Many of us know that we need sunscreen but we’re put off by the fact that it makes us look oily.
Yes, sunscreen is very necessary because we need it to 1: to prevent getting sun-related skin diseases 2: to prevent premature ageing.
What we don’t want is the oily, shiny look that we get when we use sunscreen. This article will help you figure out how to make sunscreen not look oily
How to make sunscreen not look oily
Sunscreen is an absolute necessity when trying to maintain healthy skin. It will protect you from the sun’s rays.
It needs to be used all year round and not only when it’s warm or sunny outside.
Clouds filter out sunlight but there will still be UV rays that reach your skin. If you don’t wear sunscreen on a daily basis then you’ll end up ageing faster and possibly getting cancer.
That being said, no one wants the greasy skin look, it’s not a good look at all. I’m all for a radiant dewy glow but the greasy, slippery, shiny damp look? Not my cup of tea, it doesn’t have to be your cup of tea either.
I’ve got a great method to help you get rid of the look while still being protected from the sun.
Table of Contents
How to do it:
1. Wash your face
Before you apply the sunscreen on your face be sure to wash your face beforehand.
This will remove all the oil that is currently on your face and will make way for the sunscreen so it won’t have to be sitting on a bed of unhelpful oil (I’ve got a helpful oil tip later in the article).
Here is a great face wash that will cleanse your skin, remove oil but won’t dry it out. (If you can’t wash your face but have toner on hand start at the next step)
2. Use a toner:
Toners are great at removing any lingering oil left on your face. Using them is a great way to control the oil levels on your face.
In addition to this, toners balance the pH of your skin which is an added bonus.
This toner is well-loved and widely used.
3. Moisturize
Use a moisturiser on your skin that is oil-free.
If you can, use a moisturiser that is mattifying as this will combat and won’t compete with the oil in the sunscreen. This one will mattify without drying you out.
4. Apply your sunscreen
Apply your sunscreen onto your face and massage the sunscreen into your skin.
We generally don’t apply enough sunscreen so apply your sunscreen quite generously. We should be using 1/2 teaspoon on our face. This is an oil-free and lightweight sunscreen that you’ll love
This is a catch 22 because if you apply too much then this will look cakey and shiny. If you apply too little it won’t be protective enough. So apply small amounts at a time and build up.
Let the sunscreen sink into the skin before blotting it off with blotting sheet. If you don’t have blotting sheets use the inside of a two-ply tissue paper.
Apply a top layer:
If you decide to use makeup use a non-oily or mattifying foundation over your sunscreen to reduce the oil on your face.
This method will ensure that you are matte for hours after application.
NB: Be sure to include your neck when working on your face. This area needs to be treated just like your face to prevent premature ageing.
Additional tips:
Blot your face often: When you see or feel your skin getting oily a great way to combat this is to get blotting paper sheets and use them as needed. These can be found online or at makeup counters. These are a favourite.
Jojoba oil: It might seem like a bad idea to use an oil before a sunscreen but this is a great moisturiser on its own because it mimics the natural sebum on your face. This means that your skin won’t produce more oil if applied. This jojoba oil is great to use.
Pick an oil-free sunscreen: There are a couple of sunscreens on the market that are oil-free. Not all sunscreens will leave your face greasy and shiny.
Note: As with any new product you need to test it on your skin to check if it will give you a bad reaction. Do a patch test to make sure the sunscreen works well with your skin.
To do this apply the sunscreen on a small patch of your skin and leave it on for at least 24 hours.
If the product has no negative effect then you can use the product on the rest of your skin. If you get a bad reaction you know the sunscreen is not for you.
Why are sunscreens greasy?
The sunscreens that have that greasy or tacky feeling are designed that way to make sure they really adhere to the skin and they don’t come off easily.
These types are usually water-resistant or waterproof and they can be used all day that the beach. They provide a good amount of protection because they don’t come off easily.
They have a pretty substantial amount of the sun-blocking agent in them. Their unfortunate side effect is that they have an oily or a tacky texture.
If you look on the back of the bottle, the formula will contain acrylate polymers or silicone polymers making them really good at adhering to the skin
How do I make my sunscreen less white?
The sunscreens that leave a white residue on your skin after application contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These are the two ingredients mainly used in physical sunscreens.
They are called physical sunscreens because the titanium oxide and zinc oxide reflect the sun’s rays away from the skin.
The other type of sunscreen is called a chemical sunscreen. These types of sunscreens absorb the suns rays and scatter them.
If you don’t want to go out and buy a chemical sunscreen you need to rub the sunscreen into your skin and allow it to absorb complexly.
This absorption may be quick and take 15 minutes or it can take as long as 2 hours to fully absorb.
Alternatively, you can apply a layer of foundation over the white residue if you don’t have the time to wait for the sunscreen to disappear.
