Do you need a separate sunblock if your moisturizer has SPF?

Summer is near so I am often asked by my friends if they need a separate sunscreen or sunblock for their faces if their moisturizer already has an SPF (an example of such moisturizer with SPF is this cream from TONYMOLY).

Short answer: YES.

Long answer: NO - you don't but there are conditions that must be fulfilled.

No one's too old to start with sun protection.
(Image By Bill Branson, via Wikimedia Commons)

How to check if a beauty product is FDA approved

Following an advisory from the FDA on the purchase of unnotified products, 13 lipsticks, mostly from China, have been marked as having no market authorization from the FDA. The agency warns that unnotified lipsticks may contain hazardous ingredients, especially lead.

Any of these look familiar? Better check FDA's advisory here (fda.gov.ph).

So how can we know if the product we are eyeing on is FDA-notified?

Sunscreen Basics

We all know how cruel sunlight is to our skin, especially when we are out in the blistering hot Manila sun. I am also amused by the number of women trying to shield themselves from the sunlight using only umbrellas. Sure, an umbrella does help, but unless it is pretty special, UV rays can still penetrate it. In my case, I sometimes go to construction site and I need both my hands to climb out of excavations and such. Bringing an umbrella and getting all conscious about my skin during those moments is too dangerous and stupid.