March 2002
Dear Paula,
I recently read an article in my local newspaper that discussed how sunscreen in foundation is not reliable. I wanted to bring this to your attention and get your thoughts since you very much advocate foundation with SPF.

Cathryn, via e-mail

Dear Cathryn,
The article you found was referencing a study conducted by Dr. Zoe Draeolos that was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, October 2001, entitled "Degradation and Migration of Facial Foundations." Dr. Draeolos's work as a dermatologist who really and truly does product testing is impressive and considered dependable and unbiased. However, I wouldn't conclude from her study that all foundations with sunscreen are completely unreliable and therefore unusable for sun protection.

Though the summary of the study was that you would need to reapply a foundation with sunscreen at least every two hours (or apply a sunscreen over it) for continued protection, on closer look this conclusion was not based on any sunscreen testing as such. Rather the results were based on examining 12 participants who applied the following foundations: Clinique Pore Minimizer (which is no longer made), Neutrogena Healthy Skin SPF 20, Revlon Color Stay SPF 6, L'Oreal Visuelle (also no longer made), Cover Girl Ultimate Finish, and Estee Lauder Impeccable SPF 20. Over an eight-hour period "the migration of the iron oxide pigment [the coloring agent] over the skin surface was monitored in 12 white female subjects with dry (4 subjects), normal (4 subjects), and oily (4 subjects) skin." Following application, each participant was photographed with a specialized video that magnified the skin. What the pictures revealed was that after two hours the foundation began to travel into facial lines and that eventually, by the end of the day, it also had moved into the hair follicle. About the movement, the study commented that "This was particularly true for those participants who had oily skin and for those who used the cream-to-powder foundations." Cream-to-powder foundations are often the greasiest types of formulations (especially in the case of Lauder's Impeccable).

I agree that this study poses concerns that require further investigation, but please realize that the study did not test whether or not sun protection was still present, it just noted that the pigment colors of the foundation migrated into lines and hair follicles. There was no UV skin testing done at any point, which is the only way to know how much sun protection (if any) is still present.

In other words, did the sunscreen protection degrade because of the migration with the foundation's color? Sunscreen testing would have been pointless for this study because three of the foundations didn't even have sun protection (and one only had an SPF 6). More precisely, the conclusions were based on the assumption that the sunscreen efficacy dissipated in relation to the pigment movement. That means the conclusions concerning what happens to sunscreen protection when foundations with sunscreen are used were not based on actual testing or proof, but rather an educated guess which was that if the iron oxide pigments in the foundation migrate, the migration must take the active sunscreen agents away with it.

Another issue is the unrealistic expectation that you're going to reapply your foundation with SPF (or apply a sunscreen over your previously applied foundation) every two hours! That advice is impractical in every respect, because for most women it would mean redoing almost every other part of your makeup, from concealer to blush, eyeshadow, and eyebrows as well. What would be far more helpful would be to touch up your foundation during the day with a pressed powder that has an SPF 15 or higher and that also has UVA protection.

On an anecdotal, personal note, as someone who is diligent about wearing foundation with sunscreen and a moisturizer with sunscreen on my body (both containing titanium dioxide), after two months in Florida last year the only part of my body to not get a drop of color was my face. There was a decidedly noticeable change of color on my arms and hands.

More importantly, application and wear is an issue for all sunscreens. Another study went so far as to suggest that reapplying your sunscreen twice in the morning before you go outside would be best because most people simply are not putting on enough the first time (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, December 2001). Liberal application as well as even, smooth application is critical. From there, how your sunscreen wears should be monitored so you know you're not sweating it off, rubbing it off, washing it off (particularly for the hands), or degrading it by virtue of your own oil production. I know this is a lot to pay attention to, but it is our first line of defense against photodamage, which is truly what causes the skin to wrinkle.