Your beginner's beauty guide to complete protection from UV rays and pollution!

Look on the sunny side of life!

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Given our perpetual state of summer, it goes without saying that sun protection is absolutely non-negotiable – you must use sunscreen of some sort during the day or, at the very least, a priming product that has “SPF” bedecking the bottle.

ALSO READ: This trendy new mask is the insane secret to supermodel-worthy skin!

And yet, this fundamental skincare step needn’t be a tedious chore. Click through the gallery slides to check if you’re making any of these common beauty boo-boos, plus tips and tricks on how to fix your faux pas. All settled in for a good read? Let's go!

Image: 123rf.com.

Want more? Check out this treasure trove of body exfoliants that will leave you looking soft, smooth and scrumptious from head to toe, and see if you’re game to try this eye-popping new treatment for supermodel-worthy skin. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.

Are you obsessed with the numbers game?

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Okay, first off: What is SPF, anyway? Here’s a working definition for beginner beauty students: The SPF or sun protection factor of a sunscreen is a gauge of how well sunscreen can protect the skin against ultraviolet B rays.

What about all those numerals, then? Well, SPF 15 sunscreens promise to block out about 93 percent of UVB rays, while sunscreens with SPF 30 and SPF 50 block approximately 97 percent and 98 percent of UVB rays, respectively.

Try: Chanel Sublimage La Protection UV SPF50, $170.

Want more? Check out this treasure trove of body exfoliants that will leave you looking soft, smooth and scrumptious from head to toe, and see if you’re game to try this eye-popping new treatment for supermodel-worthy skin. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.

What SPF rating should you pick?

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Will anything ward off a full 100 percent of UVB rays? Short of living a vampiric existence, it’s no go, I’m afraid. The implication: Let SPF 50 be your absolute upper ceiling when choosing sun care products, as anything above that (SPF 120, anyone?) will give you markedly diminishing marginal returns – with the thicker texture of the latter being potential pore-cloggers to boot.

Try: Yves Saint Laurent Beaute Or Rouge UV Protection SPF50/PA+++, $179.

Want more? Check out this treasure trove of body exfoliants that will leave you looking soft, smooth and scrumptious from head to toe, and see if you’re game to try this eye-popping new treatment for supermodel-worthy skin. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.

Are you forgetting about UVA protection?

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We at herworldPLUS are well aware of the value of “pluses” … and it never hurts to be kiasu when it comes to the PA level of your sunscreen!

Brief beauty lesson: The PA “pluses” refer to the degree of protection you get against UVA beams – which for the uninitiated refers to the longer-range rays that can damage the dermis and lead to premature creases and crinkles in your skin. Implication: The PA pluses are paramount if you want to preserve your porcelain complexion.

Try: Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution SPF 50/PA++++, $74.

Want more? Check out this treasure trove of body exfoliants that will leave you looking soft, smooth and scrumptious from head to toe, and see if you’re game to try this eye-popping new treatment for supermodel-worthy skin. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.

Should you be kiasu about the PA “pluses” in your sunscreen?

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Short answer: If you’re plagued with pigmentation, then yes. For the whys and wherefores, we’ll need to go back in time for a brief beauty history recap. Prior to 2013, a three tiered rating (PA+++) was the highest you could get under guidelines stipulated by the Japanese Cosmetic Industry Association. The relatively recent fourth tier (PA++++) gives you a PPD (Persistent Pigment Darkening) protection factor of 16 – in essence, a stronger shield against brown spots and blotchiness. In other words: As with herworldPLUS, pluses are always well, a plus.   

Try: Kiehl’s Dermatologist Solutions Ultra Light Daily UV Defense SPF 50/PA++++, $52.

Want more? Check out this treasure trove of body exfoliants that will leave you looking soft, smooth and scrumptious from head to toe, and see if you’re game to try this eye-popping new treatment for supermodel-worthy skin. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.

Are you applying enough and on the right areas?

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So exactly how much should you be slipping, slopping and slapping on yourself? The rule of thumb is a one ounce shot glass for your bikini bod and about a third of a teaspoon for the entire face, plus another quarter teaspoon for your neck and decolletage. And don’t skip your smackers – swiping on a soothing salve will keep your puckers plump and protected.

Try: Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15, $34.

Want more? Check out this treasure trove of body exfoliants that will leave you looking soft, smooth and scrumptious from head to toe, and see if you’re game to try this eye-popping new treatment for supermodel-worthy skin. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.

Are you re-applying throughout the day?

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Okay, so sunscreen reapplication every two hours is a requisite, but how do we go about it without mussing up our makeup?

Here’s a brilliant solution that should allow you to make the most out of your SPF: Mix equal parts of a lightweight, high-SPF product with your favourite foundation then store in an airtight tub. Use this concoction as a concentrated concealer on existing freckles, so that these vulnerable spots get additional protection. Incredibly ingenious, right?

Try: Origins Dr Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Defense SPF45/PA++++ Advanced Daily UV Defender, $70.

Want more? Check out this treasure trove of body exfoliants that will leave you looking soft, smooth and scrumptious from head to toe, and see if you’re game to try this eye-popping new treatment for supermodel-worthy skin. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.

Are you limiting yourself to liquids and lotions?

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Leery of slapping on a liquid because you’ve already set your face-paint with a powder? Easy. Top up during the day with an aerosol from the burgeoning crop of spray-on sunscreens on the market – simply spritz generously as a sun-killing makeup setter. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

Try: DrGL Sun Protection Mist SPF29/PA++, $88 from Sephora Singapore.

Want more? Check out this treasure trove of body exfoliants that will leave you looking soft, smooth and scrumptious from head to toe, and see if you’re game to try this eye-popping new treatment for supermodel-worthy skin. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.

Finally, don't be lulled into a false sense of security!

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Oh, one last thing: Always seek shelter when it gets too steamy – a swipe of sunscreen isn’t carte blanche for cavorting on the beach from dusk to dawn.

You see, there’s a good reason why sunscreen isn’t marketed as “sun-proof”. No elixir on earth can ever hope to block out a full 100 percent of the sun’s rays – hence fashion! By all means, “save face” and look fab by whipping out your hottest hat and sexiest sunnies for your next #OOTD.

Voila! Layering plus mix-and-matching plus spray-ons equal near-perfect sun protection – no skull-numbing SPF number crunching needed. I hope this has been an enlightening “ray” of a read. Good luck!

Image: 123rf.com.

Want more? Check out this treasure trove of body exfoliants that will leave you looking soft, smooth and scrumptious from head to toe, and see if you’re game to try this eye-popping new treatment for supermodel-worthy skin. Get your daily dose of beauty at www.herworldplus.com/beauty.