The best summer base for 50-something skin

Telegraph

7 hours ago

In this regular series, Ageless Beauty, The Telegraph's beauty experts Annabel Jones and Lisa Armstrong tackle the conundrums they've been searching for answers to, and share their favourite tips and tricks. This week, they discuss tinted SPFs.
Beauty brands are constantly launching new generation SPF products that promise far more than 'mere' sun block. The big push this year is into sun protectors that do it all: providing close to maximum SPF protection, acting as sophisticated concealers and foundation as well as promoting your skin's own collagen production with a cocktail of peptides and hyaluronic acids.
That may sound too good to be true, but they're great. The one I've reached for the most this summer is The Uniform, which Merit launched a few months ago. It's not make-up with SPF. It's SPF with make-up. That's a significant difference from the BB creams of 20 years ago. Two full pumps of The Uniform provides factor-50 protection and plenty of make-up coverage – more than enough if, like me, you prefer a sheer effect and don't like applying tinted creams to your neck because of the colour transfer onto clothes. If you do want more coverage, you can always add extra without overdoing the SPF. Some users are treating it as a primer and applying their normal foundation on top. That sounds a lot, but each to their own.
From a consumer's point of view, it's a dream to blend. Available in 15 shades, it's a non-nano, mineral, broad spectrum UVA and UVB face protector that, despite not containing silicone (another plus), glides across young and mature skins alike – soaking in quickly. The texture isn't greasy or shiny, but it's not matte either, so if you want a fully dried-down effect, you could use a mineral powder on top. Some reviewers have reported pilling but I haven't found that at all.
Mineral formulations – we're talking zinc and titanium dioxides – are my preferred option these days. Unlike chemical formulations, which according to some experts, absorb into the bloodstream, potentially distorting our hormone system, mineral ingredients sit on the top layer. Mineral ingredients are also reported to be less harmful to oceans and coral reefs than their chemical peers, some of which are now banned in Hawaii, parts of Mexico and the Virgin Islands.
If your main concern with mineral sunscreens is the white residue they leave behind, that's so 2020. The new generation are invisible. But there's a caveat: if minerals are served up in tiny particles, they too get absorbed into the blood stream. So look out for the words non-nano, on any product you buy.
I use it as a stand-alone, on top of my moisturiser (even though The Uniform contains emollients). Then I apply blusher and highlighter. I love the dewy effect of The Uniform. My main reservation is that you're meant to reapply it every two hours to maintain its SPF potential, but I don't want to keep slapping a tint on my face throughout the day. After the first application of The Uniform, I follow up with a non-tinted, non-nano zinc moisturiser from Alexandra Soveral with SPF 15, and use The Uniform to retouch around my nose and under my eyes.
SPF 15 doesn't sound much, but it offers around 93 per cent protection (100 per cent if you wear a densely woven sun hat) as opposed to the approximate 98 you get with factor 50. Neither creams are meant as beach protection. This is your summer in the city 'uniform', and it's pretty damn great.
Like you Lisa, I made a beeline for Merit's The Uniform when it landed and so wanted it to be everything their foundation stick is in liquid form. Alas, there isn't a hue with quite the right undertone for my skin despite the 15-strong shade range, thus our relationship was short lived.
In principle, the concept of a high-factor facial SPF that doubles as foundation thrills me, though in reality many of them are either too thick a substitute for the seamless skin tints that make-up brands have mastered – or the consistency is spot on but the tint is too sheer to cover.
The thick ones by the way make ideal sunscreens on holiday when you want decent coverage and a dapple of tint. But for an average working day, I want something invisible in look and feel. Hence why sunscreen and foundation should be seen as two separate entities in my view.
Then I was introduced to Naked Sundays BeautyScreen SPF50 Peptide Foundation Tint. Oil, fragrance, paraben and phthalates free, the mineral formulation contains non-nano zinc oxide, meaning it sits on the surface where it's meant to be. It also packs plenty of skincare punch: collagen boosting peptides, hydrating hyaluronic acid – and soothing, anti-redness ingredients that support the skin barrier.
Semantics aside, BeautyScreen's make-up attributes are the best of its ilk. Feather-light and liquidy, it can be blended out or built up using a brush (my preference) or fingers, depending on how much foundation you're used to.
As a dutiful beauty editor, if I'm going to be in direct sunlight I top up with a clear SPF every couple of hours. Biore's Uv Aqua Invisible Face Mist SPF50 does a fine job as an on-the-go spritz that doesn't disrupt makeup. Though it does reek of alcohol for a fleeting second (alcohol in sunscreens help it dry quickly and feel less greasy) so if that bothers you, a clear gel like Glossier's Invisible Priming SPF50 is a good alternative.
Ultimately, the more protective and nourishing make-up gets, the happier my skin is. And if you're someone who likes a one and done product then tinted SPFs are the answer.
It took me a while to find one that holds its own against my beloved roster of summer base options, but now that I have if you're looking for a dewy tint with high protection that dissipates beautifully into skin – without leaving tide marks or a greasy film – then I couldn't recommend a better product.