Thanks to inspiration from the likes of Call Time on Melanoma — a platform blowing the whistle on melanoma mythology — and Hannah English — a scientist, SPF enthusiast and creative — we are on a mission to encourage all Australians to apply sunscreen every single day. Much like putting on a seatbelt before driving or stretching before a run, putting on SPF should be so ingrained in your routine that it becomes automatic.
Applying SPF should take place as part of your skincare routine and if you’ve already got this on lock, well done! Creating a habit can be hard, but once sunscreen is a solid part of your regime, it makes it much harder to forget.
The next hurdle we face is encouraging people to *reapply* their SPF during the day, especially for those who wear makeup. Normalising wearing sunscreen every single day (not just at the beach!) is tough in itself but encouraging people to carry their SPF with them to reapply it over makeup is even harder.
Most sunscreen companies and dermatologists recommend sunscreen reapplication every two hours. This can feel like a lot. Sunscreens break down through exposure to daylight, water, sweat touching and oil. If you sit in an office all day, away from a window you probably don’t need to reapply this frequently — but should be reapplying before you leave the office for lunch. This brings us to our central question!
How to Apply Sunscreen Over Makeup
Thanks to Hannah English, we have discovered an easy way to reapply SPF over makeup without mucking up your foundation. And, it all comes down to a trusty sponge. English recommends reapplying sunscreen using the Juno & Co Microfibre Velvet Sponge, which you can purchase at MECCA for $10, as it “doesn’t absorb like a Beautyblender would”.
“It [the sunscreen] just presses it back into your skin, so you’re not gonna lose product because obviously, we want to get as much sun protection as we can,” English said on her Instagram Stories.
Related: So You’ve Heard of Melanoma, But What About the Other Two Types of Skin Cancer?
You simply apply your SPF to the sponge and lightly press it into your skin. To avoid disrupting her foundation, English dots the sunscreen into her skin with a quick pressing motion, which you can watch on her Instagram Highlights. Be warned that dragging the product across your face won’t leave your base products looking too crash hot.
While English noted that the reapplication of sunscreen covered her blush and bronzer, her foundation was still intact and no redness was coming through from underneath. Once the SPF has settled, you can simply pop on some more blush and bronzer on top should you wish.
English also pointed out that this method just acts as a booster. While you won’t get as much sun protection as you would if you were rubbing the SPF straight into your skin, it does help to top up your protection during the day and is an easy method that can be carried out in the bathroom at work, in your car or basically wherever you are in the middle of the day.
If you’re heading to the beach or spending prolonged time in the sun, ditch the makeup altogether and reapply SPF with your hands, making sure to use a full teaspoon for your face and neck for full protection.
Also, remember that sunscreen isn’t the only method of sun protection — or even the best one. Sun avoidance in the form of protective clothing, hats and UV sunglasses, and walking on the shady side of the street are all strategies you should implement alongside diligent SPF use.
If you’re a bit confused about how much SPF you need to be applying, this handy hack will help you out. And, while you’re here, these are some of our favourite drugstore sunscreens we use year-round.