SPF in moisturisers - is it enough?

[WillowtreeHouse]

Probably a really stupid question but I thought I'd ask anyway.

I use cerave face moisturiser with an SPF of 50. It works well on my skin and it's pretty good for my age (56) so I don't to change. A friend has told me that I should also be using an additional spf but it didn't occur to me that I would need to as it's already in my moisturiser! Apparently this makes me an idiot ... If I should, any recommendations please?

Yes, you're probably not using enough of it to get the full protection, so what matters here is how much do you need. If you're using tretinoin or similar (or relying on it for prolonged outdoor sun protection), then you need something seperate, a standalone SPF. If you just need daily protection (SPF 15 but ideally SPF30) the SPF50 moisturiser might just cover you for that but it's a lot less reliable than a standalone SPF.

No, it won't be anyway near enough. Its recommended to use 2 fingers worth or a dessert spoon full which is quite a lot. If you are relying on SPF in a moisturiser you will only be getting a fraction of the protection stated on the tube.

I think it's fine. I don't think there's that much difference between a moisturiser with SPF and a moisturising SPF. You need about half a tea spoon's worth.

the quantity of spf is diluted in a moisturiser so it's best to choose a separate one.

according to the dermatologist on Tb a few weeks ago the spf in moisturiser is enough. But i guess like with most spf you do need to reapply at regular intervals.

Are you wearing foundation over the top ?

I wear moisturiser with spf plus foundation with spf and have done so for decades and don't have any wrinkles so from my experience you're not an idiot but if you're not wearing foundation then I would suggest you go with proper SPF such as ultra sun face

TV

Indefinitely don't rely on it for sun protection and if I'm in the sun (unusual because I hate it!), I wear a facial sun cream.

Yes I do wear a foundation most days.

They found that women who have worn foundation most of their lives on a daily basis tend to have far less wrinkles

It depends on what your aims are, if you just want a basic level of protection and not get burnt then it's probably fine, especially if you are wearing foundation over it.
But many women wear a high strength separate SPF because it protects against UVA rays (which are present all year round, whether it's sunny or not) which have been shown to cause premature ageing. UVB rays are the ones that cause sunburn, they are strongest around 11am - 3pm, they are the ones you feel on your skin when you feel the heat from the sun. But UVA rays are ones you don't feel, always there, and can penetrate through windows and clouds.
The amount of SPF in a moisturiser or foundation is dose dependant, so you would need to make sure you are using enough to get the protection stated on the bottle (which for foundation would mean looking ridiculous).
So these days many women chose to use a separate high strength SPF for cosmetic preventative reasons, as part of their beauty routine for preventing premature ageing, which is why you will see a lot of people recommending it.

Other people only wear it during summer and don't bother in winter or (like a good friend of mine) don't wear SPF at all because they don't believe in it, so it's a totally personal choice.

I think perhaps it's not enough then. Can anyone recommend a good, non sticky, SPF for over moisturiser and under foundation please?

That's the tricky bit, because it depends on your skin type, budget etc.

I used La Roche Posay Anthelios Fluid SPF50 for a long time - it's very liquidy, and has alcohol in it so is a bit drying on the skin, but I found if I wore it over moisturiser it worked well and absorbed into my skin without a sticky whitecast. Worked well under make up as well.

But I recently switched to Garnier Ambre Solaire Super UV Face Fluid SPF 50, as it's very similar than LRP and is usually about half the price (also often on offer in Boots).

But if you have oily skin you might want to try the cream version that has more of a matte finish, otherwise it may end up being too greasy on your skin.

Thank you I'll try the Ambre Solaire one, my budget isn't huge.