Kbeauty Tips for Reapplying Sunscreen Over Makeup
Episode Title:
Kbeauty Tips for Reapplying Sunscreen Over Makeup - Episode 104 of the Korean Beauty Show podcast
Episode Description:
On this week’s Kbeauty deep dive episode, Lauren discusses how to reapply sunscreen on top of makeup, plus some Korean beauty products and hacks that can help.
CONNECT WITH ME
Instagram:www.instagram.com/lauren.kbeauty
Shop Kbeauty:www.stylestory.com.au
Style Story’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/stylestory_kbeauty
Jelly Ko’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/jellyko_official
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stylestory.au
Website:www.thekoreanbeautyshow.com
Sign Up to Our Mailing List to Join Tester's Club:https://stylestory.com.au/pages/free-gift-signup
Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com.au/stylestoryau
Tik Tok: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSaHUgHL/
Download Your Free Guide to K-Beauty:https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=XgHS8t&g=SmUKy
Episode Summary
-
Why Sunscreen Is Essential
-
Starting With The Right Base
-
Consider Swapping Your Foundation For A BB Cream
-
Patting Sunscreen Over Makeup
-
Matching Liquids with Liquids
-
Opt for lighter weight sunscreens
-
Tips for limiting your sun exposure
-
My thoughts on SPF mist products
Why Sunscreen Is Essential
Sun exposure is one of the key causes of aging and results in everything from blotchy, red skin to sun spots, pigmentation and wrinkles.
Wearing a proper sunscreen that blocks both the sun’s UVB and UVA rays is essential for healthy, youthful looking skin and that means applying one every day to your face, neck and any other body area exposed to the sun.
If you’re still confused about how to tell your sunscreens apart – the SPF in sunscreen refers to it’s UVB protection (ability to protect your skin from burning) and the star system refers to it’s UVA protection (ability to protect your skin from the rays that cause premature aging).
Tip 1 for Reapplying Sunscreen Over Makeup: Start With The Right Base
Like all things, the key to getting the right sun protection while wearing makeup is to start with the right base. Make sure you apply a proper sunscreen (ideally SPF 50+ ) underneath your makeup of a morning. You can layer sunscreen under makeup – all you need to do is wait a few minutes to make sure it’s dry first.
Although some people try to rely on the SPF in their foundation for sun protection, I don’t recommend doing this because you won't get the stated level of SPF protection unless you apply more makeup than most people wear.
Instead, start with a SPF 50+ sunscreen first in the morning.
Tip 2 for Reapplying Sunscreen Over Makeup: Consider Swapping Your Foundation For A BB Cream
Korean BB Creams nearly all contain an SPF factor so the benefit in using a sunscreen layered with a BB Creamcontaining sunscreen is that you can get an extra layer of protection.
Now remember, you can't double up on your SPF (in the sense that applying a SPF 50 sunscreen PLUS a SPF 50 BB Cream will not give you SPF 100), however, it is still comforting to know that you have some protection built into your makeup as well.

Tip 3 for Reapplying Sunscreen Over Makeup: Pat Sunscreen Over Makeup
If you need to be out in the sun during the day while wearing makeup, gently pat your sunscreen over the top of your makeup with your palms. If you’re wearing a typical Korean BB Cream or Cushion you won’t have any trouble doing this, as the formulas are usually dewy and light-reflecting anyway, meaning you won’t ruin the look of your makeup. You can even re-use your BB Cushion puff to press the sunscreen over the top of your BB Cream.
There are a lot of cushion sunscreens in Korean skincare that essentially do exactly this for you. The other thing you can do, albeit a little messier, is to use a beauty blender or makeup puff to dab more sunscreen into your skin.
The only other tip I have if you are intending to do this is to make sure you are not double dipping sweaty sponges back into your compact or BB puff when you reapply. That's because this can cause bacteria to spread and compromise your compact, causing it to become bumpy or hardened by excess oil. This is really only going to be a problem if you're working up a sweat.
Tip 4 for Reapplying Sunscreen Over Makeup: Liquids with Liquids
If you know you are going to be outside and will need to reapply sunscreen over your makeup, stick to liquid type makeup.Applying a liquid sunscreen over a powder can lead to unwanted caking. So if you’ll be applying a liquid sunscreen over the top, stick to liquid foundations, blushes and bronzers. Most Korean BB Creams come in a liquid form that is perfect for layering because this is how Koreans use them. Particularly BB Cushions, you'll see people in Korea reapplying their cushion foundation everywhere throughout the day, on trains, in restaurants etc.

Tip 5 for Reapplying Sunscreen Over Makeup: Opt for Lighter-Weight sunscreen
On days where you'll need to reapply your sunscreen over makeup it makes sense to opt for a lighter weight formula that spreads more easily over the skin. You’ll easily be able to pat it in, whereas heavier, thicker formulas may require a degree of rubbing that might disturb your makeup.
Tip 6 for Reapplying Sunscreen Over Makeup: Limit Your Sun Exposure!
This is a bit of cheat hack because it's not really a tip for reapplying sunscreen over makeup at all. But as the saying goes, “Prevention is better than a cure”. Limiting your exposure to the sun, especially during the sun’s harshest hours of 10am to 2pm is the way to go.
If you do need to go out, wearing sun-safe clothing such as long sleeves and pants, a hat and UV sunglasses are great ways to ensure you limit any unnecessary exposure to the sun. Level up? Cover yourself while walking in the sun with a parasol or umbrella!
Make sure you reapply any chemical sunscreens after two hours of actual sun exposure, and more often if you’re going swimming or sweat.

Mist Sunscreens
I myself am not a massive fan of sunscreen mist type products because I repeatedly hear concerns that they may not offer the stated amount of protection because the formula is being dispersed as you apply it.
The TGA in Australia has also announced that it will be cracking down on mist type SPF products this year. They plan to look into the effectiveness of aerosol sunscreens when they are applied according to the instructions on the label. A representative from the TGA stated:
“The active ingredients in aerosol sunscreens are more dilute than many lotion and cream sunscreens as they need to be mixed with propellants. This means a large amount of aerosol sunscreen needs to be applied to reach the same coverage as lotion and cream sunscreens. We are concerned that many people do not apply adequate amounts of aerosol sunscreens, in part because many are more expensive that cream and lotion sunscreens.
Sponsors of aerosol sunscreens are expected to maintain records showing they comply with regulations that ensure the effectiveness of their product when it is used as intended. If the TGA identifies a problem that cannot be addressed by the manufacturer, the product may be removed from the Australian market.
The outcomes of the compliance review will be published on the TGA website.”
For this reason, I would recommend caution when relying on SPF mists for your sun protection. Make sure you are applying enough and importantly, reapplying enough as well.
How do YOU reapply sunscreen while wearing makeup? Let me know! If you have any other hacks or tips to share with our listeners, please get in touch.
STYLE STORY - Your Go-To for Kbeauty