With summer approaching it is SO important to protect your skin with SPF. This feature will debunk the main SPF myths and my guide to my personal favourite SPF’s.
The Basics of SPF:
Lets be honest, we do not apply enough SPF and it is one of the products we should be applying religiously to our face, body and hair if we are going to be exposed to major sunlight or not. This feature will show the SPFs suitable for life in the city and the SPFs that are more suited for holidays and excessive expose to sunlight.
Lets debunk some SPF myths first:
- ‘You only need to wear SPF on holiday’ – This is completely untrue, SPF should be part of your daily skincare routine especially if you are leaving the house and your skin will be exposed to UV Rays.
- ‘You only need to wear SPF when you are in the sun’– Again, not true some people believe that protecting their skin from the sun is not necessary needed on cloudier days because the sun does not feel as powerful. However, the truth is that anytime your skin is exposed to sunlight it is exposed to UV rays. So SPF is always a good idea.
- ‘I don’t wear SPF everyday it makes my skin breakout‘– This can be true for some people’s skin but it is like any skincare product they might not always work well on your skin so you have to shop around to find a SPF that works well for your skin!
- ‘My foundation/moisturiser contains SPF so I don’t need a separate one’ This is also the wrong thing to rely on. You should use a separate SPF before you apply any makeup. Top tip- SPF should be the last part of your skincare routine before you start to apply makeup.
- ‘SPF lasts all day if you apply it once in the morning‘- Wrong! SPF needs to be applied throughout the day to the skin to protect it. Applying SPF once in the morning is not enough.
Life in the City SPFs
City SPF’s are different to sunbathing SPF’s as these are more for daily use not vacation or holiday use were you would need more of a SPF that is suitable for longer exposure to the sun.
Here are some of the city style SPF’s I would recommend for daily use:
The Body Shop: Skin Defence Multi-Protection Lotion SPF 50+ PA++++ – Very good for a smooth and hydrating feel to the skin. This product has a very lightweight formula which is good for underneath makeup and will not feel greasy or heavy.
Clinique Super City Block SPF 40 – This product has a fairly high level of SPF (40). I would recommend this product as it sits lovely underneath makeup and does not feel greasy on the skin. The only reason I would not recommend using this product for excessive exposure to the sun is because I would use a higher SPF like a SPF 50 for sitting directly in the sunshine. But overall I love this product for everyday use.
Holiday/Sunbathing SPFs
The holiday SPFs mentioned in this section are specifically effective for a mass amount of exposure to sunlight and are not as suitable to wear under makeup as they are purely for protection.
Here are some of the SPFs I would recommend if you are going on holiday and need a higher level of sun protection.
I have spoken about this one before but I personally love The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow-Protect Lotion SPF30 as even though it has a fairly thick formula it does not clog the pores and gives a natural glow with it! You cannot go wrong with this for the face and neck.
Additionally, La Roche-Posay Anthelios Invisible Fluid SPF50+ – is an amazing SPF for sitting in the sun as it gives the skin the ultimate level of sun protection as it has a high level of SPF. This formula glides onto the skin without leaving a greasy feel to the skin.
Remember…
Always wear SPF when leaving the house.
Always top up your SPF throughout the day.