Sunscreen tips and facts from celebrity skin expert Shani Darden

A face mask isn’t the only thing you should wear to keep yourself safe and healthy this summer.
Whether your plans for the season include socially-distanced beach days or family barbecues, you’ll want to slather on the SPF before spending any time outdoors.
“Wearing sunscreen is the absolute most important thing you can do to keep your skin healthy and youthful,” celebrity esthetician Shani Darden — whose star clients include Jessica Alba, Chrissy Teigen, January Jones and Kelly Rowland, to name but a few — told Page Six Style.

While preventing skin cancer and avoiding painful sunburns are perhaps the most obvious reasons to reach for a UV-blocking product, SPF boasts tons of cosmetic benefits as well.

“Many of the issues people complain about, like brown spots, discoloration, fine lines, and wrinkles — all of those occur because of sun exposure,” Darden explained. “Everyone is always trying to reverse the signs of aging, but so many of these things can be prevented by keeping your skin protected from the sun.”

Below, the Hollywood facialist shares a few of her top SPF tips and facts to help you choose the right product and wear it well.
Opt for SPF 30 or higher — and don’t skimp on the application.

“An SPF 30 or above is always best to ensure you’re getting the right amount of protection, but you have to make sure you’re using enough of the product as well,” Darden told us. “A fourth of a teaspoon is generally enough to cover the face.”
Reapply, reapply, reapply.

Yes, even if you’re wearing SPF 100. “Every one to two hours is the general rule for reapplying sunscreen to keep skin protected,” Darden said.
Choose the right formula for your face.

“It’s important to make sure that any moisturizer or sunscreen you’re using doesn’t clog your pores, so using one specifically for the face that is noncomedogenic can be helpful,” Darden told us.

But pick the correct product, and you won’t need to use separate sunscreens for face and body. “Supergoop’s Play Everyday Lotion ($22) is one of my favorites,” she added. “It’s a great formula that lightly hydrates without causing any congestion in the skin.”
Beware of oft-missed spots.
Darden names the neck, chest and ears as places many people forget about when putting on sunblock.
Wear sunscreen every single day, even when you’re not outdoors.

“UV rays can still pass through your windows, so it’s important to keep your skin protected even if you’ll be inside all day,” Darden advised.

Reach for makeup with added SPF.
While an eyeshadow or bronzer with built-in sun protection shouldn’t replace sunscreen in your morning routine, your face makeup or moisturizer might. “A foundation or CC cream with an SPF of 30 or above is great,” the star skin guru told us.
Scrub off sunscreen completely at the end of the day.

Just as you should never sleep in your makeup, leaving layers of SPF on your face can lead to breakouts and irritation — and simply rinsing isn’t going to cut it.

“It’s important to really focus on massaging the cleanser onto your skin for more than just a couple of seconds to make sure you’re removing all product and buildup from the day,” Darden explained. “I also use two pieces of wet gauze to remove any remaining traces of cleanser or product.”