The age old question of any skin fanatic…
We don’t step foot outside without our sunscreen. We reapply. We know we need to apply enough. But how much exactly is enough?
Well, scientifically…
If you want to achieve the SPF listed on your bottle, the magic number is 2 grams per square centimetre (thanks Franz Greiter for such a weird and unachievable way of calculating SPF because it’s given me hours of educational content!).
But let’s keep it real-
Who’s measuring their sunscreen density or calculating the exact surface area of their face (for those into details, it’s on average 565 square centimetres for women)
Incoming: the finger-length method.
Apply sunscreen along the length of two to three fingers and that is theoretically ‘enough’ for the face and neck.
BUT: How long is a finger length?
Is it right from your palm to your tip? Pinky vs index finger?
Is this different if you’re using a thick creamy sunscreen or a runny fluid? How hard must you squeeze the tube?
How thick must the line be? And well – I like to be specific: is it in fact two or three fingerlengths? And what if you have a bigger or smaller face?
When it comes to our creamy 3D Defense SPF50+ Mineral Sunscreen: I’ve done the exercise and here are the deets:
1 – Squeeze your sunscreen along the length of your index and middle finger from the crease where your finger connects to your palm right up to the tip. Just TWO fingers.
2 – This will give you exactly one heaped ¼ teaspoon (the other method of measuring sunscreen often touted).
The Two-Coat Sunscreen Rule
If (like the majority of my patients!)- this is still too confusing – to make sure that you’re putting on enough – simply apply your sunscreen twice. Start with your regular amount (probably too little), then go back in and apply a second layer. Think of applying sunscreen in the same way you would paint a wall (because I’ve painted so many walls in my lifetime): one coat isn’t enough for full coverage so apply a second coat.
