Is The SPF In Moisturiser Enough Protection? We Ask A Derm

Wear SPF - period.

From skin cancer to burns, fine lines to pigmentation, we're all more than aware of the damaging effects UV rays have on the skin. Yet, so many of us fail to wear SPF every single day. Sometimes you just forget, sometimes you couldn't be bothered with washing your face let alone applying suncream and sometimes the weather is so dreary you just can't justify putting on SPF.

So, for many of us, using a daytime moisturiser that also contains SPF is a total no-brainer. Hydrated skin and sun protection in one — what more could you need? Well, it turns out - more SPF.

"Unless you use a teaspoon amount (or more) of moisturiser/foundation the factor in the product won't protect your skin, so I would never count it as my SPF," warns Ciara Darcy, Dublin-based skincare consultant.

Allow us to explain.

As a rule, suncream is meant to sit on the skin to act as a defence between your face and the sun. It doesn't penetrate the skin, because it's supposed to block out all those harmful UV rays. When it comes to moisturisers, however, the method of action is the opposite. Their very purpose is to penetrate the skin, adding moisture that wasn't already there.

But the reason why your moisturiser containing SPF isn't working as well as you thought comes from more than just the products' ability to penetrate your skin. Instead, it's about the sunscreen's ability to fully live up to its SPF number, as mixing it with other ingredients dilutes the formula. That, and the fact that you're supposed to continually apply sunscreen throughout the day (which you may not want to do with your moisturiser, based on your skin type or the product's price).