One of the worst things I did in my beauty life is I didn’t care to wear any sunscreen in my adolescence and young adulthood (yes, I mean it). If you think that’s unimportant, you are wrong. Because of my lack of care, my face has now taken on a browner shade than my neck. I have chronic difficulty finding a foundation that matches my face while leaving my neck looking natural. Isn’t that a nightmare?
That’s why I make it a point to put on both sunscreen and make-up whenever I work outdoors. While wearing sunscreen is always good for our skin, wearing make-up may not. It has both pros and cons.
The Pros of Wearing Make-Up Outdoors
Deter Aging: According to MedlinePlus, sun exposure is the greatest single factor that causes skin changes. If you want to protect your skin against aging, wearing make-up with UV protection is one of the important things that you should do. Sure, when the well-being of our skin is concerned, no step is redundant, even though that means layering our skin with yet another beauty product with UV protection.
Look Great: Make-up is a confidence booster. It’s a great tool for those of us who love to look great. Some people may prefer bare skin without any make-up, but that’s not me. I know the heat can melt my make-up. I know at the end of the day, I will look as if no make-up has ever been used on my face. But that’s still better than marching outside with a nude face.
Balance Face and Neck Color: I don’t know about others, but for me, wearing a layer of make-up, on top of sunscreen, on my face does provide some sort of protection. My face is less likely to darken at the end of the day. If I had practiced this earlier, I would not have had to lament…
The Cons of Wearing Make-Up Outdoors
Promote Acne: If you have acne prone skin, the outdoor heat can irritate it, especially if you live in a hot, humid location like Hong Kong. Perspiration mixed with dirt, dust, and the make-up residue can clog your pores and makes your face a hotbed of bacteria.
I notice that one or two bumps would always pop up on my face after a day’s walk outside. It would be days before they subside. So, if you like wearing make-up when you are walking outdoors, make sure to carry some tissue to wipe your face.
Waste Time: It takes me at least 10 minutes to apply my make-up. No matter how impeccable my face may look at the beginning of the day, little trace of it is left when I go home. It’s because sometimes I have to stay outdoors for a couple of hours on end. The heat and perspiration can easily ruin my entire make-up. Plus, I don’t have the luxury to re-apply anything, save for the lipstick, when I am running errands outdoors. So, yes, if you consider the end product you get at the end of the day, you might think those 10 minutes you use to fiddle with the foundation, blush, and mascara is a waste of time.
Alternatives for Make-up
Diligent as I am on skin care, there are days when I am just too sluggish to pick up the make-up brush. In those days, I usually do one or two of the things below.
Wear sunglasses: I am an indoor girl, and I don’t own any sunglasses. But I do have a pair of Transitions photochromic glasses that I use in need.
Use tinted sunscreen: Tinted sunscreen can provide the coverage we want from foundation. You can still go out beautifully, but without the trouble of picking up the make-up brush.
Dress clean and tidy: Our look isn’t all about the skin. Our hair and the way we dress are also important parts of the formula. If you are sluggish on your face, make sure you arrange your hair and dress nicely. That way, you can look as great.
In some Asian countries, the heat you experience in summer season can get quite unbearable. Even though I have worn sunscreen and make-up, I still take an umbrella with UV protection with me. Yes, I am the kind of woman who would carry an umbrella with her all day long. If you got the chance to open my handbag, you would discover there was always an umbrella in it.
So how about you? Do you wear any make-up outdoors? Do you find it effective to protect your skin? Share it in the comment.
May I ask you which brand of sunscreen you’re using at the moment? I’ve tried so many different brands and I feel there’s still a long way ahead until I’ve find my holy grail. *sigh*
I know it is important to use sunscreen on a daily basis but seriously I’m not as diligent as I ought to be. *cough* *cough* Now I do feel bad about it!
Hi, Lydia,
Yes, it’s really important to use sunscreen whenever we are in the sun. I learn it the hard way.
I used to use Shiseido Extra Smooth, but it leaves a ghastly whitecast on my face. So I now use it on my limbs (what a splurge…). Then, I switched to Seba med multi protect sun cream, but that was before I become obsessed with natural skin care.
I don’t really mind the whitecast if the texture is good. I’m looking for something that doesn’t feel greasy which is also suitable for sensitive skin at the same time! Too bad the sun cream you mentioned isn’t available in Germany. Seba med only carries sunscreen for babies.
I wouldn’t suggest any organic sunscreen to you. I’ve tried almost every single organic (German) brand and they all were not so great texture-wise and believe me you look like a vampire. Like I already said I don’t mind the whitecast but I’m not really into the chalk white Geisha look. If you’re happy with your current choice, don’t change it under any circumstances.
Thanks for reminding me of the possible pitfalls of German brand organic sunscreen.