For me, I always try to stay away from moisturisers which claim to have sun protection. Or, I always follow with a high factor sunscreen to keep my skin protected. What I have observed till day is that all the moisturisers which come with spf claims do not have the sun protection ingredients mentioned in the ingredient list which discourages me a lot.
Moisturisers with spf give same protection as sunscreen?
Actually, I have observed this that moisturisers don’t give enough sun protection when compared to sunscreen. I always get tanned I don’t apply sunscreen whether its a physical or chemical one.
Every product has a specific function. So, if you think your moisturiser can protect your skin against sun, you should probably re-evaluate the sun protection ability of your moisturiser. What do you think?PS: This post pertains to products made in India. I am not sure how the products made in US are tested!
Hi swati.I do agree with every word you say.I also don’t use moisturizer with spf,as i find it very lacking in protecting from sun damage.honestly saying,i don’t trust sunscreens,i believe in sun-blocks.They are very good for indian summer.Some of my friends were using Vaseline healthy white and they were going out in the sun without caring,thinking it will protect them.But in the end,they do get heavily tanned 😉 They ask me why i didnt tanned like them?coz,i was using sunblock 🙂 So bottom line is,dont think you can skip sunscreen/sunblock if your moisturizer has some spf factor.Why spend the extra money on a spf-moisturizer if it is going to work only as a normal moisturizer.
hey Monali…there is a small misconception in what you said that sunscreens and sunblocks are different!!! actually, it was just a naming convention and it was meant to misguide the consumer but now sunblock label has been banned. actually, the sunscreens above SPF 30 are the best and if they are good and stable sunscreens, they will not let you tan that much as compared to unstable sunscreens which most chemical sunscreens are!!! which one do you use, btw???
Hi swati,in all the magazines and beauty blogs i read,there is shown a remarkable difference between sunscreen and sunblocks.I use lotus herbal safe sun- SPF 30 (PA+++)cream.I also use lakme perfect radiance compact for my face(which claim to have spf 20).
you have probably not read the latest FDA directive!!! this was released last year around the time when I wrote about sunscreens in September.
“”Waterproof,” “sweatproof” or “sunblock” claims. Manufacturers cannot label sunscreens as “waterproof” or “sweatproof,” or identify their products as “sunblocks,” because these claims overstate their effectiveness. Sunscreens also cannot claim to provide sun protection for more than 2 hours without reapplication or to provide protection immediately after application (for example– “instant protection”) without submitting data to support these claims and obtaining FDA approval.”
source: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/UnderstandingOver-the-CounterMedicines/ucm258468.htm
hope this helps 🙂 and, yes, its good that you are looking out for PA rating also. that is the measure for UVA protection. spf is the measure for UVB protection. I had to do a post on that too. God!! there are just too many pending posts 🙁 gotta prepare a schedule 😀
Yes I agree your point.. I ll never trust my day cream or mositurizer as a sun protection cream.. i use to blend my day cream and sunscreen if i have to face the sun..
oh yes, that’s a good thing. I always follow with sunscreen only 🙂
I don’t require my moisturizer to have spf if my sunscreen already offers good protection. Moisturizer is moisturizer. The job it does is to moisturize my skin. If it contains spf, that’s good. But it can’t replace sunscreen.
By the way, I think you raise a very interesting point I didn’t think about: the ingredients in a self-proclaimed spf moisturizer. Next time, I gotta check out their ingredient list to see how much spf ingredients are in it. LOL
hey Amanda…generally those ingredients include oxybenzone and it doesn’t really provide a full spectrum sun protection. and, yes, you are right the job of every product is different and they should be used for the sole purpose they provide. But, many tend to pick up all-in-one products. Especially, TM’s or BB creams are becoming really popular now that they can be used as a moisturizer, foundation and sunscreen, all-in-one without including the effort of going and digging into 3 products and applying them separately.
