The other day I wore my Supergoop in the morning! Glowscreen as I do every day: mixing the sunscreen on the back of my hand with my Rose Inc Skin Tint and then applying both to my face smeared. Suddenly a question shot through my head: does this combo still give me the sun protection factor 30 as it says on the glowing screen, or am I just “cheating” here by mixing two products? The result looks more like makeup to me than sunscreen.

If you’ve been shopping for beauty products lately, you’ll know that the lines between skincare, sunscreen and makeup are becoming increasingly blurred. Many products combine two (or all three): numerous sun creams promise you a more balanced complexion, radiant skin, and UV protection. The Glowscreen, for example, contains mica, an active ingredient that makes my skin glow like a highlighter. Ilia has a popular Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 30, which is more serum than sunscreen and therefore feels like tinted skincare. And the Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer from Rare Beauty is a moisturizer, foundation and, thanks to SPF 20, sun protection all in one.

I don’t know if it’s cynical of me to be a bit suspicious of this – so I went to Dr Doris Day, my trusted dermatologist, and asked in the name of all escort girls: “How well do skincare and makeup with integrated sun protection protect?”

Is tinted sunscreen effective?

Strictly speaking: yes. According to Dr Day, tinted sunscreen protects just as well as non-tinted alternatives. This surprised me a little: I had thought that the tint (read: the makeup in it) would “dilute” the protection. Dr But according to Day, sunscreen is sunscreen, and the paint is just an extra that doesn’t limit its effectiveness. “It may be that the product originally had an SPF of 50 and was then reduced to an SPF of 40 by adding other active ingredients.” These are active ingredients such as mica, which gives the skin a glow, or hyaluronic acid for additional moisture. According to dr But Dray’s rule of thumb is: “If you have a sunscreen that claims to be this and that in addition, it’s still a sunscreen. These other active ingredients provide additional sun protection.”

How much-tinted sunscreen do I need?

Here’s the crux of the matter where people (like me, just a regular escort girl who takes care of her skin!) like to cheat about tinted sunscreen or makeup with SPF: Tinted sunscreen shouldn’t be mixed or diluted with other products like you would with a foundation, for example. “For example, if you’re using a tinted moisturizer with SPF, that’s sunscreen,” explains Dr Day and recommends a mineral formula (with Zinc Oxide) with an SPF of 30 and higher. “However, considering how much of it you put on your face may not be enough to provide effective sun protection. Smearing a pea-sized portion over your face is like stretching a piece of fabric, so it’s almost see-through — like wearing leggings so thin that your bottom shows through.”

But how much sunscreen do I need? There should already be several pumps, whether tinted or not. “Think of it as four peas,” advises Dr Day. “One on your forehead, one on each cheek and one on your chin. And then you need more for your neck. Remember: you need about as much sun protection for the whole body as would fit in a shot glass. And mineral sunscreen is like physical sunscreen: the thicker the layer, the better the protection.”

What if I want low opacity?

Of course, if you want to use a tiny drop of tinted cream or SPF moisturizer or dilute the product with makeup, that’s fine – provided you wear extra sunscreen underneath. “If you’re not sure if you’re using enough tinted sunscreen, a clear sunscreen underneath is a good base,” explains Dr Day. “I look at it like my morning workout: I can supplement it during the day, for example, with a bike ride, but I know I’ve already done my workout for the day.” In other words: if you’ve ticked off your sunscreen, you can apply as much (or as few) other products as you like on top.

How do I combine sun protection and SPF makeup?

“I start with a sunscreen that doesn’t have a tint,” says Dr Day. “Go for a translucent cream, so your natural skin tone shows through. You spread it on the face and neck; also, make sure to apply lotion to the mouth area because, like the throat, it ages very quickly and therefore needs special protection. After that, apply a tinted sunscreen, bronzer or blush with SPF – whatever you feel like.”

Makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes likes to replace her makeup with tinted sunscreen. She uses the Supergoop! Glowscreen in the nuance “Golden Hour” – which unfortunately does not yet exist in this country; you can use the Supergoop! Take CC Screen in the colour of your choice (€47.00 via Revolve) – and spread it over the forehead like a liquid bronzer before applying the original shade Supergoop! Apply Glowscreen (€36.10 via Cult Beauty) to the rest of your face as a primer or highlighter. With her, sun protection is not just a makeup base but also protects against UV rays; the technique is also great for post-cream. However, because she neglects some areas a little, it would be better to apply a transparent sunscreen first.

Mineral sunscreens

You must combine a mineral sunscreen base with other mineral sunscreens (so keep your eyes open for titanium dioxide and zinc oxide). “It’s hard to find studies on how well chemical sunscreens work with mineral sunscreens, whether it causes heat build-up or other problems,” explains Dr Day. “Mineral formulations, on the other hand, can be layered on top of each other.”

In other words: SPF makeup and skincare are tremendous and protect your skin – but it also has to be applied like “regular” sun protection. That means: don’t be too sparing with the product and use it generously to the face and neck. However, if the tint is too intense for you and you prefer to apply a thinner layer, a transparent sunscreen layer is a must.

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