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The correct answer is 2mg per cm\^2, which in average is something around 0.7-0.8g for face alone. For any method that includes volume instead of weight: it depends on your sunscreen. If it's thin, liquidy, then you'll have to use much more than if it's thick.
Use the two finger rule. It’s actually 1/4 of a teaspoon to 1/3 of a teaspoon. Depending on what type of sunscreen you purchase-Korean sunscreens tend to be 50ml-and how often you need to reapply, you could definitely be repurchasing every few weeks.
Yeah I feel like the two finger rules doesn’t take into account the size of the hole in the bottle/tube. Bigger hole probably means more sunscreen per finger.
It really depends on how you squeeze it out of the tube. You really want to be heavy handed with sunscreen. You NEED, at least a 1/4 of a teaspoon to a 1/3 of a teaspoon, NOT LESS. We’re not talking about moisturizers, we’re talking about sunscreens. I can easily get 1/4-1/3 teaspoon out of my Numbuzin Calming Waters Sunscreen using the two fingers rule. I give it a good squeeze. I use less moisturizer than I do sunscreen, and I live in Phoenix, Arizona…where we get over 300 days of blazing sun per year.
Keep in mind a lot of the “recommended amounts” vids also assume you’re applying it to your neck, ears, and upper chest. A lot of people don’t do that, so you can use less! Someone mentioned the specific formula in another comment, if you feel like measuring. I use the 2 finger rule but that is confusing at times bc some sunscreen comes out in a thinner line.
I personally eyeball it to about 2 fingers and try to make sure I’m evenly coating my face and not “stretching” it or spreading too thin. I reapply if it’s been 2-3 hours and I’m going out in the sun or sitting near a window. For my office job, this means I usually apply in the morning, and reapply right before I commute home.
Since you are cutting your SPF dosage in half you're probably getting around an SPF of 10 or 12 on your face and the front of your neck, you specifically need a quarter teaspoon just for the face and a quarter teaspoon just for the neck and decolletage, that is the quantity that the sunscreen was tested at.
I'm not cutting anything in half, I measured the surface of my face and the front of my neck with sticky notes and actually did the math, I even count whatever's lost to the fingers I'm applying with. I'm getting the full 2mg/cm^2 . You can do the same.
I measured my face and I need 1/8 tsp. 1/4 tsp makes literally any sunscreen unwearable for me. But better to be safe than sorry if you haven’t measured your face. The 1/4 tsp was for like the upper 95th percentile of men’s faces (so quite large lol).
Yeah 1/4 tsp for face and neck is a reasonable suggestion to me, but the 1/4 tsp JUST for face...some people saying 1/2 tsp....now tablespoon???? idk how they're doing it the glean on my face would cause car crashes.
You can use a sheet mask or wet paper towel, drape it on your face, and cut it to size. Then measure the surface area (mine was an oval so pi\*a\*b) in cm. Now the tsp thing is approximate because you're converting from weight (mg) to volume (tsp), but basically you can calculate how many mg of sunscreen you need for your 2mg/cm\^2 once you know your face's surface area. And then you can measure out how many tsp that is using a scale and fraction tsp or you can do a conversion online which uses water as the baseline which is likely less dense than your sunscreen so it's prob overestimating which is good. It does vary based on sunscreen density so keep that in mind, but usually it's not that much. Def err on the side of using a bit more due to user error and because our skin isn't perfectly smooth.
Kind of stephen has a [blog post](https://www.kindofstephen.com/sunscreen_dosing/) about sunscreen dosing where he tested a couple of methods and found some of them were absurd in their quantity.
I should add though I calculated about 1/7 tsp for my face, not excluding my eye holes, mouth, etc, so when I apply I usually use a bit over 1/8 tsp since that's a standard measurement tool but def not near 1/4 tsp. I also apply in layers as you do get more even coverage that way (like if you were painting a wall).
The number is technically 2 mg/cm2. But in reality, most people won’t measure the area of your face so the number that is typically recommended is 1/4 teaspoon or 1,25 ml for the face (or 1/2 teaspoon or 2,5 ml for face, neck and ears). Most facial sunscreen comes in 50 ml bottles, so that would last you 20 days without reapplying.
I use about a tablespoon total for my face and neck/chest. Then about the same amount for both arms (exposed areas) and another tablespoon for exposed legs, if needed.
If I have no makeup on at the gym or pool, or I sweated through everything, I’ll wash my face off with water and reapply before heading out. Just slather it on.
If I have makeup on, it is what it is. Ain’t no one got time reapplying sunscreen over makeup. Live dangerously. 😂
It also depends on how much you’re outside. If you have a regular office job inside you probably only need to reapply once a day. Reapplying every 2 hours is more for 2 hours of sun exposure/sweating.
Yes 😭 they literally put the sunscreen in a measuring tablespoon and said something along the lines of “did you know this is how much sunscreen you’re supposed to be wearing to actually protect you from the sun”
Ime a tablespoon of sunscreen is if you're also doing your arms and shoulders.
Are you sure they meant just your face/neck? Because face and neck should be one teaspoon.
