When talking about effective sun protection, there’s a lot to be said for active mineral-based sunscreen in comparison to chemical brands. Not only is it better for the environment, but it also works immediately and is super-gentle to the skin. No wonder then that so many people are switching over to it, from chemical-based sunscreen.
However, if you’ve never used it before, we should warn you that it is quite different in terms of consistency, meaning that you can’t just splash it on like you would with traditional types. Do so and you’re going to have trouble.
Here we take a look at the right and the wrong way to go about it. Let’s start with the wrong way, so show you what happens.
The Wrong Way to Apply Active Mineral-Based Sunscreen
Ok, so we set the scene: you’ve got your bottle of mineral sunscreen in your hand and you’re unaware that it doesn’t go on in the same way as chemical varieties. You squeeze a big glob into your hand and start rubbing it in, right?
WRONG! If you apply it this way, you’re going to end up in a big, white smeary mess, as much less of the product is needed. Because it’s quite a bit thicker (consistency-wise) than chemical sunscreen, you can spread it around the body in the same way.
What’s more, it doesn’t absorb in the same way. Before you know it, you’ll have wasted quite a bit of the stuff and only covered about 25% of your body. It’s a bit late once you’ve done it, so it’s best to avoid applying active mineral-based sunscreen like this, full spot.
The RIGHT Way to Apply It!
Ok, we’ve rewound time back to the start. That mess never happened because you ARE aware of how to apply it properly. Instead, you apply small dots of the sunscreen, around a centimeter apart each time. We’re only talking about the size of a cent coin and it should be applied in a dabbing motion.
Once you’ve covered a certain area with these dots, it’s just a matter of rubbing them into the skin, until they disappear. Don’t worry too much about a white caste being left behind though, as modern products are formulated to go on invisibly.
Repeat this process on each arm, both legs, torso, face, neck, and shoulders. That should now be you set and protected against the sun for up to two hours – so long as you don’t go swimming or sweat profusely – in that case, you need to apply more frequently.
Allowing the Product to Effectively Protect Your Skin
Some people are put off by active mineral-based sunscreen because of misconceptions about what it does and how it’s applied. If you’ve ever had a bad experience as described in our ‘how not to’ section, then it’s understandable why you might be hesitant to use it again.
Trust us when we say that so long as you apply it properly – as we’ve laid out here – your mineral sunscreen will provide you with effective protection. However, that’s only going to happen if you apply it properly – so make sure you do!
