We all know by now that we should be using sunscreen every day. If your typical day involves wearing makeup, you may dismiss SPF as an extra and unnecessary step. After all, your face is at least sort of protected by your layer of foundation, right? And you’re totally covered if your foundation has SPF in it—right? Many of us have likely asked ourselves the same questions and even shied away from using sunscreen in fear it will mess up our makeup or break us out, but no more. Makeup with SPFprovides some protection, says Tabitha Nelson a board-certified medical aesthetician at Laser Aesthetics Body and Wellness, but she recommends not depending on your foundation as your primary source of UV protection. She states, “In order to achieve the sunscreen SPF on the makeup label, you would need to use seven times the thickness you would normally use if using liquid foundation, and 14 times the amount if using a powder foundation.” Probably not the look you’re going for. To find a sunscreen that works best with your makeup, look for one that’s labeled “for face” and described as “non-comedogenic” to reduce your risk of acne breakouts. Another decision is the type of active ingredient in the sunscreen. These fall into two categories, chemical and physical. Chemical sunscreens’ active ingredients, such as avobenzone, octisalate, and oxybenzone, absorb into the skin and convert the sun’s UVA or UVB rays—different ingredients work for each—into heat, which is then released into the air. Physical sunscreens, containing zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide, sit on top of the skin and create a film that physically deflects the rays from penetrating the skin’s surface. When applying anything to your skin, the golden rule is to layer products from thinnest to thickest so that they are all able to effectively penetrate into the skin. Our aestheticians at LABW suggests washing and patting the face dry, applying any recommended skin care treatments, then sunscreen. We do recommend Image sunscreen and foundation to all patients at our clinic.  Once your skin is prepped with these steps, go about your makeup routine as normal. For any questions or a free consultation, please give us a call at 901-388-8887.