After recently researching myths and facts about sunscreen, I got to thinking about how the sunscreen in my foundation doesn't really do anything. (Basically, there is not enough SPF in any makeup to adequately protect you from the sun.)
So I started doing some digging online about makeup and sunscreen and stumbled across an article in Self magazine that said a person would need about 15 pumps of foundation on their face for the SPF in it to actually work. This is because SPF needs to be coated on more thickly in order to provide a benefit.
To learn more about what I found online, BuzzFeed spoke to celebrity makeup artist Lauren D’Amelio, who is extremely educated about the cosmetic industry and its products. D'Amelio agreed with Talakoub's statement that you would need roughly 15 layers of foundation, explaining that sunscreens need to be applied in a thick layer to be effective.
So, as a little experiment (because I'm bored in the house and in the house bored), I decided to actually put 15 coats of an old foundation on my face to get a sense of what it would look and feel like. I then got the bright idea to try to do a full face of makeup with this much foundation on and see if my husband or son would notice or say anything. Here is the process of putting on the makeup:
Basically, it was pretty much impossible to blend because I used so much makeup:
The final result was a very botched-looking makeup job...BUT I WAS A-OK TO GO IN THE SUN BECAUSE I WAS PROPERLY PROTECTED:
Anyways, I continued my lil' experiment and hid a camera. My son noticed and simply said, "Why does your face look so wet?" However, my husband didn't hold back at all with his reaction:
I had the makeup on for about one hour before I couldn't take it any longer and had to remove it. It was itchy and I felt greasy and sweaty, and I also feared that I would wake up with an army of pimples the next morning. It took a really, really, really long time to get it off completely:
The main takeaway from this experiment was really about how we are misled as consumers when it comes to certain products, like makeup. No one is going out and putting this much foundation on, and I can guarantee that there are a chunk of people — like me — who believed the SPF in ONE layer of foundation was "good enough" to protect our skin.
So, when we're looking for a sunscreen for our faces, what should we look for? D’Amelio suggested staying away from sunscreens that contain zinc, especially if you're going to be in photos. "Some SPFs, especially ones with zinc, can cause an unwanted white cast in the areas it was applied when a camera flash reflects off of it," she explained.
I hope this was helpful to you in some way, and if you already knew this, then I am impressed! What other skincare facts are people misinformed about? Help the rest of us out by letting us know in the comments!
