Do you currently wear sunscreen under your makeup? If you’re sheepishly hiding right now, then this article is for you. It’s vital that we protect ourselves from the sun whether you’re wearing makeup or not. But we know that many have rubbish experiences with sunscreen leaving a white cast, causing breakouts, or splitting under their makeup, all of which leads many to ditch applying SPF on their faces. We’re here to explain the how and the why of sunscreen and makeup in 2023. Keep reading to find out our top picks for the best tinted sunscreen in Australia.

What is sunscreen makeup?

It will come as no surprise that ‘sunscreen makeup’ is makeup with added SPF. Traditionally the level of SPF used in tinted moisturisers and lip balms was normally quite low at around SPF15 which doesn’t offer a ton of protection. Today, there are so many innovative products on the market and you can easily find moisturisers and foundations with SPF30 and even SPF50 for extra protection from the sun.  

Can you skip the sunscreen if you’re wearing makeup with SPF? 

With skin cancer continuing to account for serious illness in Australia, there’s never been more of a need to ensure we’re taking as many sun precautions as possible. In fact, Cancer Australia estimated that melanoma would become the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in all of Australia with cases continuing to rise every year, which is just shocking. Whilst wearing makeup that contains SPF does offer some protection, you should still make sure to apply an SPF30 or SPF50 face sunscreen underneath. 

How to use tinted sunscreen? 

It all starts with creating a really great base to apply your makeup. After cleansing your face and applying moisturiser and an optional primer, you need to then apply the best sunscreen under makeup. Supreme Screen from Ultra Violette is a great option as it’s not shiny and not matte so it won’t affect how the rest of your makeup looks, but it will keep you protected from UV rays. Next, comes tinted sunscreen. You can apply with your fingers working into the skin, or use a makeup brush to buff it in nice and naturally.  

The Best Sunscreen Makeup in 2023

1. Tinted Sunscreen from Ultra Violette

When it comes to a great tinted moisturiser with SPF, we love Dream Screen. It offers dewy, sheer coverage that goes on smooth for a skin-like finish and doesn’t disappear or end up all oily and patchy like others you might have tried. Wondering why you’d invest in this if you still have to wear sunscreen? The team ran studies and found you can wear less Supreme Screen face sunscreen if you’re applying Dream over the top. The test even shows that the SPF protection was higher! Supreme is SPF 64.32 alone or 65 when Dream is layered on top. Plus of course Dream Screen offers a natural looking layer of coverage for days when you don’t want to go makeup-free. 

1. SPF Lip Balm 

If you’ve ever got your pout burnt, you’ll understand just how painful it is. That’s why we love the fun, colourful lip balms from Ultra Violette. Sheen Screen comes in 5 different tinted shades and offers SPF50+ protection, which is huge! Added bonus, the formula is ultra hydrating too, so your lips will look and feel their best yet.

Are you inspired to start wearing sunscreen makeup? You can’t underestimate the importance of adopting a daily facial sunscreen routine, whether that involves tinted sunscreen or a regular one. The important thing is to make sure you’re wearing one and following other sun safety guidelines to keep yourself protected.