How Much Sunscreen Should You Use on Your Face?
For your face alone, use at least one teaspoon of sunscreen. Measure the cream or lotion with a teaspoon the first few times so you can see how much it takes to cover your skin evenly. Set aside additional sunscreen for any exposed skin on your ears, neck or chest.
A spoon is especially useful when you switch formulas. A runny lotion can spread across your palm and look like more than a thicker cream that sits in a mound. Measuring first takes that guesswork out of the routine and leaves you free to pay attention to where the sunscreen goes.
Measure for the Skin You Are Covering
Use at least a teaspoon for the face as a starting point for a cream or lotion. If you run out before reaching the hairline or jaw, add more. Follow the directions on your sunscreen, particularly if you're using a different format or the label gives more specific instructions.
Think of your ears and neck as separate areas when you apply. It's easy to start spreading the face portion down your neck when you're already halfway through, especially with a low neckline. Measure the face portion first, then use more on any uncovered skin beyond the jaw.
Lab tests use two milligrams of sunscreen per square centimeter of skin to determine the SPF on the label. A teaspoon measures volume, and the area of skin it needs to cover varies from person to person. It gives you a portion you can repeat at home, without telling you exactly how much protection any one application provides.
Use Two Fingers as a Visual Cue
To use your fingers as a guide, run one continuous line of cream or lotion along your index finger and another along your middle finger. The width of each line affects the amount just as its length does. Two narrow stripes can look right at a glance and still use less sunscreen than two wider ones.
Try comparing your usual finger lines with the measured portion once. Tip the sunscreen into your palm so you can see how large the portion looks when you're applying away from home. Make that comparison again with a new formula, since a thicker cream can come out in a wider line.
Spread the Amount All the Way to the Edges
Dot the sunscreen over your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin before you spread it. Work outward to the hairline and temples, then take the layer around the curve of your jaw. Turning your head in the mirror makes it easier to see the small area just in front of each ear.
Apply more sunscreen to the exposed ears and neck. Smooth it over the rims of the ears and behind them where skin is uncovered. Reach under the jaw and along the sides of the neck, then check the back if your hair is up or your collar sits low.
If a thick cream is hard to distribute, split the measured amount into two passes. Spread the first portion over the face, then use the rest to complete the layer, paying attention to the spots you missed. Follow the label directions for applying near your eyes and mouth.
Allow Time Before You Go Outside
Check how long your sunscreen needs before sun exposure. For many products, the directions say to apply it 15 minutes before going outside. Applying it before you pack your bag or put on your shoes can give it that time without adding another step at the door.
Outdoors, reapply at least every two hours. A water-resistant sunscreen specifies 40 or 80 minutes of water resistance during swimming or sweating, so you may need to reapply sooner. Check that interval before you get in the water, and reapply after towel drying as directed on the label.
Makeup adds another practical consideration when you're away from home. Give yourself enough time to reapply sunscreen over makeup without stopping at the areas where foundation is most visible. The hairline and temples still need coverage, even if there is very little makeup there.
Keep a measuring spoon beside the sunscreen until you know what that portion looks like in your hand. From there, the most useful habit is to look once more at the edges of your face and the skin your hair or clothes leave exposed. Those are easy places to miss even when you started with a generous amount.
