Moisturizing and protecting yourself from the sun in one go is tempting. But a survey of 60 Million Consumers points to a flaw that almost no one suspects. And the problem does not really come from the product, but from a simple action to correct.
The sun returns, temperatures rise and, with them, the obsession with sun protection. In recent years, day creams with SPF have become a staple in every bathroom. Hydration, radiance, anti-UV protection: these treatments promise to do everything at once. On paper, the idea seems perfect: a single gesture would be enough to protect your skin from premature aging. Practical and often more affordable than a cream and sunscreen purchased separately, these hybrid formulas are now invading beauty aisles.
The phenomenon is not weakening, quite the contrary. With the arrival of new ultra-light sunscreen fluids and the growing popularity of layering on social networks, the right suncare routine has never been so busy. The opportunity to highlight a survey published in 2023 by 60 Million Consumers, the conclusion of which remains more relevant than ever: this daily gesture would not only be useless, but potentially counterproductive. And the most common mistake does not come from the product, but from the way we use it.
The first problem concerns the quantity applied. To obtain the SPF displayed on the jar, laboratories test their products with a precise dose: 2 mg per square centimeter of skin. In practice, applying that much moisturizer would leave the face uncomfortable and shiny, which no one does. However, protection does not decrease proportionally: underdosing reduces effectiveness much more than we imagine. The figure displayed on the packaging is therefore almost never the one obtained in real life.
Second concern, more serious: to be protected, you would have to reapply sunscreen every two hours. Something that no one does with a day cream, applied only once in the morning. From the middle of the day, the skin is no longer protected. And this is where the problem lies, because the investigation highlights a little-known phenomenon: ROS. These “reactive oxygen species“accelerate the aging of cells and promote their mutation. Poorly protected skin generates them under the effect of UV rays. Worse: certain sun filters, once in the skin, can produce them themselves.
The other side of the coin becomes obvious. The skin is exposed all year round to sometimes controversial filters, several of which are suspected of acting as endocrine disruptors, ultimately providing very little protection. Applying these ingredients morning and evening, 365 days a year, without real solar effectiveness, represents according to 60 Million “a risk without any benefit“.
Should we therefore ban them? Not necessarily, provided you use it knowingly: its SPF never replaces real sun protection. In case of exposure, it must be supplemented with a pure sunscreen, applied generously and renewed every two hours. The ideal remains to separate the steps: a moisturizing cream for the skin, a sunscreen dedicated to protection.
