Every Two Hours?

[MARISHKA]

I usually apply a moisturizer on my face first then I put SPF 55 sunscreen on then I put a cream foundation with SPF 15. Do I actually dilute the SPF by doing it? And how to apply a sunscreen correctly? Can anybody suggest a very good sunscreen?

[jessica9]

marishka,
there is another post on here about how applying topicals first can possibly interfere with protection. more in the sense that the protection can easily slide off the face or not be absorbed. a lot of dermatologists recommend using a moisturizer first and then sunscreen. i myself use a small amount of prevage, wait till it absorbs (which it does quite well) and then apply my sunscreen, which absorbs very, very well. so i do use a topical, and perhaps others absorb better than others, but my sunscreen is absorbed, so I would look for the same thing. If you find yourself haveing to blend the sunscreen in to get it to absorb, then perhaps you should find a different moisturizer.
what sunscreen are you using with spf 55? what are the ingredients rather? If you are using physical blockers like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and then use a cream foundation with the same ingredients, I don't think this causes a problem, but I am not sure. Does mixing lower sphs with higher ones with physical blockers also decrease the spf as it does with chemical sunscreens? I don't think it does, but I am not sure what the result is. if your are using a chemical sunscreen, chances are your cream foundation is interacting, because makeup uses the afore mentioned ingredients. If you are using something with avobenzone (which has many other names - try googling around to make sure yours isn't using a form of it) then the makeup should be diluting your sunscreen protection. my sunscreen with meroxyl also contains a form of avobenzone, so it can also interfere with makeup potentially.
The general public is not really told about these sort of interactions, so do they interact significantly? I don't think anyone knows conclusively to what degree. As far as a really good sunscreen, I think it depends on what you want and don't want. A lot of people here seem to use physical blockers because they offer full spectrum protection and do not need to be reapplied as often. People also tend to underapply them to avoid a whitish cast, so often are not receiving proper protection. A chemical sunscreen is for the most part absorbed into the skin. After two hours in direct sunlight, the chemicals degrade and you need to reapply. But, they are cosmetically more appealing, and because of this, people are liable to apply it correctly and get the full protection. But then you run the risk of interactions with makeup, which pretty much all contain titanium dioxide. But if you are applying a physical blocker, which sits on top of the skin, you risk rubbing off your protection and lessening it while applying makeup, so there are really good sunscreens, but I think a lot of what you want will depend on your daily routine. The helioplex sunscreens that neutrogena have are supposed to be quite photostable, and are non-shiny. But if you want to wear makeup, it could crumble off. Ugh..you can never win it seems! The sunscreen I use is touted as "the best sunscreen in the world" because it is extremely photostable and offers great uva protection. It is expensive though because it contains Meroxyl XL, which is not available in the U.S.. So I pay a pretty penny. As far as the clear-zinc formulations, those were made to avoid the whitish cast, but in return, the amount of protection is lessened. So I think with sunscreen it is always a compromise. Considering these things, think about what you want, and perhaps myself and others can offer some suggestions.
I think the rule is 1/8 of a teaspoon for the face? You need to apply a consistent layer. When I apply mine, my face is white, and it absorbs pretty quickly. I read someplace that after about 1 minute, you can blend just slightly without disturbing the protection. Hope this helps. Let us know what your routine is and the ingredients you are using.

[MARISHKA]

[Jouke]

[amyde]

jessica,
have you come to any new conclusions since you posted this in 2005?
Are you still using LRP anthelios and are you re-applying?

After exhaustive research, it seems that LRP is the best route for high PPD protection.