What is PA +++ in sunscreen?
You may find this labelling on bottles of broad-spectrum sunscreen, it helps identify the strength of the sunscreen.
The strength of the SPF on sunscreen is the measure of how strongly the sunscreen will protect you against the UVB rays of the sun.
The PA++ indicates how strongly it will protect your skin from the UVA rays of the sun. This labelling is generally used by the Japanese to measure sun protection factor but is being used more and more all over. The more plus signs there are, the stronger the sun protection factor the sunscreen has.
What is the safest spray sunscreen?
Spray sunscreen is super convenient, easy to use and quite fun to use. If you’re looking for the safest spray sunscreen you should have a look at the Sun Bum Original Moisturizing Sunscreen Spray.
Its safe for both adults and children to use. It is water-resistant and protects your skin from the UVA and UVB rays of the sun.
As a plus, you don’t have to worry about any nasty chemicals or ingredients that can harm your skin when using this product. It contains no oxybenzone or octinoxate.
It is also oil-free, PABA free, gluten-free, paraben-free and it also cruelty-free. As a bonus, it contains vitamin e which helps support good skin health by supporting the immune system and the functions of the cells.
What is the best natural sunscreen?
Using a natural sunscreen is maybe one of the best things you can do for your skin. The best natural and organic sunscreen you can use is the Two Peas Organics Sunscreen SPF 30.
This is a mineral sunscreen that can be used by the whole family. The sunscreen has an SPF of 30 and also protects against the UVA and the UVB rays of the sun.
It uses zinc oxide to reflect the sun’s rays from your skin. It is chemical-free and has no fragrance so it won’t irritate the skin. On top of that, it’s waterproof so it can be worn while swimming.
Can sunscreen break you out?
Yes, sunscreen can break you out. Some sunscreens are made using comedogenic ingredients. These are ingredient have a higher chance of breaking you out.
Comedogenic ingredients can be found in many products. They have their positive effects such as sealing in moisture but unfortunately, they can clog the pores and break you out.
So if you’re looking for a sunscreen make sure to look for products that are non-comodogenic.
Which is better SPF 30 or SPF 50?
There isn’t much of a difference between using SPF 30 and SPF 50. The only difference is that SPF 30 blocks 97 percent of the suns days and SPF 50 blocks 98 percent of the suns rays. The recommended amount of SPF to use us SPF 30.
Most of us don’t use enough sunscreen on our bodies and our face. We should be using ½ a teaspoon of sunscreen on our face and neck and a shot glass of sunscreen on our bodies.
If you use an SPF 50 sunscreen but you don’t apply enough sunscreen you’ll be better off than if you used SPF 30 and equally did not applying enough sunscreen. Still, you should always aim to apply as much sunscreen as you need as often as needed
Do I really need to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours?
Yes, topping up your sunscreen is important and necessary, and you do really need to apply your sunscreen every 2 hours.
Sunscreen only last for 2 hours, as you spend time out in the sun the sunscreen degrades over time.
By the time the 2 hours are up the sunscreen isn’t giving you the protection it gave you when you applied it 2 hours ago so you need to reapply.
Reapplying is especially necessary if you’ll be out in the sun the whole day, and applying sunscreen should be done daily regales of the weather
What are the worst sunscreens?
Unfortunately, not all sunscreens are made equal. There are some ingredients used in sunscreens are dangerous to your health and the health of the environment around you.
Ingredients that are dangerous to the environment include oxybenzone and octinoxate. These two ingredients are harmful to coral reefs and the ocean life living in those reefs and surrounding areas.
Because of the increase in sunscreen use Hawaii has banned these two chemicals because they cause deformities, DNA damage, bleaching and coral reef deaths.
Oxybenzone has also been linked to low sperm count in men and endometriosis in women. This ingredient is found in chemical sunscreens.
If you want to avoid these chemicals you should use a physical sunscreen or check the ingredient list before buying.
How do you remove sunscreen?
You can remove sunscreen properly by oil cleansing. Because sunscreens are designed to be resistant to water and rubbing you’ll need something that can break it up without damaging your skin.
Oil cleansing can be used to remove sunscreen well as makeup, dirt, debris and other external irritants.
Oil cleansing works off of the idea that “like dissolves like”. The oil will dissolve the oil-based or waterproof sunscreens that you’re using. When you apply the oil you need to massage it into your skin for 60 seconds.
After this time you can rinse it off with water. The sunscreen and anything else on your face will bind to the oil and when you rinse it off the oil will emulsify turning milky and be rinsed off by the water.
This is a great oil cleanser you can use.
That’s it for my guide on how to make sunscreen look not oily. I hope you found this article interesting and helpful, please share it so others can know all about how to tackle this issue.
