Moisturizer and spfs

[#1]

First of all I'm a guy, yes... I know... Lol Anyway so I have been experimenting a LOT with products, and had found a regimen. I have the mia2 acne head, I'd use that in the shower with biore steaming cleanser. Then I'd use a cleansing wipe from Simple. Then clean and clear acne pad. Then ole henriksen truth serum. Then ddf oil free dew with SPF 15. Then garnier eye anti dark circle (I tried dr Brandt eye circle and garnier was better after using both for 3 weeks each). At night I use a cleaning cloth again, then just garnier eye and korres vitamin c wild rose sleeping facial. Every once in a while I use body shop tea tree oil toner (us be surprised what u leave behind on the skin). And my skin has been amazing, people want to touch it. But I wanted to try different things, for some weird reason. And I wanted to keep everything 1 brand instead of all these other ones. So I bought the new philosophy clearer days ahead kit. It comes with a cleanser, it felt good. Then a night pad, which felt amazing. A spot acne cream which I guess is ok, and a moisturizer. And then it hit me, the moisturizer has no SPF... Why?? Such a bummer. Should I buy an SPF out there and use it too? I feel like if I buy the philosophy oil free SPF moisturizer then it won't be acne fighting like the clearer days ahead... I wanted their eye cream but it's not oil free so I won't risk it. The night pad feels like a heavy investment. I mean, 60 pads for $40, that's like 20 dollars a month (and that's if you don't use it 2-3 times a day like the directions say, which by the way how is it a night pad if it tells you to use it 2-3 times a day?) For cleansing wipes I bought the proactiv one. It's rated 1 like everywhere, and it really did feel that good. I tried the purity ones but honestly I felt they were too dry for me. Is the SPF really that important? I'm scared to add something to my routine. How do I use an spf AND a serum? Why wouldn't they add SPF to it if we really need it?

[#2]

SPF can be a bit tricky, especially in acne based products since sometimes sensitive skin is associated with acne and not all SPF is mineral based. There's chemical based and mineral based (like natural zinc).

You can always buy a facial sunscreen or SPF product and mix it in with your lotion. Neutrogena has a fab liquid sunscreen that's super light weight and not greasy feeling. La Roche Posay is also another great brand and they have mineral based sunscreens.

SPF in as mild as a 20 or 30 can work wonders on the skin in protecting against oxidative damage and premature aging. Suncare can help prevent against the premature break down of collagen and elastin in skin, preserve an even skin tone, and obviously protect against the harmful rays that can lead to skin cancer.

[#3]

The presence of SPF is to block UV rays from the sun, and supposedly having them in night creams dim the effectiveness cuz the good stuff don't sink in as well or something. In any case, SPF is important during the day and any website or Google search will tell you that. By blocking UV rays, SPF slows aging or wrinkles and help prevent cancer and bunch of other stuff. There's also chemical and physical SPF but that's for another discussion.

Everyone should use SPF during the day, and that's a fact. The amount of SPF differs by individual. I have light/med complexion and SPF15 is enough for me even in Texas so that I tan but don't burn. I do have friends who are so white they are more pink than white, and if they use anything less than SPF30, they burn like tomatoes. If you are very happy with your current moisturizer, you can use a lightweight/sheer sunscreen over it, or find the equivalent with SPF. Nowadays, almost all skincare lines have SPF moisturizer as well as non-SPF.

As for applications, treatment (peels, pads, serums, night cream with 100 good for you ingredients) should be done at night because that's when your body repairs itself and stuff are most effective. Some peels or serum include ingredients (Vit C and some anti-aging ones) that degrades in the sun or make the skin extra sun-sensitive, thus should be used at night and might be either ineffective or counterproductive during the day. During the day, SPF is of the most importance, so you can either use an SPF moisturizer, or your normal moisturizer with SPF over it.

[#4]

Okay, I am going to clear up a belief about SPF in skincare.  Just because your skincare/makeup has SPF in it DOES NOT mean that you shouldn't wear another layer of sunscreen.  There are a lot of times in which the SPF in skincare/makeup is so muted, that it is hardly effective in blocking out the UVA/UVB rays.  Best thing to do is to wear additional sunscreen that is broad spectrum.  UVA causes aging, such as dark spots and wrinkles, while UVB causes burning.

Hopefully, this will help you out a bit.