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Is makeup with sunscreen enough to protect your skin?

What to know about makeup with SPF
Posted at 1:25 PM, May 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-21 14:25:39-04

Putting on makeup is a part of our morning routine. To save money and time, you might use foundation that has sunscreen already in it, but does using a dual product give the same protection as using sunblock then foundation.

Dermatologist Dr. Michelle Draznin with Kaiser Permanente said, it depends.

“Sunscreen to maintain its efficacy has to be reapplied every 90 minutes and nobody reapplies makeup every 90 minutes,” she said.

If you do re-apply throughout the day, Draznin says there are a few things to look for when buying the right makeup.

She says to look for coverage with 50 SPF. Also, the product should have the ingredients titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

“Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide together kind of performs with optimal protection,” said Draznin.

If skin pigmentation is a problem for you, Draznin suggests using a product that also has the ingredient iron oxide.

“Iron oxides are great too because they protect better in the visible light and inferred light wavelengths and those wave lengths although don’t cause skin cancer they can cause pigmentation changes on the skin,” said Draznin.

Whether it’s high end of low end foundation, if they have those three ingredients and the SPF of 50, Draznin says it doesn’t matter the cost or brand.

“Some of these companies actually are made by the same manufacture same plant one for drug store and one for high end varieties, so really just pay attention to the ingredients and SPF factor," said Draznin.