How to Choose Your SPF
How to Choose Your SPF
A doctor-led guide to finding sun protection you will actually want to wear — the single most powerful step in any homecare routine.
If you do one thing for your skin every day, make it this. Daily sun protection guards against UV damage — the leading driver of pigmentation, fine lines and uneven tone over time — and protects the results of everything else you do.
The difficulty is rarely whether to wear it. It is which one to choose. The wall of bottles, the numbers, the words like "broad-spectrum" and "mineral" — it is easy to give up and reach for whatever is nearest. This guide makes the decision simple.
Start with the non-negotiables
Whatever you choose, three things matter more than the brand on the bottle.
Broad-spectrumProtection against both UVA and UVB. UVB burns; UVA ages and penetrates deeper. You want defence against both, every day.
SPF 30 minimum — we favour 50 for the faceThe step up from 30 to 50 is small to apply and meaningful over years of daily wear.
Every day, all year roundUVA passes through cloud and glass, so daylight warrants protection in February as much as July.
One more point most people get wrong: quantity. Most of us apply far too little. For the face, think roughly two finger-lengths of product, and reapply through the day if you are outdoors, sweating, or near water.
The real decision is the finish, not just the number
Here is what actually determines whether you keep wearing your SPF: how it feels and looks on your skin. A sunscreen you dislike is one you skip. Once broad-spectrum and SPF level are settled, the choice comes down to texture, finish and how it fits your day.
Mineral or chemical. Mineral filters sit on the surface and reflect light; they tend to suit sensitive, reactive or recently treated skin. Chemical filters absorb and often feel lighter and more invisible. Both protect well when worn properly — the right one suits your skin and your preferences. We stock both, which is rather the point.
Tinted or clear. A tint adds a wash of even colour, so many people wear it in place of foundation, and it offers a degree of protection against visible light — relevant for pigmentation and melasma. If you want your SPF to double as light coverage, a tinted option earns its place.
The finish. Matte formulas suit oily and combination skin and sit well under makeup. Sheer fluids and gels feel weightless, which suits normal and drier skin or anyone who dislikes the feel of sunscreen. There is a finish that will feel like nothing.
How you reapply. Reapplying over makeup is where most routines fall down. A powder SPF makes mid-day top-ups genuinely easy, and a primer-style SPF gives you protection and a smooth base in one step.
Matching it to your skin and your day
If your skin is oily or combination, a matte SPF 50 is the natural home. If you want protection and light coverage in one, a tinted or tone-adapting SPF 50 replaces a separate base. If you live in makeup and never reapply, a powder SPF solves the problem you have been ignoring. If you want the lightest everyday feel, a sheer fluid or gel SPF 50 is for you. And if your skin is sensitive, reactive or recently treated, a gentler mineral-leaning option is usually safer — worth confirming with us if you have had a recent procedure.
The REGEN SPF edit
Every formula we carry, in one place. Tap any to see the detail — or use the finder below to be matched.
Where SPF fits
Daily protection sits within Elevate — the homecare pillar, where the right medical-grade products are matched to your skin to support and protect the work done in clinic. Active ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C do more, and last longer, when daily UV damage is kept in check. Sunscreen is not the finishing touch on a routine. It is the foundation the rest is built on.
If you would rather not weigh up every option, our short SPF finder will do it for you. Find your SPF here.
Find the SPF that fits your skin
Answer a few questions about your skin, your finish preference and how you wear it, and we will point you to the formula you will keep reaching for.