Along with vitamin C and retinol, SPF is up there as one of three scientifically proven ingredients you need in order to make an identifiable difference in the way your skin ages.

SPF has long had a bad reputation as far as formulations go, though. It can be too thick, chalky, greasy and leave skin looking ashy or with a white cast (although, we must say products have come on a long way since then). So, it’s no wonder that so many people admit that instead of having a separate SPF, they just rely on what’s already built into their daily moisturiser, foundation or BB cream to protect their skin. Sadly – and we hate to be the ones to break it to you – that isn’t going to give you adequate protection against the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, mostly because it’s rare that enough product will be applied.

“I would strongly advise against using make-up as a sole form of SPF because we just don’t apply these products in thick or even enough layers to get anywhere close to the level of protection provided by a typical sunscreen or sun protection moisturiser,” says consultant dermatologist Dr Justine Kluk.

Most experts agree that in order to get the required amount of protection from sunscreen, around 1-1.5tsps needs to be applied, which is much more than the amount of foundation anybody really uses on a daily basis. “Instead, make-up with SPF should be thought of as your second line of defence against UV rays once you’ve already applied sunscreen,” adds Dr Kluk. “Because two forms of sun protection are much better than one.”

It’s also worth noting that, as consultant dermatologist Dr Anjali Mahto explains: “SPF is only a marker of UVB protection from the sun, which means it tells you very little about the UVA, high energy visible light or infrared protection in a product, and these additional light wavelengths may drive skin ageing and pigmentation.”

SPF formulations have come a long way in the last few years though, and actually, they’re much more cosmetically pleasing and tend to sit well under make-up, too, so really there is no excuse not to have a separate product. Keep scrolling to find out which ones the Stylist beauty team rave about.

Main image: Getty