I have a question. Don’t know if it’s silly or not. I’ve been using a normal Olay moisturizer with SPF 15 and a friend told me I have to wash it off and to treat it like make up. I always thought moisturizers were just like lotions and washing it off at the end of the day would be unnecessary because sometimes I put a little on before bed as well. So which is it? TIA!
yes, your friend is right 🙂 some products have ingredients which are present in makeup and foundation products!!! so, it is better if you cleanse the skin to remove the residue properly. hope this helps 🙂 even sunscreens and moisturizer which act as a makeup base or with spf should be cleansed from the skin.
Hi.. Can someone tell me if both Sun screen and Moisturizers are required as daily care? if so, which should be applied first?? and any brand suggestions??
hi Sheetal…both of them are important for their own functions. yes, both have to be used everyday. first apply moisturizer and then the sunscreen. i would recommend neutrogena sunscreen and moisturizer depends on your skin type.
hi swathi!!
Right now am pretty confused about the products that are to be used..In what order do i need to use these-Moisturiser,bb cream,sunscreen and powder?..and most of bb creams already contain spf..so do i need to use sunscreen again separately everyday?and which moisturiser and sunscreen do you suggest??
thank you!!
well, honestly, you don’t really need these many products!! if you ask me, bb creams with spf do not fulfill the function of sunscreen properly. that is what i had discussed in this post. so, you can go with moisturizer followed by sunscreen. if you use tinted sunscreen, you do not need bb cream. compact or loose powder is to finish the look and control oil which can be dusted over sunscreen as well. yes, sunscreen should be used separately.
for sunscreen, i would suggest neutrogena ultra sheer and for moisturizer, i have not yet found a good one so can’t give you any recos but you can try lotus white glow emulsion. i found it decent for combi skin.
“What I have observed till day is that all the moisturisers which come with spf claims do not have the sun protection ingredients mentioned in the ingredient list which discourages me a lot.”
Errr, of course not. Those ingredients will be listed at the top of the list, in the “active ingredients” section just like a medication or antibacterial lotion. It doesn’t mean they’re not in the product, it just means they’re listed in a different section because we need to know the amounts that are in the product (for example, 7.5% zinc oxide) so that we know how much sun protection it gives.
Any item that’s sold in the US at least with an SPF listed must undergo rigorous testing to get that SPF rating. Otherwise they can only say the product has sun protection but not list how much. You’ll find that most SPF moisturizers and facial sunblocks have the same active ingredients. If your skin is a bit drier, you may need to use a separate light moisturizer underneath, but otherwise an SPF moisturizer (or a BB cream with SPF) will give the same sun protection as a basic facial sunblock, but it may agree with certain peoples’ skin more. And of course, SPF moisturizers, just like facial sunblocks, must be reapplied every few hours that you’re in the sun, plus after excessive sweating or after swimming, or they won’t be able to do their job.
It seems rather silly of me to state these products are ineffective for such spurious reasoning, and there’s no reason to buy two products when one will do the job. Unless you like adding an extra step to your morning routine, that is 😛
*rather silly of you, not of me. I can’t brain right now, apparently.
thanks for all the information but this post was pertaining to the products made in India and not US!! I guess I should mention that so will do 🙂
and, thanks for all the kind words…very respectful of you!
I used to purchase a moisturizer made with marine algae or something like it, it did have a faint “sea” smell but felt very, very light and was excellent. Now all moisturizers have sunscreen which I do not require since I’m disabled and not exposed to the sun. My face breaks out if I use anything oily and cant go to stores to try things out. Would a “night cream” be better for me as moisturizer? Anybody heard of algae or green tea moderately priced face creams with NO OIL or SUNSCREEN? Thank you!
I am disabled and never exposed to the sun. My face breaks out with sunscreens which I don’t need but I do need a good moisturizer, anti-aging or firming if such thing actually works, very light with NO OIL. What would be the difference with a “night cream” (same conditions)? It’s been so many years since I purchased these products that I was shocked when I ordered one in Amazon to find out it was basically a sunscreen but advertised as moisturizer? I’m sooo confused! I used to purchase one from a doctor that was supposedly made out of algae or something from the sea and had a faint “sea” smell but extremely light. They don’t have it anymore. Any ideas, please??? Thank you! Viv 🙂