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Image: 123rf.com

Wear sunscreen, wear sunscreen, wear sunscreen. I know this badgering can be bothersome, but given the clammy clime of sweltering Singapore, it won’t hurt for another PSA – well, it won’t hurt as much as a sunburn would! We’ve established that some form of sun protection is absolutely non-negotiable. But did you know that – dun-dun-dun – the foundation formula you use may directly decrease the efficacy of your sunscreen?

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Take it from an expert, who says that the oldie-but-goodie trick of touching up sunscreen with an SPF powder may backfire on you: “Using powder products can cake and cause buildup during touch-ups,” warns Lancaster Singapore’s education trainer Elaine Lim. “[I recommend] cream or liquid makeup formulas so they don’t clash with the texture of sunscreen and can be easily manipulated and layered throughout the day.”

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Chanel’s UV Essentiel Gel-Creme SPF50/PA+++ is quite literally a cool choice; the wobbly jelly-like consistency will leave your skin feeling fresh and free

Indeed, piling on product after product may be perilous for pimple-prone skin; Dr Siew Tuck Wah, medical director at Radium Medical Aesthetics, says that the suffocatingly sticky layers trap heat and can fan the flames of a flare-up of bumps and blemishes.

Top takeaway: Use liquid foundie in lieu of powders, as the latter may cake and compel you to wipe off existing sun protection in an attempt to rectify the makeup mistake. Duly noted. What else? Let’s double back to fundamentals while we’re at it, shall we. To wit: Exactly how much should you be slipping, slopping and slapping on yourself? Here’s Elaine again: “It’s important that the face gets at least half a teaspoon of sunscreen.”

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Oh, and make sure it’s completely absorbed before moving on to makeup application; to that end, try Lancaster’s lovely Skin Therapy Day Shield UV-Pollution SPF30/PA+++, which sinks into skin in seconds.

The next-gen filters in this finely textured fluid prevents it from breaking down under duress, meaning you’ll enjoy the full protection required to fend off the fury of Singapore’s sun when power-walking through the CBD district. There’s also an extraordinary league of botanical heroines – ginkgo biloba, green tea, white tea and vitamin E – all of which are antioxidants designed to defend against day-to-day environmental aggressors.

One more thing: Slapping sunscreen on in the AM and hoping for the best just doesn’t cut it; the actives in the formula start to disintegrate in direct response to UV rays. The solution – frequent reapplication – is a no-brainer, but also back-breakingly burdensome to pull off; us working folk have enough to worry about, thank you very much.

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Here’s where mixing and matching your skincare and makeup comes into play. “Consider combining different SPF products in your everyday routine for additional protection,” says Elaine. “For example, try stippling on a tinted SPF foundation on top of a moisturiser with SPF.” You may want to pick up Philosophy’s Renewed Hope in a Jar SPF 25; the featherweight fluid lends my complexion an instant radiance that’s great for ridding dullness and signs of fatigue in the morning.

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We’re also in love with Lancome’s Blanc Expert Cushion High Coverage SPF50+/PA+++, a weightless wonder that’s superb at diminishing dullness and discolouration

Or do as Dr Low Chai Ling, medical director at The Sloane Clinic suggests and stash a high-coverage cushion compact in your tote for touch-ups on the go; creamier consistencies and thicker tinctures adhere better upon contact with sweat or shine, and won’t slip and slide down your face before noon. Finally, there’s a good reason why sunscreen isn’t marketed as “sun-proof”. No elixir on earth can ever hope to block out a full 100 percent of the sun’s rays … hence fashion! By all means, “save face” and look fab by whipping out your hottest hat and sexiest sunnies. Right, then. I hope this has been an enlightening “ray” of a read, cheers!

This story first appeared on www.herworldplus.com

Like this? Check out the detoxifying charcoal masks you need in your beauty arsenal for clearer skin, resident beauty junkie and writer Sofia Kim’s in-flight skincare and makeup routine and 12 gentle pore-clearing cleansers that won’t dry out your skin