Does sunscreen go before or after moisturiser?

Sunscreen goes after moisturiser. It is the last step of your morning skincare, and makeup goes on top of it. Layer everything else thinnest to thickest underneath, give your moisturiser a minute or two to settle, then apply a full amount of sunscreen and leave it alone for a few minutes. If your skin is oily and the weather humid, a sunscreen with a moisturising feel may be all you need, with no separate cream at all.

Why sunscreen goes last

Sunscreen only does its job as an even film over your skin. Anything rubbed in on top of it, including moisturiser, can thin that film or move it around, leaving patches with less cover. Putting it last also means nothing waters it down.

You may have read that some sunscreens must go on bare skin, before everything else. For everyday skincare the simple answer is still sunscreen last. If your own sunscreen’s label gives different directions, follow the label; it knows the formula better than any general rule.

How to layer skincare under sunscreen

A full morning order looks like this:

1. Cleanser
2. Toner (optional)
3. Serum
4. Eye cream (optional)
5. Moisturiser
6. Sunscreen
7. Makeup

A few rules make the layers sit better:

• Thin to thick, watery to creamy. A runny serum before a lotion, a lotion before a cream.
• Wait until each layer stops feeling wet. Usually thirty seconds to a minute, and a minute or two before sunscreen.
• Fewer layers in the morning. Each extra layer is one more thing for sunscreen to slide on. Save richer and more numerous steps for the night.
• Keep face oil for night. Oil under sunscreen can make it slip and look greasy by lunchtime. Never mix oil into the sunscreen itself: it spreads unevenly and leaves thinner patches.

What about a moisturiser with SPF? It counts as your sunscreen only if you apply as much of it as you would of sunscreen, and most people use far less moisturiser than that. If you rely on one, be generous, or use a separate sunscreen on top.

How much sunscreen, and when to reapply

Most people use too little. For face and neck, aim for about two finger-lengths: squeeze a line along your index and middle fingers, from base to tip. For the face alone, roughly a quarter of a teaspoon. If that much feels heavy or pills, apply it in two thinner layers, letting the first settle for a minute.

Choose SPF 30 or higher, with protection against UVA as well as UVB. The label wording differs by country: you may see “broad spectrum”, a PA rating with plus signs, a UVA logo in a circle or a star rating.

Reapply after swimming, towelling off or heavy sweating, and otherwise by the kind of day you are having. Our advisers’ rule of thumb: in strong outdoor sun, every one to two hours; on a day in and out of buildings, about every three to four hours; on a day spent mostly indoors, once around lunchtime, roughly between 1 and 3 pm. In tropical heat, a long walk to the train or lunch outdoors counts as time in the sun. Over makeup, a sunscreen stick, a spray, or a sunscreen powder pressed on with a puff is easier than lotion.

When sunscreen pills or slides off

Pilling, those little rolls of product, usually comes from one of four things:

• Too many layers or too much product underneath.
• Not waiting long enough between steps.
• Rubbing back and forth instead of pressing.
• Two formulas that do not sit well together, often a water-based layer with a silicone-heavy one.

Work through them in order. Halve the amount of serum and moisturiser, wait longer, warm your hands and press sunscreen on with flat fingers, and if it still pills, leave out one product for a day to find the pair that clashes. You can also test a pair on the back of your hand before putting them on your face.

If sunscreen slides by midday in humid weather, try a lighter moisturiser or skip it in the morning. Blot before reapplying rather than piling fresh sunscreen onto an oily layer.

What our advisers see

• A tube that lasts for months is a clue. Used every morning at the full amount, a tube of face sunscreen runs out faster than most people expect. If yours lasts several months, you are very likely using too little. A higher SPF does not let you use less: the amount matters more than the number.
• Flaky or pilling sunscreen often starts underneath. When sunscreen flakes or rolls up, our advisers usually find the skin is dry or under-moisturised, or the morning routine is too heavy. More hydration at night and fewer morning layers often help more than changing sunscreen.
• Brightening days need extra care. On days you use vitamin C, an exfoliating acid or another brightening step, be stricter than ever about the full amount and about reapplying.
• Wash it off every night. Even on a day with no makeup, cleanse sunscreen off properly before bed rather than just rinsing. Our advisers notice that sunscreen left on overnight tends to make skin look dull and sallow the next morning.

This week, try

• Measure two finger-lengths of sunscreen once, so you know what a full amount looks like.
• Write the date on your sunscreen when you open it. If it lasts several months, use more.
• Leave a minute or two between moisturiser and sunscreen, and a few minutes before makeup.
• Warm your hands and press sunscreen on instead of rubbing it in circles.
• Move any face oil to your night routine.

If your skin itches, stings or breaks out in a rash where you apply sunscreen, stop using that one. If the rash does not settle within a few days of stopping, or keeps coming back with different sunscreens, see a dermatologist.