SPF should be a non-negotiable part of your daily skincare routine. It’s known to help prevent potentially deadly skin cancers and can also help keep skin looking bright and evenly toned, preventing pigmentation and other challenges.
While it’s necessary year-round, it’s even more important now, as the UV levels are highest in Australia and New Zealand during spring and summer.
And yes, we know sunscreen is a bore. It can feel sticky, mess with makeup and be hard to top-up.
That’s why we want to introduce you to three SPF innovations that make using it more appealing:
Try a sunscreen serum
L-R: Avène Sunsitive Sunscreen Serum SPF 50+; BOOST LAB Goody Goody Sun Drops SPF50+ Serum; Bondi Sands Sunny Daze Hydrating SPF50+ Face Fluid Drops; Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face SPF50+ Brightening Sun Serum, Alpha-H Dawn to Dusk SPF50+ Serum
A new breed of SPF ‘sun drops,’ also known as sunscreen serum, slips seamlessly into the routine, offering hydrating benefits and forming a weightless, protective veil over skin.
Combining skincare ingredients and broad spectrum SPF filters, what we love about these new ‘skin-screen’ formulations is that they come in a very liquid form applied from a dropper that feels like spreading a serum over skin, rather than a thick cream.
They leave a lovely radiant finish, and should be used as the last step in your skincare routine, applied all over the face. If you find skin looks a bit shiny, pop a sweep of translucent powder over the top.
They also often have hydrating and skin-nourishing ingredients and plant extracts, so you’ll get a skin-boosting dose of beneficial ingredients as well.
Spritz an SPF spray
L-R: Image Skincare Daily Prevention Protect and Refresh Mist SPF30; Naked Sundays Hydrating Glow Mist SPF50+; Bondi Sands SPF 50+ Fragrance Free Sunscreen Mist; EdandI Quick Screen SPF50+
SPF facial sprays that form an invisible veil of protection are a relatively new innovation. Previously, sunscreen sprays applied a jet of white sunscreen that needed to be spread and rubbed in like traditional formulas.
Now though, there’s a new wave of invisible mists using modern SPF filters that allow you to spray your face to top up SPF protection without leaving a streaky mess.
In fact, most can even be applied over makeup.
However with sprays there are some tips that need to be adhered to, to make sure you’re getting proper protection: Make sure you’re holding the spray close – but not too close – to skin and spray liberally, ensuring skin is well covered. Applying while in a windy area outdoors may affect your coverage.
Doing several passes over skin with the spray will ensure you haven’t missed a spot, as with clear sprays it can be difficult to tell
Try glow drops
L-R: Naked Sundays Cabana Glow Serum Drops SPF50; Naked Sundays Cabana Glow Blush SPF50; Ultra Violette Queen Screen Super Glow Drops Bronzing and Illuminating
Glow drops are seriously trending right now. There are plenty of versions of the illuminating and/or bronzing liquids, used as a glowy base for makeup or simply to created the appearance of tan, radiant, healthy-lookin skin, going viral on social media.
The innovation we’re here for, are the ones that also incorporate SPF in their formulas.
These products usually aren’t applied in a large enough volume to count as full SPF protection, but can help boost your skin’s protection.
Australia SPF brand Ultra Violette has just released bronzing and illumination SPF glow drops that can be safely mixed with their sunscreen serum without diluting its protective nature.
Naked Sundays also offers Cabana Glow SPF50+ Mineral Glow Serum Drops in a four shades, and even a glowy blush formula with SPF 50 protection.
A quick reminder
Since no sunscreen blocks 100% of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, it’s also important to seek shade and wear protective clothing whenever possible, including a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses with UV protection.
No matter what type of sunscreen you use, make sure you reapply it every two hours when outdoors or immediately after swimming or sweating.
