Don't rub your sunscreen

🙋🏻 I'm Michelle, a chemistry PhD, cosmetic chemist and science educator, here to explain how beauty products work, debunk myths, and help you make smarter decisions about your skincare, hair and makeup!

[Waste_less_want_less]

Why is sunscreen so freaking temperamental??

[lululumpia]

sigh i'm sick of all these caveats with sunscreen as a brown skinned person. i can finally find a sunscreen formula i like but if i have to rub it too much it's no good... i'm so tired 😞

[laibanush]

You're right. A lot of influencers do that and I always knew it lowered the protection. Like you said, if our sunscreen can't remove white cast without rubbing, then it's time to change that sunscreen. We have so many cosmetically elegant sunscreen options these days.

[thefoodproject]

Theres so much with sunscreen..mineral chemical, stinging eyes, oily, clog pores, not rubbing, white cast...all this makes me not want to even bother and just wear a hat.

[sarahcarroll]

This is why I rarely bother with mineral sunscreens anymore. Even on my relatively light skin, they almost always take too much manipulation (or too little product) to make them look even halfway decent. I've found a few that are *okay, * but organic formulas are just so much less temperamental in terms of application.

[kohk]

I guess I’ll rub until I can have access to better sunscreens or there are better and affordable formulations available (available to me, at least). At 75% efficacy, necessary rubbing is still better than not wearing any sunscreen at all. I’m a daily sunscreen wearer and I use hats whenever possible, though I only apply once a day (except when doing outdoors activities, such as hiking or swimming). Unfortunately, perfect application every two hours of every day is not compatible with most people’s skin tone, finances, and lifestyle. Doing what you can to protect your skin is still better than doing nothing at all.

[etherean]

Not learning this after buying 500ml of sunscreen 😭
Why can't they just make one that all complexions can use easily??? I'll try seeing if the white disappears on it's own but I doubt it (I just switched to Bondi sands as it leaves me less shiny but I have to rub a little)

Also, could you please demonstrate how to do it properly? Esp if it has a white cast?

[shinggi_banggi_]

Here’s my tip. Layer it. Don’t put too much at once. Put little by little and let the thin layers absorb so you won’t end with white cast. It works really well for me and I can put the necessary amount.

[YAWSSSSSS]

Starting to realize those ladies who walk around during the day with the large UV vizor over there face are really working smarter and not harder

[dmvfosterkittens]

If I don't rub sunscreen in it is just a sticky mess that will get mixed in and moved around with my makeup. I don't understand how I can just put that much of something on my skin and leave it there to slip off.

[peterkloostermann]

Yes! I see this so often in review videos! But also people that measure out 1 gram for their face, but then rub it in with the whole area of both hands, also spreading it over the neck. While the initial amount was maybe enough for just the face, including the area of the hands, and neck, it simply means they dont have 2 mg/cm2 on their face.

[TheOtherChosenOnes]

Don’t show this to my mum, she used to put a white layer over me and sent me off to haunt the beach.

[SparkelRainbowPower]

God applying and reapplying everyday just gets harder with every new sunscreen fact 😭

[FantasmagoriaAhoy]

I bought some foam sun screen this summer. It's AMAZING. No white cast and no need to rub. Texture like hair mousse and feels like lighter moisturizer on the skin and you can put makeup on over it easily. Look for foam sunscreen! Mine says it's specifically for the face, so hopefully you can find the right product for you.

[pragyadas]

Just on point explanation..i have always wondered about this and how most of the time people even use their palms to rub in the sunscreen and even serums and moisturizers..now that sunscreen and other stuff is on both of your palms and ur face.. surface area just increased and product wasted.

[ericatucker]

I knew it! I didn't have any evidence for it, but I from what I know from this channel I had a feeling! Glad it was confirmed!

[huskybaiano]

The advantage of tinted sunscreen is exactly this: you apply and rub it just enough to blend with your face. Any more rubbing usually ends up with product on your hands and your clothes, just like with a regular foundation.

[buibuiopolismayor]

A lot of Japanese sunscreen promote themselves as anti-friction meaning, rubbing against clothing, mask, or fingers will not disrupt the protective layers

[artheaux]

I gave up with sunscreen. Full stop. There are so many stupid little rules you need to keep in mind in order for it to work. It suck’s especially if you wear makeup.

You have to apply two finger amount, reapply every 2 hours, it has to be the right SPF or you’ll get a white cast/ashy, it has to be compatible with your skincare, you can’t rub it in too much. 😅😅😅

Enough is enough. I’m applying it before I go out, and that’s it. Whatever happens, happens.

[OneOddOwl]

Lot of very smug replies to the understandably discouraged people in the comments. Here are some aspects that are not covered:
If I am to apply two fingers worth, what about the fact that people have different length fingers? Is it supposed to be the full width of my finger as well? What if the formula is liquidy and just tries to run off?
If it leaves a white cast, the advice is to find one that doesn't. So I have to look for that, one that doesn't break me out, and one that is affordable. I can't afford to buy every sunscreen trying to find the right one. The better formulas tend to be more expensive.
And if it leaves a white cast, but otherwise I like the sunscreen, the advice is to just cover it with makeup. Will the application of makeup end with me removing more of the sunscreen from my skin? What if I don't want to wear makeup? Makeup makes my skin break out more. And even if I could find makeup that didn't, I can never find one that matches my skin color, and doesn't just make me look orange. I've tried both cool and warm colors, it always turns orange. Also that makeup is an added cost.
Additionally, to follow the directions of reapplication every two hours, I would go through a bottle a week. Even the cheapest sunscreens would be difficult to afford if I have to purchase that many of them. I would also have to carry it with me everywhere. And remember when two hours have passed. And if I am wearing makeup, I would smear that around with reapplication and look ridiculous.
Like many people, I am discouraged by this new aspect of trying to wear sunscreen. I'm not going to give up wearing it entirely, but I don't think I'm ever going to be able to do it properly.