FAQs

Absolutely! If there's one place you should wear SPF every day, no matter the weather or climate, it's your face. We've designed our applicator in such a way that makes applying your choice of mineral or chemical sunscreen not only easy, but delightful.

Yes. We will be introducing both tinted and untinted mineral sunscreens. We recommend tinted mineral sunscreens if you prefer not to see any hints of white powder upon application, which is inevitable with untinted mineral sunscreen (basically a suspension of white powders). The benefit of untinted sunscreens is that you can see where you’ve applied and whether you’ve missed any  spots. (Don't worry: The cast fades away within 10-60 seconds, depending on skin tone.)

We are also developing chemical sunscreens that will be clear and will blend into your skin without needing a tint. We may consider a tinted chemical sunscreen in the future that will provide light to medium skin coverage — please let us know if this is something you’re interested in!

We've worked tirelessly to develop a mineral sunscreen formula that doesn't leave a white cast.

In fact, our search for a mineral sunscreen that doesn't leave a white cast was what inspired us to start Clair Obscur!

Our primary goal was to develop a safe and effective mineral sunscreen that would work for all skin types and tones. Both our untinted and tinted mineral sunscreens are designed to melt seamlessly into the skin after a few moments of rubbing and settling into the skin. (If you do see a momentary white cast from untinted sunscreen, it can be helpful to ensure you haven't missed any spots.)

We are also developing a clear chemical sunscreen.

Mineral sunscreens create a film over your skin to absorb, block, and scatter UV rays. To ensure you’re protected, the sunscreen needs to be well-distributed and cover any exposed skin, so make sure you leave time for thorough application before you step out.

With chemical sunscreens, it’s equally important to apply them in advance. Similarly, chemical sunscreens need time to be absorbed into your skin to work properly by absorbing and turning UV rays into heat. 

Dermatologists recommend reapplying sunscreen every 2 hours, or every 45 minutes if you’re being active outdoors.

Sweating and friction can disrupt the protective film formed by sunscreen, reducing its ability to protect against damaging UVA and UVB rays.

Our patent-pending applicator is designed to make reapplication a breeze, so be sure to do it often once it's in your hands!

Your activity level, habits, and location. If you are active and sweating, you will need to apply more frequently—especially when swimming. We recommend reapplying sunscreen each time you leave the water, or at least once every 45 minutes.

If you have a habit of rubbing your face or arms, this may cause sunscreen to come off more quickly, and will warrant frequent reapplication.

When in doubt, reapply!

Most windows are able to filter UVB rays (which cause burns), but not necessarily UVA rays (which cause skin damage and aging).

If you work next to a window, especially an open one, be sure to put on sunscreen. If you are in a completely shaded area, or have UV-filtering blinds, it’s okay to reapply less often.

There are always times you may inadvertently be getting sun exposure (like running a quick errand), so we advise applying SPF as part of your daily morning routine, even if you think you will be indoors all day.

Use a sunscreen that you like, dabbing lightly over your face and ensuring you've covered every part. You may also choose a sponge or makeup brush to lightly spread the sunscreen over your makeup.

Regarding sprays: Some sunscreen filters are toxic when inhaled, even though they may be harmless when applied on the skin (this is why you see labels on sunscreen sprays telling you to first spray on your hands before applying on your face).

We've designed our patent-pending applicator so that you'll be able to easily apply SPF over makeup and keep yourself protected on the go. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear when we launch our products.

Yes, you'll need to wear sun protection in the car. You are likely already exposed to UV rays on your way to the car if it’s parked outside. While modern car windows tend to be able to filter out UVB rays , they may not filter UVA rays. Carry your sunscreen with you though — leaving sunscreen in a hot car may reduce the lifespan of the sunscreen.

Our future launches will include sun protective clothing and sleeves to slip on in the car. Stay tuned for updates on these by signing up for our newsletter!

Generally speaking, you can layer different types of sunscreens on your face, including chemical and mineral, or foundations and BB/CC creams that have SPF protection.

The upside of doing so is that you’re less likely to miss a spot and will be adequately protected to the highest level of SPF that’s available out of all your products.

Note that SPF doesn't add up—for example, SPF 25 CC cream and SPF 50 sunscreen combined will mean protection of SPF 50.

Thus, mixing multiple sunscreens is permissable, but rarely, negative interactions between different ingredients may occur.

Our suggestion is to stick to a single sunscreen that you can apply and reapply throughout the day, for cosmetic consistency!

There’s no need. Always wash your sunscreen (and makeup) off with a gentle cleanser at night to avoid build-up of minerals or makeup on your skin.

Most definitely not! Sunscreen is critical for protecting you from skin cancer and burns, no matter your age. We strongly subscribe to the idea that age is just a number! Plus… “better late than never,” right?