Sun care is a year-round venture. Just because the days are shorter, the air is chillier, does not mean the sun’s rays are any less damaging for your skin. Getting some natural sunlight is crucial for overall health, of course, but it’s still important to protect your skin from excess UV exposure.
Enter: sunscreens filled with buttery emollients and hydrating actives to pamper dry, winter skin. Still, these come with a few drawbacks—namely, the dreaded white cast from mineral formulas. And a dull, ghostly complexion can really mess with the (faux) wintertime glow you’re gunning for. To meet this dilemma, triple board-certified dermatologist Mamina Turegano, M.D., FAAD, shares a helpful hack over on TikTok: “When applying sunscreen, I like to do what I’m labeling the ‘double sunscreen method,'” she says.
Turegano’s double sunscreen method, explained.
First and foremost, Turegano asserts that if you use any sort of sunscreen method, you’re doing just fine. No need to slap on multiple layers at once if you don’t have the time. “But since I’m a derm, I like to make things a little extra,” she notes. Let’s also not forget that proper sun care goes way beyond sunscreen: To shield your skin from sun damage, it’s also important to be mindful of how much time you spend in the sun (like limiting sunbathing) and wear hats and other protective clothing. But if a fun sunscreen tip gets you thinking about smart sun care, well, we’re all in.
To recreate Turegano’s double sunscreen method, you’ll need—you guessed it!—double the sunscreen. Grab one non-tinted option (we prefer ones with zinc oxide) and one tinted formula. “I first start with a non-tinted sunscreen on my face, neck, ears, and tops of my hands,” Turegano explains.
Now, here’s the thing with mineral, non-tinted sunscreens: Many can leave behind a chalky cast. “Sometimes it can leave me looking a little pale, so I will then add a second layer with a tinted sunscreen, which almost serves as a lightweight foundation that hides some of the aforementioned paleness,” she adds. (We love this one by Tower28, as it comes in 14 shades.) Plus, she notes, the iron oxides found in tinted formulas can actually help fade dark spots.
We should note, Turegano only applies the tinted number on her face. “I don’t like using tinted sunscreen on my ears and neck, since it gets on my clothes,” she says, sticking to a single-sunscreen application on those portions.
So essentially, the double sunscreen method isn’t about amping up the sun protection (so long as you’re using the correct amount of sunscreen, just one layer will do), and it doesn’t add to your SPF number (while you may have more coverage, that’s not how the actual SPF works). Rather, the doubling takes care of any white cast you may face with a zinc oxide formula. On a final note, Turegano recommends being consistent with your formulas—if you use a mineral non-tinted option, make sure you use a mineral tinted sunscreen for your second layer, and vice versa.
If you’re dealing with the dreaded white cast, try Turegano’s double sunscreen hack to balance out the pigments. Or you can always opt for a bronzer or foundation to warm things up—but on makeup-free days, tinted sunscreens work like a charm.
