Sunscreen 101: The best products to use and how to apply them

But which sunscreen to use? And when exactly in your morning skincare routine should you apply it?

Sunscreen should be the last layer of skincare a person applies, says Gunatheesan – so after serums and moisturiser, but before any make-up.

For people with sensitive skin conditions of any kind (common ones include rosacea, psoriasis, eczema or any other impaired skin barrier) Gunatheesan recommends physical sunscreens over chemical sunscreens.

“More and more research is showing that zinc is probably the safest sun protecting agent for UVA and UVB [rays],” she says, noting one of the most popular physical sunscreen ingredients. “Because it’s soothing. You think about it, you use it in nappy balm for your kids’ dermatitis. It’s anti-inflammatory.” And many new zinc formulations like Rationale’s #3 Tinted Serum also avoid leaving a dreaded white cast on skin, she adds, making them particularly suitable for people with darker skin tones.

The other key physical sunscreen ingredient to look out for is titanium dioxide. Both that and zinc work by reflecting the sun’s rays immediately after application.

Chemical sunscreens, which contain ingredients like avobenzone, octocrylene and benzophenone, absorb UVA and UVB rays and cause a chemical reaction in a person’s skin to break them down. These sunscreens take 20 minutes, after application, to be effective.

For many people, chemical sunscreens, which are just as effective as physical sunscreens, don’t cause any adverse reaction. “But this [chemical reaction] releases heat, [which] can be worse for sensitive skin or rosacea patients,” Gunatheesan says.

People using any sunscreen, she adds, should still check the ingredients in their tube and undergo a patch test for three consecutive days on their forearm to see how they react, because formulas can feature nut oils or other ingredients that frequently cause skin sensitivity.

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But most importantly, people need to find a sunscreen that they enjoy the feel of on their skin, Gunatheesan says. “If it’s going to prevent skin cancer, the best sunscreen is the one that you’re going to use.”

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