We all know sun care is an essential a part of a skin regimen — whether it’s sunny or overcast. And the best way to look and feel good under the sun is by using moisturizing products with SPF and reapplying every 90 minutes.
But with so many products and options out there, it can be confusing to know what to use. How much SPF should my sunscreen have? How often should I apply sunscreen? Should I have different products for face and body?
We turned to the skin experts at Chapter Aesthetic Studio to get answers to our summer skincare questions!
Sunscreen Tips: Dos and Don’ts
Is a high SPF (50 and above) sunscreen better than a regular SPF 30 sunscreen?
Yes, with SPF 30 you can expect to protect from just over 96% of UVB rays. When you get to an SPF 50 or higher, you can actually cover about 98%. Once you get above an SPF 50 though, there really isn’t much difference in how much coverage you get from both UVA and UVB rays.
Do you really have to wait 15 minutes to go outside/go swimming after applying sunscreen? Why?
Ideally, yes, you should wait at least 15 minutes. The biggest thing with letting that time pass is that it allows the SPF to absorb into your skin. If you go into the water too soon, you can actually wash it off and not get the protection you need.
How much sunscreen is enough?
It depends on which area of the body you’re protecting.
For the face and neck, you need to put about a dime size amount on. When you’re looking at the body, you need about the size of a quarter to a half dollar size.
We say for a full body, you need about the amount that would fill up a small shot glass (about 1.5 to 2 ounces) to cover and get full absorption.
How often do you need to reapply sunscreen?
Ideally every two hours. If you’re going to be outside for a long period of time, we highly recommend reapplying more frequently (if possible).
What if you already have makeup on or your face is really greasy outside?
So, that’s a common question that we get. We carry a product called Sunforgettable Brush-On Block and that’s a great alternative to a cream or liquid SPF. With this, you can reapply frequently without having the greasy, oily feeling. If you are wearing makeup, we also carry an Ultra-Lite Mineral SPF.
Mineral SPFs are going to be much more beneficial when you are dealing with oily or highly acne prone skin.
Do you really need a separate sunscreen for your face versus body?
Not necessarily, but a lot of our guests do prefer a tinted SPF for their face, so that they can use it as a multi-functioning product that provides coverage and protection.
If you’re using an un-tinted product, you don’t need a specific one for your face and body. However, if you have a more full-coverage SPF such as the Colorescience FLEX or our Tinted Ultra-Lite Mineral Shield, you may want to have a separate one for body.
Can you skip sunscreen if you’re wearing SPF-protective clothing?
We highly encourage you not to skip sunscreen, and instead use both.
SPF clothing will protect you to some degree, but you definitely want to apply SPF to any other areas of the body that are still exposed to the sun.
Even if it’s cloudy out, the rays can actually be more apparent, and you can still get sunburned with cloudy skies.
And if you ever take your SPF or UV protection clothing off, then you would want to be sure to put some sunscreen on.
Can you tan if you have sunscreen on?
You definitely can. Unfortunately, that 2% of UVA/UVB rays will still get in and your melanin production will still come forward which is what causes the pigmentation to darken.
Should you still use your sunscreen if it’s expired?
Nope! If it’s expired, it means it won’t protect you.
What are some treatments that guests should consider doing during the summer to keep their skin looking great?
So, our favorite treatments to do during the summer are monthly Skinwave facials. These are great to keep your pores clean, keep your skin hydrated, and really ensure that we’re putting antioxidants back into the skin.
Another great treatment for summer, that we highly recommend are low intensive laser treatments such as our CoolPeel laser or even microneedling. These are both treatments that have minimal downtime that can give you corrective results.
And of course, injectables are a great treatment to keep up with during the summer for preventative aging.
Are there any specific face or body treatments that are better to do during the summer?
We always say that with any sort of treatments in the summer, we want to make sure that you don’t have the potential of being outside and really active. There are treatments, like a more ablative CO2 lasers or chemical peels, which can be irritated by the sun.
So, typically, treatments with low downtime such as regular facials or less invasive treatments (like microneedling or lasers) are a great option.
What is YOUR favorite sunscreen?
We have two! One is the Ultra Lite Mineral SPF from our Chapter line. What we love about that is it provides a really light tint and it is ultra-light on the skin so you don’t need to worry about feeling oily throughout the day. It’s great protection at an SPF 50, and it also comes in non-tinted. So if I don’t want a tint one day and just want to reapply, it’s a great option.
Our second favorite is the Sunforgettable Brush-On Block from Colorescience. It’s in my purse, in my beach bag, it comes everywhere with me because it’s a great addition to add-on and reapply with a really easy application and gives a nice airbrushed, flawless finish to your skin.
They have specially formulated facial moisturizers with SPF to make your skincare routine flawless this summer.
For more information on the products mentioned and to book services, visit or call Chapter Aesthetic Studio today!
