TL;DR: Most people use too little sunscreen, skip their hairline and ears, don’t reapply, apply it in the wrong order, and forget about SPF on cloudy days. Fix these and you stand a much better chance of protecting your face properly.
You’re wearing SPF for face. Good start. You’ve taken one of the best possible steps to keeping your skin looking youthful and clear. However, if you’re making any of the following five common mistakes, you’re going to still be vulnerable to skin aging, or worse. The problem isn’t that people don’t care about sun protection – it’s that some don’t fully understand how it works.
Some of these mistakes are obvious once someone points them out. There also might be others you’ve probably been doing for years without realizing they’re undermining your protection. So, let’s get started and see what some people go through.
SPF for Face Mistake 1: Not Using Enough
The official recommendation when using SPF for face is to put on about a ¼ teaspoon. Most people use maybe half that, which means they’re getting half the SPF on the label. If you’re using SPF 50 but only applying half the amount, you’re getting closer to SPF 25.
The Fix: Use more than feels normal. It should feel like slightly too much initially. With mineral sunscreen, you’ll see a white cast that fades as you blend – that’s a good sign you’ve used enough.
Mistake 2: Missing Your Hairline, Ears, and Neck
Your face doesn’t end at your jaw, so if you miss any areas, you’ll likely be in discomfort at the end of the day. The hairline, tops of your ears, and your neck all get sun exposure but are easy to forget. These areas burn easily.
The Fix: After covering your face, swipe sunscreen along your hairline, over your ears, and down your neck. It takes ten seconds.
Mistake 3: Not Reapplying
If you’re of the opinion that putting sunscreen on in the morning means you’re sorted for the whole day. You’re not. Sunscreen breaks down in sunlight, gets rubbed off, and stops working after about two hours of sun exposure. If you’re out for more than two hours, this error can hurt!
The Fix: Reapply every two hours if you’re outside. Blue Lizard’s stick formulas work well because you can dab them on without smearing and they’re super-convenient, too.
Mistake 4: Applying SPF in the Wrong Order
SPF goes on after moisturizer but before makeup. Putting moisturizer over sunscreen dilutes the protection. Mixing sunscreen into moisturizer? Same problem.
Fix: Skincare first, then SPF, then makeup. Let each layer sink in for a minute before adding the next one.
Mistake 5: Not Wearing SPF on Cloudy Days
Did you know that 80% of UV rays get through clouds? That means the relative safety many people think they have when the sun’s not out is something of an illusion. Folks all across the US are skipping sunscreen when it’s overcast outside and then later wondering why they get burned. Go figure.
Fix: Wear SPF every day regardless of weather. Think of it like brushing your teeth – it’s about consistent protection, not whether you can see the problem.
Making Sure Your SPF for Face Can Do its Job
None of these mistakes are difficult to fix once you know what you’re doing wrong. Use enough product, cover all the areas that get sun, reapply when needed, put it on in the right order, and wear it daily. Do that and your face SPF will have every chance of doing the job for you it was designed to do. Keep making the same mistakes, and it’s your complexion that will pay the price.
