Is There Any Benefit to Layering SPF?
You wear a moisturiser with SPF 25, a primer with SPF 7, and a foundation with SPF 15. So you’re technically rocking an SPF 47, right?
Unfortunately, no. Your commitment to sun protection is to be applauded, but adding more products to your skin doesn’t actually add the numbers. Each product only protects to the degree specified by its own SPF.
If you're wearing multiple products, your total sun protection is only as high as the highest SPF—in the case above, 25. So then, you only need one product with SPF, right?
Well, the answer to this question is a bit more complicated. It’s not necessarily beneficial to apply more than one SPF. However, you can definitely achieve more sun protection overall if you layer your sunscreens.
Layering Sunscreens Is Good—but for an Unexpected Reason
Regardless of the sunscreen you're using, there's a chance that your application technique is less than perfect. An SPF rating comes from testing the product in certain quantities. Because the specific 'serving size', so to speak, isn’t listed on the bottle, it’s difficult to know whether you’ve applied enough sunscreen.
Obviously, a thick layer is better, but under makeup, that isn’t always realistic. So using more than one SPF product is an excellent safety net. Most people don’t realise their skin isn’t totally protected with the one thin layer of moisturiser they slap on in the morning.
So while you don’t build your SPF when you wear more than one, you do get a major benefit: additional layers of protection. Be sure that at least one of your products has an SPF 30 or higher, and you’re all set!
Great Product Picks for Layering Your SPF
Adore Beauty carries products with sunscreen in pretty much every category. It won’t be hard for you to find a few that you love if you’d like to start layering.
A few great lightweight moisturisers for layering include:
- Jurlique Purely White Skin Brightening Day Cream SPF 30 for those looking to brighten
- Skinstitut Age Defence SPF 50+ for premiere anti-ageing protection
- Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free SPF 20 for those who want a little extra colour
These three moisturisers contain different levels of SPF to suit different preferences. These formulas also are of different weights for different skin types.
We’ve got some gorgeous classics in the primers category:
- Bobbi Brown Illuminating Face Base containing a whopping (for a makeup product) SPF of 25!
- Colorescience Even Up is a great mineral primer with an SPF of 50—for those looking for some colour correction as well as brightening of hyperpigmentation.
In foundations, we have tons of options in lower SPFs:
- Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H has an SPF of 15 and a track record of being an incredible foundation for nearly every skin type, with a comprehensive shade range to boot.
- Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation offers an SPF 15 as well, with a big focus on hydration for the thirstier-skinned readers out there.
Keep in mind that these foundations alone are not enough to fully protect your skin. But if you're going to wear foundation anyway, sunscreen is a solid ingredient to look for, for the added insurance.
So while layering isn’t going boost your total SPF upwards, it will strengthen your total protection overall. If you’d rather just put on your SPF and go, just be careful with your coverage, and you’ll be ready to hit the sunny streets!
