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By Sophie Joaman • March 9, 2023 • 5 mins read
While makeup exists to make us feel our best confident selves and also make us look great, the most important thing you can ever do within your makeup routine is to ensure that your skin is prepped and protected before you even touch your foundation.
The two products that will help to protect your skin from damage and keep it looking good- are sunscreen and primer.
There are certainly a lot of products already within our makeup routines but we promise you that these are two of the most crucial ones you will need to make your skin not only look great but prevent skin damage or worse, from sun exposure.
Whether you already use both of these products, one or the other, or neither, primer and sunscreen are the basis to your makeup routine and will help to care for your skin. Particularly sunscreen, which can prevent premature aging and skin cancer.
Both of these products ultimately come at the very beginning of your makeup routine, but a lot of people get confused as to whether you should prime or sunscreen your face first.
If that’s you, then read our article to find out the right order for your protect and prime regime.
Makeup primers are used to create a smooth base for your foundation to glide on and are usually applied after moisturising to prep your face before applying foundation.
The results of using a primer are, of course, a flawless base. But more than that, using a primer guarantees longevity in your makeup throughout the day with little or even no need to reapply and touch up.
Primers are also amazing at helping to even skin by minimising pores and fine lines. Plus, if you are someone with particularly oily skin, many primers, such as those with silicone bases can help to control excess oil and shine on the skin, keeping your makeup from slipping and sliding.
Likewise, if your skin tends to be more on the dry side, a primer can really help to keep your skin hydrated for longer and stop your foundation from caking, cracking and settling into fine lines.
Some primers even come with moisturising ingredients in them to keep your skin looking replenished and your skin feeling happy.
Sunscreen is one of the most important skincare products you can ever own and is not just reserved for sunbathing. The product works by creating a defence layer, shielding you from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays.
These UV rays from the sun can cause damage at a cellular level which can lead to dark spots and premature aging as well as much more serious and potentially deadly diseases like skin cancer.
You don’t have to get sunburnt to feel and see the effects of sun exposure either. Even on a grey, cloudy day and even indoors through the windows, your skin is susceptible to harmful UV radiation, so applying sunscreen no matter how much, or how little makeup you are wearing on any given day can help to prevent skin damage from exposure to UV rays.
There are also a lot of moisturizers, primers and foundations on the market that contain SPF in them to give you that extra protection from the sun.
But using a sunscreen as well is going to give you the best protection from skin damage, so consider using one alongside your other makeup products too.
It’s also worth noting that we’re not talking about sunscreens in the traditional sense either. Many old-school sunscreens/creams/blocks can often feel heavy on the skin and can clog pores, which in turn can leave your skin breaking out.
Sunscreen can also put people off due to their reputation of leaving a white cast on the skin, which is not ideal when you want to look flawless.
Today there are countless sunscreens available that come in many lighter/smoother formulas- perfect if your skin is dry for example.
Other tips and tricks include applying your sunscreen 15-20 minutes before applying any makeup. Using too much sunscreen can also have this effect, so going in lightly, to begin with can help to combat this issue, especially if you are using a foundation with SPF already in it, your sunscreen fix will be sorted for the day!
In most cases, sunscreen should be applied first. Think of sunscreen as your defence layer of skin. After cleansing and moisturising but before prepping your makeup, adding that layer of UV protection will absorb into your skin, giving you maximum coverage from sun exposure throughout the day.
The problem with applying primer before your sunscreen is that it can potentially make your sunscreen less effective as it is not sitting directly on your skin. So cleanse, moisturise, protect and prep is the best way to go.
If you are a little apprehensive about your sunscreen not absorbing as well into your skin, a good bit of advice is to let your moisturiser dry into your skin and then apply your sunscreen.
After that you can then leave your sunscreen to set into your skin for a few minutes before moving on to your primer.
If you’re using one product and not the other, or if you’re a complete newbie to both, adding a primer and sunscreen into your makeup routine can help your makeup to look flawless and keep your skin safe from the dangerous effects of the sun.
Likewise, if you’re confused as to what order each of the products go in, think of your skincare routine as your prep. Cleanse, moisturise, sunscreen and then focus on prepping your base with a primer for a gorgeous finished look.
