen just for your face and neck
- Instead, look for sunscreens that give you smooth, even skin and leave behind a soft finish that makes your face look freshly powdered
We’re probably going to be wearing face masks in public for a while yet. With that in mind, do you really want to be stifling your skin under both a mask and layers of make-up?
“[Formulating a sunscreen] is much more sophisticated than creating a cream without SPF,” Gerhild Hornbanger, managing director of Vinoble Cosmetics, Asia explains. (SPF stands for sun protection factor.) During the production process, “UV filters must be dissolved in the oil phase to feel pleasant on the skin”, which is why so many SPF products are heavy, slick and shiny.”
However, as consumers’ needs evolve, so do formulas. Or, at least, they should.
“Many products are a one-size-fits-all formula that may not suit oilier skin types,” Holly Thaggard, founder of specialised suncare brand Supergoop, says. “They’re made with ingredients that are very oily, or aren’t formulated to be used every single day. Instead, they’re made for the beach or pool, and don’t play well with make-up.”
