Dermatologist Shereene Idriss reveals four sunscreen mistakes: relying on high SPF without reapplying, using formats like sticks or sprays that don't provide enough coverage, layering heavy moisturizers that cause inflammation, and missing spots like ear tops and the back of your neck. Use a lightweight serum instead, and let sunscreen be your main moisturizer.
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The secret to good skin. It's not that hard to achieve good skin, but you are most likely sabotaging your skin with these 4 very common mistakes. Number 1: overconfidence in your sunscreen. Coming from a dermatologist, and a lot of you guys think, I'm using an SPF of 50 or 100, and therefore I don't really need to reapply. Even though your sunscreen SPF is high, and kudos for you for using a high SPF and actually thinking of that, a lot of us overtrust that sunscreen process and ourselves and underuse how much we need and don't reapply as often as we would need. And so our skin is left unprotected, yet we think we're protecting our skin. Number 2 is starting off our day using the wrong type of SPF. So not all SPFs are created equal. Yes, you have lotions, right? You have creams. But there's a lot of people who start their day off using an SPF stick or spray or even the SPF in their makeup. And chances are you are not using the right amount, and therefore you're literally pissing money down the drain because you're not getting that base protection to start your day and to set yourself up for success for the day. Number 3, and this is an interesting one, is a lot of people, especially in the summer as the temperatures go up and it gets really humid out, are doing all the right things in the morning. They are washing their face, they're using their serums, they're using their moisturizers, they're putting their sunscreen, but they're breaking out and their skin looks constantly inflamed. And the reason for that is because chances are in the summer it's way more humid You do not need a moisturizer in the summer. In fact, your sunscreen is going to double up as your moisturizer. All you need is a really good antioxidant formulation, something with, let's say, kojic acid or arbutin or vitamin C, and that could be used prior to your sunscreen to make your sunscreen work smarter for you. But you don't need a thick hydrating moisturizer in the summertime. And number 4, you are aging from places that you don't realize you're aging, like the sides of your neck, the tops of your ears. I'm not joking, look at the tops of certain people's ears, the side of your nose, the back of your hands, because those are places where you're forgetting to use sunscreen. And if you have short hair, do not forget the back of your neck. Let me know if you have any questions below.
