Do You Need to Wear Sunscreen if Your Foundation has SPF?

03 Jul 2024

By IT Cosmetics Pro Beauty Team

Without question, sunscreen is one of the best ingredients to incorporate into your daily skincare routine. Not only does this crucial step help prevent skin cancer, but when you protect your skin from sun damage, it helps minimize signs of premature aging.

If you already wear the #1 SPF Foundation in America* (ahem, that’s CC+ Cream), we say thank you and congrats! You’re already doing a good job of defending your skin against the sun’s harmful rays. Still, you may be wondering if you’re doing all you can to keep your skin protected. Keep scrolling for expert advice about combining sunscreen and makeup.

Is The SPF in Your Foundation Enough?

To answer this often-asked SPF question, we turned to Dr. Camille Howard, a dermatologist and IT Cosmetics advisory board member. She explains, “Makeup with SPF provides a great base, but even when wearing makeup with SPF, you must remember to reapply a sunscreen like Hello Sunshine every two hours, or more frequently if you're sweating heavily or swimming.”

It’s important to understand that combining sunscreen and SPF foundation will not increase the level of SPF protection, but when wearing these products together, you’ll get the sun protection your skin needs with the added benefit of flawless coverage. Incorporating sunscreen makeup into your daily routine (yep, even when it’s cloudy and even when you’re logged on for a marathon day of Zoom meetings) is an essential step in achieving glowy skin that looks healthy and youthful. There is an extensive range of makeup products that contain SPF, including tinted moisturizers, powder foundation, and CC creams such as CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum with SPF 40.

Dr. Howard also recommends using additional sun protection measures, such as wearing a wide-brimmed hat and seeking shade during peak sun hours.

Did you know?: Short for “sun protection factor,” SPF refers to how long it’d take to burn your skin when using the product versus how quickly it’d take the sun to impact your skin without the product. So, in theory, an SPF of 30 will protect your skin 30 times longer compared to just having bare skin.

Do You Apply Sunscreen Before or After Makeup?

Sunscreen should be applied before makeup, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).^I Here at IT Cosmetics, we say you should think of sunscreen as the last step in your skincare routine and the first step in your makeup routine. A benefit of using a sunscreen like Hello Sunshine SPF 50 is that in addition to providing broad-spectrum sun protection, it also acts as a hydrating makeup base.

For best results, allow the sunscreen to fully absorb into your skin before applying any makeup. When using foundation with SPF, use as much as you need to get the coverage you’re looking for. You can use either your fingertips or a makeup brush when applying it to your face.

morning spf routine

How Can You Reapply Sunscreen Over Makeup?

If you’ve been reading up to this point, you know that dermatologists recommend reapplying sunscreen every two hours. That’s no problem when applying sunscreen to bare skin. Simply reapply generously and evenly 15 minutes before sun exposure. But if you’re already wearing makeup, washing your face off to reapply sunscreen multiple times a day isn’t exactly practical. That’s where a really good SPF foundation comes in handy. As long as it provides broad-spectrum sun protection of SPF 30 or higher, foundation can be your source of SPF reapplication so as not to disturb the makeup you already have on. Fortunately, all IT Cosmetics makeup with SPF, including our entire CC+ Cream range, fits the bill.

Our Favorite SPF Foundations

Think of SPF foundation as the icing on the sun protection cake. When layered with your favorite sunscreen product, it offers ample protection from the sun’s damaging UV rays. Here are some customer favorites:

1. CC+ Cream Natural Matte Foundation with SPF 40

Broad-spectrum SPF 40
Suitable for oily, combination, and blemish-prone skin types
Full coverage
A hydrating, oil-free formula that helps combats shine

2. CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum with SPF 40

Broad-spectrum SPF 40
Suitable for all skin types
Lightweight to buildable medium coverage
A brightening serum foundation that includes 2% niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and green tea extract

3. CC+ Cream with SPF 50+

Broad-spectrum SPF 50+
Suitable for all skin types
Full coverage
Infused with hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, adenosine, antioxidants and vitamins

4. CC+ Cream Illumination with SPF 50+

Broad-spectrum SPF 50+
Suitable for all skin types
Full coverage
Along with micronized light-reflecting pigments to give you glowing skin, it features hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, adenosine, antioxidants and vitamins.

5. Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer™ with SPF 50+

Broad-spectrum SPF 50+
Suitable for all skin types
Full coverage
Featuring proprietary 3D Skin Flex™ Technology, this hydrating foundation provides smooth and flexible coverage that feels weightless over skin.

Now that you’ve been fully briefed on how to pair sunscreen and foundation with SPF, consider learning about how to get glowing skin and the best routine for dark spots.

Sources:

1. “Should I Apply My Skin Care Products in a Certain Order?” American Academy of Dermatologists (AAD)
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/care/apply-skin-care-certain-order