Sunscreen + Makeup Layering: An Everyday How-To

A Dermatologist-Approved Guide to Layering SPF with Makeup

No matter the season, sunscreen should be a year-round staple in your skin care routine to keep our skin healthy and full of life.  Just as a refresher, sunscreen actively works against skin discolouration, aging, and deep wrinkles, and helps to prevent sun damage and skin cancer. The catch? Sunscreen is a 365-days-a-year deal. Inside or outside. Hot or not.

Even we can admit that applying sunscreen can slip our minds when we’re constantly go-go-go running errands or working near a window. But it’s those “little” daily actions that can put our skin at risk for sunburn and damage.

4 Steps to Easy SPF Layering

Adding sun protection to your skincare routine is fairly simple. But when it comes to layering it in your makeup routine, the question becomes: should you wear sunscreen before or after makeup? To keep ourselves covered (literally!)—and to squash any doubts about where sunscreen should fall in your makeup layering routine—we’ve perfected a minimal four-step layering process to applying sunscreen daily. Here’s what our team of experts and dermatologists want YOU to know when it comes to layering sunscreen under your makeup—along with six products that help make our morning routine seamless:

1. Cleanse 

First things first, splash some water and cleanse your face! Cleansing should always kickstart your morning routine. As Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine says, “For ingredients to absorb properly, you need clean skin that’s totally free of oil and grime.” A facial cleanser is a staple skincare product that helps remove any leftover makeup, oil, or dirt from your night’s sleep and pillow.

2. Base level SPF

Sunscreen! Before we even try to convince ourselves that SPF 15 in our foundation or cover-up is enough … it’s not. Dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology Association recommend using a face sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 or above. So, SPF 15 OUT, and SPF 30 IN!

And nobody wants to try and rub in heavy, thick facial sunscreen lotion after applying makeup, so thank goodness we don’t have to! The key to applying SPF is to apply it BEFORE you put on your makeup look for the day. 

For daily protection for your glowing skin, sunscreen like our Sun Silk Drops Organic Face Sunscreen SPF 30 gives a transparent, weightless layer of protection. For maximum protection if you'll be out in the sun for extended periods, our classic SPF 30 face cream are designed for those active moments in the sun, yet feels super light and non-greasy.

3. Moisturize

Now that we’ve prepped our skin by cleansing it, it’s ready for that moisture! Like SPF, moisturizer is a need every single day as it reduces both extremes of dryness or and oiliness. That’s right—even if you have oily skin, don't think about skipping this step!

Dr. Shereene Idriss, a New York City dermatologist shares “a moisturizer not only infuses your skin with hydration but also helps trap in all the products underneath it to make the ingredients even more effective.”

Our Refreshing Water Cream Organic Face Sunscreen SPF 50 is a deeply hydrating moisturizer that feels water-light on skin while providing powerful protection, for a fresh start to your morning routine. Especially for some of us whose days are a little more centred around a computer, the BlueScreen™ Digital De-Stress™ technology works against blue light stress and fatigue...a need!

4. Makeup!

Finally, the last step in your routine should be your makeup application. Achieving a flawless appearance while safeguarding your skin from the sun is now easier than ever with the right products. Incorporate COOLA's mineral face sunscreen into your makeup routine for effortless sun protection layered under your favourite cosmetics. It is an ideal choice, providing a non-greasy, sheer matte finish that acts as a smooth canvas for makeup application. 

Our Rosilliance Tinted Moisturizer Organic Face Sunscreen SPF 30 is a sheer, barely there cream that boosts your skin’s natural warmth for a luminous base. It's also a physical sunscreen, which is best applied after your moisturizer. Unlock the secrets of effective sunscreen-makeup layering and enhance your daily beauty regimen. Top it off with a hydrating lip sunscreen, and you're ready to start your day!

And of course, don’t forget to reapply! 

Don't forget to also reapply sunscreen, generally every 2 to 4 hours. But how do you reapply sunscreen when you've already finished your makeup routine? Our Makeup Setting Spray Organic Sunscreen SPF 30 lets you do just that. This weightless mist allows you to keep your skin protected and your makeup fresh.

See? Simple! 

Facial sunscreen should be a staple skincare product in every routine. Sunscreen not only protects against harmful UV rays and sun damage, but it can also prevent early skin aging and discoloration, not to mention a healthy complexion for the makeup to be layered on.

Implementing SPF in our morning routine before we pick up the makeup brush doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Cleanse, protect, and moisturize before makeup! Your skin will thank you later.