Your makeup’s SPF isn’t working as well as you might think. Here is why 👇
To actually get the SPF listed on the product, you need to apply roughly ¼ teaspoon for your whole face. Most people would never apply that much foundation or powder because it would look heavy, cakey and unnatural. As a result, the protection you get from makeup with SPF is often much lower than the SPF on the label (4,3). Many makeup products also aren’t designed to be reapplied every 2 hours, water resistant and may not offer the same broad-spectrum protection as sunscreen (3,7).
One possible exception is moisturizer with SPF. Because it’s designed to be applied more generously than makeup, it may be easier to use enough product to achieve the advertised protection (5).
Foundations, powders, and other makeup products with SPF are regulated as secondary sunscreens. Their primary purpose is cosmetic, with SPF as an added benefit. While their SPF is tested using the same methods as primary sunscreen, the problem comes with applying the correct amount to get the advertised protection (2,3).
Tinted sunscreens on the other hand are the real deal. In Canada, they are regulated as primary sunscreen because they are primarily designed to protect your skin from UV rays (1). They will provide the labeled SPF as long as you apply at least ¼ teaspoon on your face.
It may be tempting to mix sunscreen with foundation to save time, but that’s not recommended. While it may seem like a convenient shortcut, mixing sunscreen and foundation can change how sunscreen spreads and forms a protective film on the skin. It may also affect how some ingredients interact, potentially reducing the protection provided by the sunscreen (4,5,6).
Instead, here is the best order for max protection (and glamour 💅)
1. Complete skincare routine 🫧
2. Apply sunscreen and allow it to set 😎
3. Then apply makeup on top (4). 💄
Share this with your summer crew, skin safe summer starts now!
- Primary Sunscreen Monograph | Government of Canada | November 2022
- Secondary Sunscreen Monograph | Government of Canada | November 2022
- Does a moisturiser with SPF protect as well as a sunscreen? | Lab Muffin Beauty Science | May 2016
- The Problem With SPF Makeup (and How to Solve It) | Reviews by Wirecutter | June 12, 2026
- Answering (Almost) Every Sunscreen Question | Lab Muffin Beauty Science | May 2022
- You can mix foundation with sunscreen… sometimes | Lab Muffin Beauty Science | December 2021
- Are cosmetic products which include an SPF appropriate for daily use? | Archives of Dermatological Research | June 2009
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