Sunscreen isn’t just for summer — it’s essential for healthy skin all year round. With so many options out there, how do you choose the right one for your skin? Watch as Good Housekeeping’s Health & Beauty Reviews Analyst, Chiara Butler, busts common sunscreen myths and shares expert tips on SPF numbers, proper application, and more.
#Sunscreen #GoodToKnow #GoodHousekeeping
#Sunscreen #GoodToKnow #GoodHousekeeping
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00:00Should I still wear sunscreen if my makeup has SPF in it? We are always warning people about this.
00:05Hi, I'm Kiara Butler. I'm a health and beauty reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute
00:09where we test beauty and personal care products every day. Today I'm answering some of the most
00:14frequently asked questions about sunscreen. This is Good to Know.
00:20First question. When should I wear sunscreen and when is it okay to skip?
00:23It's good to wear sunscreen all year round. Even on a cloudy day,
00:27a certain percentage of UVA light is still going to pass through the clouds, so it's good to wear
00:32sunscreen to protect yourself from that percentage of light that's coming through. UVA light can also
00:36pass through windows, so we generally recommend making sunscreen part of your daily routine so
00:42no matter what happens, you have some protection. And we recommend wearing a broad-spectrum SPF 30
00:48sunscreen. Okay. How often should I be reapplying sunscreen throughout the day? If you're out in the
00:53sun, you're going to want to reapply every two hours right after you come out of the water or
00:58after you towel off. And if you're sweating, you're going to want to reapply more often as well. Even
01:02if you're wearing a really high SPF or water-resistant sunscreen, it's important to reapply
01:06every two hours because no sunscreen is fully waterproof or gives you full protection from the
01:11sun. This is a really common mistake that people make with sunscreen application. Say if they're
01:15going to the beach or something, they think that if they put it on once at the beginning of the day,
01:20they'll be good for the entire day. But it's really important to reapply, especially if you're
01:24doing activities like being in the water, like toweling off, or sweating a lot. Because that
01:29barrier that it creates over your skin is going to start to wear away, so you want to reapply.
01:34Next question. What is the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreen? Mineral sunscreens
01:39use the ingredients titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, and a lot of times these ingredients can
01:43leave a white cast on skin. So while chemical sunscreens use another group of ingredients,
01:48like avobenzone and homosalate, and those tend to have a clearer appearance on skin.
01:53So I have two Banana Boat sunscreens here.
01:58Okay, so we have a mineral and a chemical. First, I'm going to show you the mineral sunscreen. I'm
02:02going to apply a little bit on my hand. As I'm rubbing it in, it tends to leave this white cast
02:13on the skin. Mineral ingredients on their own, they're really like white powders,
02:17and they're tiny tiny solid particles. It's going to look a little bit pasty. People with deeper
02:22skin tones are going to notice this a lot more. So this can be a concern for some people. Some
02:26people really don't mind it. You know, it's a matter of preference. And now I'm going to show
02:30you the chemical sunscreen. And I'll rub this one in. And this one really sheers out to be
02:40completely clear. And that's because these UV absorbers that they use in the chemical sunscreens,
02:46they are kind of clear oily liquids. So they're not going to leave that white film or cast over
02:51the skin. They're going to really look clear on all skin tones. I personally prefer chemical
02:56sunscreens. I think they look better and they feel better on my skin. There's a myth that
03:01mineral sunscreens are more natural. The truth is that even these mineral ingredients that go
03:06into mineral sunscreens, they're not being harvested from the earth and used as is. They
03:11are also synthesized in a laboratory, just like the ingredients that go into the chemical
03:16sunscreens. So they're not really more natural than the chemical ones. They're both really
03:22effective. So it's more a matter of preference and they're both great to use. On to the next
03:26question. Do more expensive sunscreens work better? No. Thanks to SPF testing, we have a
03:32standard for how well sunscreen works regardless of its price. SPF testing determines how well that
03:37sunscreen protects you from a certain exposure to UV light. So a more expensive sunscreen might
03:42feel better on your skin, meaning it can be less greasy, less tacky, feel lighter, give you a nice
03:48skin finish, but it's not going to work better than the cheaper sunscreen. Next question. What
03:53does broad spectrum mean? Broad spectrum means that a sunscreen has been tested to protect against
03:58both UVA and UVB light. Generally, UVB light is the type that causes burns and UVA light is the
04:04type that causes early signs of aging. We recommend wearing a broad spectrum sunscreen because that's
04:09going to give you the best protection from both types of UV light. You'll know that your sunscreen
04:13is broad spectrum because it will say it on the front of the label. Look for the words broad
04:17spectrum and then you'll be good. Another question is, will sunscreen cause vitamin D deficiency?
04:23No. The studies that have been done on this haven't found any connection between daily sunscreen use
04:28and vitamin D deficiency. So there isn't a sunscreen that blocks 100% of UV light. If you're
04:33outside, some light is always going to be hitting your body. Bottom line is, sunscreen is not going
04:37to be the cause of vitamin D deficiency. Okay. What types of chemicals should I avoid in sunscreen?
04:43Unless you're allergic to a certain ingredient, there aren't really any chemicals that you have
04:47to avoid in sunscreens. The risks of sun exposure are much greater than the risks of applying
04:52sunscreen. Rather than avoiding chemicals, I would avoid certain sunscreen formats like powders or
04:58setting mists because as opposed to lotions and creams, it's really hard to apply the proper
05:02amount of these products. Odds are you're going to be left under protected. On to the next question.
05:07Is sunscreen fully waterproof? No. So you can buy sunscreens that are either water resistant,
05:14meaning they protect you from 40 minutes of time in the water, or very water resistant, meaning
05:19they protect you from 80 minutes of time in the water. You're less likely to get burned while
05:23you're in the water with these products. No sunscreen is completely waterproof, so it's
05:27really important to reapply when you come out or after you towel off. Next question. Should I still
05:33wear sunscreen if my makeup has SPF in it? Yes. We are always warning people about this. With a normal
05:39foundation application, you're really not going to apply enough that you're going to get that full
05:43SPF protection that's advertised on the bottle. In order to really get that level of protection,
05:48you would have to cake on so much that you would look ridiculous. Even if you're going to be wearing
05:52makeup, we recommend applying a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen underneath. Thanks so much for
05:58watching. Head to goodhousekeeping.com for more sunscreen tips.