The Ultimate ELLE Guide To Face SPF

We all know by now that wearing sunscreen on our faces, day in and day out, is the number-one way to keep your skin at its healthiest. If you do just one beauty thing, it should be SPF: and yet research suggests that so many of us are still reluctant to commit. We’ll happily fork out a fortune on brightening facials, plunge into our savings for the next big thing in luxury skincare, and spend hours marinating under an LED mask: but all of this beauty labour is frankly pointless if you’re still letting that sad little suncream bottle gather dust at the back of the cabinet.

‘I am always surprised when patients come to see me about skin ageing, and they have bought many over-the-counter creams, often at great expense, but they are not using a sunscreen as part of their daily routine,’ says Dr. Hiva Fassihi, consultant dermatologist at La Roche-Posay.

According to research by Stylus, only 21 per cent of Gen Z consider SPF to be the most important step in their skincare routine: and 63 per cent don’t wear SPF daily. In the UK, half the population dislike the look or feel of a facial sunscreen, with 49 per cent believing them to be greasy or prone to leaving their skin sticky. However, more promising is the idea that many of us are still on the search for an SPF that works for us: Google Trends reports a 100 per cent uplift in searches for ‘new spf’ in the first quarter of this year, suggesting we aren’t despondent about sun-protection altogether: rather, we just haven’t found the right one yet.

Best Face SPF: The ELLE Winners

• Best for skin benefits: 111 Skin Repair Sunscreen
• Best for dry skin: Cerave Facial Moisturising Lotion SPF50
• Best mineral SPF: Dr Sam's Flawless Gossamer Tint
• Best for oily skin: Heliocare 360 Oil-Free Gel SPF
• Best for pigmentation: La Roche-Posay Mela B3 SPF 30

Kimberley Medd, clinic lead at Face the Future, says that 'remembering to use sunscreen can be tricky, and according to our 2024 survey, only 22% of people in the UK apply SPF daily, and only 8% reapply. It’s essential to wear every day for many reasons, no matter the weather. UVA and UVB rays cause damage to the DNA in the skin cells which can result in premature ageing (increased wrinkles and fine lines), pigmentation and sun spots, as well as skin cancer.'

Cue: the ultimate ELLE UK guide to face SPF: from exactly what to look for to the dosage to apply, and the formulas that will not only keep you full protected, but look and feel really quite nice too. (And we should know: we’ve thoroughly tested each and every one.)

Best SPF for face: chemical or mineral?

UV filters are split into two categories: chemical and mineral (sometimes referred to as ‘physical.) As Dr. Sam Bunting explains, 'chemical filters work like sponges by absorbing UV rays, while mineral filters act to both reflect and absorb UV rays.' Dr. Bunting generally recommends mineral sunscreens to those with very sensitive skin and concerns like eczema, perioral dermatitis and rosacea.

If you're sensitive or prone to breakouts, it's more important that you consider the formula as a whole, rather than simply the filters, as Dr. Bunting explains. 'I always recommend that you look for non-comedogenic and fragrance-free formulations so you don’t block pores or irritate your skin, especially if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin. Look for sunscreens with added ingredients that can help to both nourish your skin barrier and tame breakouts, like niacinamide. When your SPF offers additional benefits, you’re even more likely to build a daily habit.'

How much face SPF to use

‘The amount of UVA and UVB protection a sunscreen provides is related to how thickly it is applied onto the skin. Studies have shown that most of us apply sunscreen at a quarter of the amount recommended,’ says Dr. Fassihi. An easy benchmark for your facial SPF dosing is to draw your product along the length of two fingers: that’s enough to cover your whole face.

And as for when to apply? ‘My advice is to stick to an SPF of at least 30 (ideally SPF 50) and apply it generously about 20 mins before sun exposure,’ says Dr. Fassihi. ‘Many people, particularly on sunny holidays, wait until they have started to burn before applying their sunscreen. By then it's too late: the damage is done.’

How often should you be reapplying a face SPF?

According to Dr. Fassihi, the number of times your sunscreen should be reapplied throughout the day depends on your activities and your exposure. 'For example, on a dark wintery day in the office, application of sunscreen in the morning as part of your skin care routine is likely to suffice. If you plan to spend the whole day out during the spring and summer months, reapplication is recommended every two to three hours.'

Of course, it’s tricky to reapply your SPF when you’re out and about in a full face of make-up: which is exactly why the new generation of clever sunscreen face mists comes in (more on the best of those below).

Is the SPF in your make-up sufficient?

As the skincare and make-up worlds continue to merge, many brands are now adding sun protection into their base products – but that token drop of SPF in your foundation is likely there for the marketing, rather than for your benefit. 'There are many textures and ways SPF is now packaged, and SPF within make-up is becoming more common,’ says Medd. ‘Make-up products with SPFs are best to use for re-application over and on top of a separate SPF sun cream, to act as a top-up on-the-go. It's unlikely that someone using an SPF within a make-up formula is going to be applying the same amount as they would and should be with a singular SPF sunscreen product,’ she warns.

A note on DIY SPF

The most chronically online of us will no doubt have seen the divisive DIY spf trend doing the rounds in recent weeks, propelled into the mainstream by Trad Wife influencer Nara Smith, who whips up her own ‘sunscreen’ using oils and zinc oxide in her kitchen. You likely don’t need us to tell you that this is a bad and potentially dangerous idea, but in the case of any confusion, here’s Dr. Bunting’s view. ‘I’m not a fan of any homemade skincare, even if it is trending on TikTok - especially not SPF. It is impossible for someone to correctly dissolve, stabilise and distribute sunscreen filters in a product whipped up in the kitchen. Sun protection needs to be taken seriously, as if it’s a medicine; we know exposure to UV rays is the main risk factor for skin cancer so any product making SPF claims must be tested in a standardised way.’

As Dr. Bunting stresses, there is absolutely no need or benefit to making your own sunscreen. ‘There’s been such advances in SPF formulations over the last few years, it astounds me that there’s a trend to DIY any skincare - let alone SPF. This is one that’s best left to the experts for safe and effective protection from the sun.’

Here, see the best face SPFs of the year, according to the ELLE UK beauty team. Now all that's left to do is get it on your face.

The Best Face SPFs To Wear All Year Round