Should You Put Sunscreen On Before or After Moisturizer

Sunscreen is the number one anti-aging skin product out there. If you want youthful, snatched skin you should be applying sunscreen multiple times a day—rain or shine. 

Sun exposure is the main culprit of SO MANY skin problems, including fine lines and wrinkles, sagging skin, dark spots, and textured patches. 

Luckily, you can shield yourself from the sun with sunscreen and protective clothing like sunglasses and our BOUJIE DRIVING GLOVES. 

Even more, you can learn more about preventative skincare in our founder Lauryn Bosstick’s book “Get The F*ck Out of the Sun.” It’s a book about why skincare is important and shares Lauryn’s best skincare secrets!!!

But, we don’t gate keep. One question we get asked all the time is when should you be applying sunscreen in your skincare routine—before or after moisturizer???

Here’s what you need to do:

Should You Put Sunscreen On Before or After Moisturizer 

So, sunscreen or moisturizer first? Your skincare routine should go like this: 

That means sunscreen comes after moisturizer is applied. This is because moisturizer soaks into your skin, whereas the type of sunscreen we recommend actually sits on top of the skin. 

If you put moisturizer on after, it won’t be absorbed into your skin properly. So, always do your moisturizer first, guys! Then, chase it with a sunscreen that’s SPF 30 or higher. (We recommend SPF 50.) 

Bonus points if you can find an SPF moisturizer for a little 2-in-1 action. We recommend Supergoop! Superscreen Daily Moisturizer SPF 40, SkinMedica Total Defense + Repair SPF 34, PREVAGE Anti-aging Moisture Cream SPF 30.

What Is Sunscreen?

Sunscreen is a topical personal care product that creates a barrier between your skin and the sun. It blocks out both UV rays and UVB rays that are bad for your health and beauty goals! 

The sun’s UV rays can cause premature signs of aging and increase your risk of skin cancer. Yikes. Both of those are a hard pass. 

Sun protection is essential for EVERYONE regardless of skin type or the weather forecast. Seriously, it needs to be on our skin every fucking day. 

Different Types of Sunscreen

Chemical Sunscreen

Chemical sunscreen is absorbed into the skin and applies as a thin, transparent gel. It’s easy to spread on your skin and works in about 15 minutes. 

Chemical sunscreen is normally what’s incorporated into skincare products, too. So, if your moisturizer or something doubles as a sunscreen, it probs has chemical sunscreen mixed in. 

However, chemical sunscreens aren’t everyone’s fave because the active ingredients are absorbed into your skin when you wear them. 

That means the chemicals are getting into your body and bloodstream from the sunscreen and could cause adverse health effects and maybe cancer. 

There is not a ton of research on this yet, but it’s good to keep in mind! 

Mineral Sunscreen

Mineral sunscreens are our preferred type of sunscreen. They’re also called “physical sunscreens,” because they actually sit on top of your skin and create a literal barrier that reflects the UV rays. 

It works immediately after it’s applied, which is a big plus. BUT, it does wear off faster and has to be reapplied more often. 

It also leaves a white, ashy finish which doesn’t always vibe with those hot girl summer goals. But, it’s really not that obvious and it comes in tinted versions for different skin tones. 

When To Apply Chemical Sunscreen

You should apply sunscreen after your moisturizer. Or, you can get a moisturizer or other skincare products that already have sunscreen mixed in.

Once you have chemical sunscreen on, you need to reapply every 2 hours. YES, even if you’re wearing makeup. No excuses.

Here’s how you can reapply sunscreen without fucking up your makeup. 

When To Apply Mineral Sunscreen

The rule of thumb is still 2 hours for mineral sunscreen, but if you’re sweating a bunch or you’re in the pool, expect to reapply more often. 

Apply mineral sunscreen after moisturizer like chemical sunscreen! 

Can You Mix Sunscreen With Moisturizer?

Definitely don’t mix sunscreen with moisturizer yourself. 

First of all, it’ll dilute the sunscreen and make it way less effective. Second of all, it could really fuck up the texture of your moisturizer. It may not absorb or apply as easily, so you’d basically ruin your pricey moisturizer. No thanks!!!

If you really want your moisturizer to play double time, just get a moisturizer with SPF.

17 Best Daily Sunscreens 

Here are SEVERAL high-quality sunscreens, depending on your unique skin needs:

Sunscreen should be applied after moisturizing! 

Sunscreen should be a part of your skincare routine everyday! It might be something you only think about when lying on the beach or sipping spritzers at a garden party, but sun exposure is ALWAYS a risk. 

To help you remember your daily sunscreen, grab the HOT MINUTE PLANNER. It’s a planner specifically for your skincare routines and goals. It’s sexy, practical, and pink. What more could you want???

You can find more skincare tips on the blog and, of course we have all the must-have skincare products at The Skinny Confidential Shop!