HOW TO: SUNSCREEN PILLING PREVENTION GUIDE

Hi, babes! Emma here, and today I'll be sharing with you some tips and trick to prevent your sunscreen from pilling. This is quite a common occurance that quickly becomes a nuisance and inevitably leads to wasting your product, so I'm here to help you prevent that. 

We've all been there: your face has been cleaned and moisturised, yet something goes awry right before you apply sunscreen. Instead of sliding over your skin lusciously, the lotion suddenly becomes gritty, forming small lumps or "pills," as industry jargon goes, causing you to repeat your entire routine.

Not only is sunscreen pilling inconvenient, but it is also a waste of product, so what can you do? Here is some advice on how to prevent this.




But first, how and why does this happen? 

Anyone experiencing sunscreen pilling for the first time is forced to ask: Is it me or the product? Experts believe it could be both, with two major causes: the products you use and how you use them. Fortunately, experts have plenty of advice on how to stop sunscreen from pilling and go back to your routine.

What can you do? 

1. EXFOLIATE REGULARLY

Every effective skincare routine begins with a clean slate. Exfoliation clears away debris and dead skin cells, ensuring that skincare products are fully absorbed and reducing the possibility of sunscreen pilling. Finding a balance for your skin is crucial, experts claim. Exfoliating our skin too much or too little can make it too dry or too oily, which can lead to pilling. Find an exfoliant that works for you, whether it's a manual or chemical one. 


2. REEVALUATE THE PRODUCTS YOU USE




Applying an excessive number of products can disrupt the skin's microbiome and lead to irritation, dryness, and/or excessive oil production, all of which are directly related to pilling. Applying too much makeup at once, especially if it contains heavy creams or oils, will also obstruct absorption and make your SPF pill.

You can customise your routine by alternating products on different days and designating which ones to use between AM and PM, allowing you to spread out some of the product love while reducing the possibility of overlaying or using too many products, which can contribute to sunscreen pilling.


3. WAIT BETWEEN STEPS

Your skincare products' interactions with one another are greatly influenced by the order in which you layer them. According to experts, creams use larger molecules while lighter, thinner treatments like serums use active ingredients with smaller molecular structures. When your products are applied incorrectly, the larger molecules hinder the smaller molecules from effectively soaking into the skin, rendering them ineffective and creating the gunky coating that may cause sunscreen to pill.

I suggest beginning your skincare routine with the lightest and thinnest products first (like serums), progressing gradually to thicker or heavier products (like moisturiser), and finishing with your SPF. Consider water- and liquid-based products first, such as mist/toners or light serums like vitamin C serums, and then gels and creams, such as hydrators or moisturisers. Sunscreen should be the final step in the skincare routine before makeup.

The amount of time it takes for a product to dry or absorb is determined by its consistency and your skin type. Dermatologists recommend waiting 30-60 seconds after applying a product to allow any noticeable dewiness to dissipate before proceeding to the next step. Touching your face is an excellent way to see if you're prepared for the following skincare step. The product is not yet completely absorbed if you can still feel wetness or substance on your fingers.


4. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS IN YOUR PRODUCTS




There are a number of recognised substances that can combine with other substances to form pills, some of which are silicones, xanthan gum, and mineral blockers. 

Silicones such as dimethicone, amodimethicone, and cyclomethicone are widely used in SPFs to boost the efficacy of the sunscreen by building a barrier on the top layer of the skin to protect against environmental stresses such as wind and water, according to experts. However, this means they can clump together and cause pilling.

Xanthan gum is another suggested probable pilling cause, according to experts. Innumerable products use this versatile chemical as a thickener, stabiliser, and binder to improve their texture and feel, but excessive quantities can cause pilling.

They also claim that some cream SPF compositions with a high mineral concentration can cause pilling in some people. If you consider how a mineral SPF functions—it lies on the skin's surface as opposed to a chemical SPF, which is absorbed into the skin—it has a higher risk of pilling, particularly if it's heavily massaged into the skin. They suggest choosing mineral SPFs with "micronized" minerals to address this.

If your sunscreen contains any of the aforementioned ingredients and you're too attached to it to stop using it, consider patting it into your skin rather than rubbing it in to reduce the possibility of the sunscreen pilling.


5. TRY NEW PRODUCTS




At the end of the day, not all ingredients are suitable for everyone. If a substance in a skincare product just doesn't mesh well with the other products in your routine, it may be best to avoid it and look for another SPF. Fortunately, experts recommended a variety of sunscreen alternatives that are unlikely to pill.

Acne-prone individuals should use a physical sunscreen, which lies on top of the skin and reflects UV light rather than absorbing UV radiation, as chemical sunscreens do.

The best sunscreens for dry skin are cream and lotion products; search for formulations that also include moisturising elements to nurture the skin all day.

To avoid irritation, people with sensitive skin should choose fragrance-free sunscreens.





So, what kind of sunscreen do you use? Have you experienced pilling before and what were the steps you took to prevent it? Let me know about it in the comments, and I wouldn't mind hearing about your holy grail sunscreens!

Cheers for reading. 

Love, 
Emma 

xoxo

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