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Still Lagging On Daily Sunscreen Application? Use These 9 Very Practical Derm Tips

Author: Alexandra Engler

May 14, 2026

Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director

By Alexandra Engler

Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director

Alexandra Engler is the senior beauty and lifestyle director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com

Image by Delmaine Donson / iStock

May 14, 2026

As we kick off summer, we'll be sharing our best advice for achieving Healthy Summer Skin—read all May long. Here’s to a summer of feeling good, living well, and keeping your skin safe under the sun.

A vital part of smart sun care is user behavior: We know that using SPF correctly plays just as much of a role in safety as does the product itself.

Sure, you may have a moisturizer with an SPF of 50, but that number quickly dwindles if you're not using enough of it. And applying sunscreen once and then never again for the rest of your day at the beach leaves you unprotected for hours on end—as if you’d never put any on in the first place. Or not thinking about full body protection can leave you exposed in some pretty risky areas.

So to help you stay safe in the sun, we rounded up our favorite SPF tips from the world’s top derms.

1.Use a tinted sunscreen

I often default to a tinted sunscreen—not just because I like that it makes my skin look smoother and more even-toned, but also because it gives me an extra boost of protection.

As board-certified dermatologist Muneeb Shah, D.O., the face behind viral sensation Doctorly and founder of Remedy Skin, explains these makeup-skin care hybrids also double up on benefits.

“Tinted sunscreens have the ability to block visible light, whereas a traditional sunscreen doesn't,” he says during a past episode of Clean Beauty School.

Visible light refers to all light that you can see. When the skin is exposed to excessive amounts of visible light, it can activate the skin cells’ melanocytes. Melanocytes are the part of the skin that produces pigment. So when these get activated, dark spots follow.

“[A tinted sunscreen’s ability] to block visible light helps melanocytes not to get activated,” resulting in dark spots and melasma, he says.

Another bonus?

Tinted sunscreen means you don’t have to worry about a chalky, white cast that’s common with mineral sunscreens. Since it has pigmented minerals, it blends in with your skin, rather than trying to go on “clear.” You just need to find one in a shade that matches your specific tone—I know, easier said than done.

2.Apply two-fingers’ worth

As board-certified dermatologist Angelo Landriscina, M.D., notes over TikTok, "The SPF of any product is based on using 2 milligrams per centimeter-squared on your skin, which is about half a teaspoon for the entire face."

And because pulling out measuring spoons for your skin care routine every morning isn't, well, ideal—most derms recommend the two-finger test. Simply hold your pointer and middle finger up (like you’re making a peace sign), and make two lines of sunscreen down the entire finger.

That’s two fingers’ worth of sunscreen, and the appropriate amount you need to use to cover your face in order to get full protection.

3.Re-apply every 2 hours when outside

For a day at the beach, on a hike, or working up a sweat in the garden—you must stick to the two-hour rule. That means every two hours, you need to apply the appropriate amount of sunscreen to all exposed skin.

And when you get out of the pool or a dip in the ocean, you need to reapply again once dry. Sunscreen is water resistant, but not waterproof. Meaning: Water will dilute the efficacy or wash it off entirely.

RELATED READ: The 7 Best Vitamin D Supplements For Rasing Stubbornly Low Levels

4.Re-apply for your commute home

When it comes to day-to-day sunscreen use, the hardest thing to commit to is reapplication. The 2 hour reapplication advice sometimes seems impossible to adhere to (ahem, busy schedules!) or unnecessary (if you’re not exposed to direct sunlight).

That’s why I love this very reasonable advice from board-certified dermatologist and collective member Whitney Bowe, M.D., in this Instagram post:

"When I'm working indoors or spending much more time inside, I apply sunscreen in the morning," she says. "Since I don't work next to a window or in direct sunlight [I don’t need to reapply unless I go outside]. On my way home, if it's still a little light out, that’s when I reapply my sunscreen, but I use a powder sunscreen over my makeup, which is something I won't primarily rely on during the summer or even in the morning. It's like a backup plan at the end of my day just to offer a little extra protection during my commute home."

Board-certified dermatologist Zion Ko Lamm, M.D., agrees—always re-apply before the commute home.

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