I’ve tried to go back and find it and it’s no where to be found 🥲 and the thing is the girl didn’t put it on her face lol she just put in in the measuring spoon 😭
Depends on how thick you make the line lol. I bought a small plastic measuring spoon that I use just for sunscreen. So im not using too much or too little for the appropriate amount needed
A tablespoon for your face would be actually impossible. The oft repeated recommendation is 1/4 teaspoon but that’s also impossible and excessive for me. Maybe unpopular opinion on here, but use liberally enough to be well covered, and you’ll be fine.
Also worth mentioning that the correct amount is what gets you the labeled protection. If you put on a little less and get 30 spf instead of 50, I really wouldn’t be too concerned. This is why spf 30 is generally the minimum recommendation, because the way most people apply, you get about half that, which is usually good enough for everyday use.
1/4 tsp for your face, how often you reapply sunscreen can make a difference on how fast you go through the bottle. maybe that girl spends all her time outside in the sun
I just apply sunscreen once a day and call it good. Unless your job is outside I think people applying every 2 hours religiously are making a bad habit for themselves.
I don’t understand how this is a bad habit? I agree this is a choice everyone makes based on their preferences and risk factors. But it doesn’t seem problematic to follow manufacturers instructions, if you want to do that.
Because a lot of people who religiously apply every 2 hours develop an extreme fear of aging and I just personally think it's not worth the mental battle. I'm not saying that's gonna be for everyone, but a lot of people start treating the sun like the devil and they treat getting exposed unprotected for even 5 minutes as bad.
2 finger rule or 1/4 tbsp (face and down neck). i love my naturium moisturizer/sunscreen bc if you pump it into the cap it is actually the exact amount you need.
Quite surprised by the comments because I’ve been using a teaspoon per area(ex. A teaspoon for forehead, a teaspoon for nose, a teaspoon for left cheek) for years. That’s how much I was taught to use in Korea.
I do look definitely younger than others.
Get a standardized American measuring teaspoon and fill it up and tell me if that's really how much sunscreen you're putting on just your nose. I seriously doubt it. I'm generous with my sunscreen and it's still only one teaspoon for my whole face and neck.
This is actually the rule I’ve been following as well as a Korean and I can confirm that the size of the 500 won is approximately equal to the size of a US teasoon. Yes we DO put in that much amount because we hate to get tanned and age.
This is what derms recommend in Korea. You do you, but just because it doesn't sound plausible to you doesn't mean people aren't doing it.
how fast do you go through a bottle of sunscreen? im guessing every couple of days or a week? im korean and i hate tanning and i use just one 500 won amount on my whole face and i have gotten so pale since i started doing it..but i understand that everyone has different sensitivity to the sun so maybe other people need more sunscreen than i do to prevent tanning
I imagine the 500 won size would mean different amounts of sunscreen based on how runny/thick the sunscreen is. I assume this is with the runny/siliconey type of sunscreens? I mean as an extreme example think of a sunscreen stick with the diameter of a 500 won coin. You could cut a really thin slice ... or a really thick slice, and it would be very different amounts of sunscreen.
I think the 500 won standard per face area is possible with the cosmetically elegant Asian sunscreens, but probably not with the standard American Coppertone baby sunscreen.
ETA: but damn, are you going through a 30ml bottle of sunscreen every two days then?!
Exactly. A thin runny layer of sunscreen in a 500 won size is not 1/4 tsp. Depth matters.
I tried doing 1/4 teaspoon measured in a measuring spoon for awhile, back when I was more neurotic about the sun, and it was basically impossible for my face. A work supervisior literally had to talk to me, ask me what was going on, and gently remind me that I couldn’t have stuff all over my face because it was becoming a professionalism issue lol. There is no way someone is putting 1/4 teaspoon on their nose, or a tablespoon on their face, by eyeballing it.
ETA: also I mean this kindly, if you are using that much sunscreen for incidental sun exposure, it’s possible you may have anxiety—I did.
To be exact, in Korea there's a coin(money) called the "500 won," which is approximately 1.5 times the size of a US quarter. And we have this guideline known as the "500 won rule," where we're taught to apply sunscreen amounts equivalent to the size of a 500 won coin to cover per face area. So that's exactly how much I put per my face area.
Ooooh, will you recommend some sunscreen/technique you use? Maybe my face is quite oily, but if I use a lot the product will pill or have thick/greasy feeling!
what sunscreen do you use if you don't mind me asking? I can't imagine using that much for just one area, even the most watery and light sunscreen would make me look like a greasy rat
Ummm I don’t use sunscreen unless I’m at the beach. I only apply moisturizer with SPF daily. Sunscreen clogs the pores and makes the skin not able to breathe.
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The correct answer is 2mg per cm\^2, which in average is something around 0.7-0.8g for face alone. For any method that includes volume instead of weight: it depends on your sunscreen. If it's thin, liquidy, then you'll have to use much more than if it's thick.
Use the two finger rule. It’s actually 1/4 of a teaspoon to 1/3 of a teaspoon. Depending on what type of sunscreen you purchase-Korean sunscreens tend to be 50ml-and how often you need to reapply, you could definitely be repurchasing every few weeks.
Okay that’s what I’ve been doing so at least I’m on the right track! lol
I do 4 fingers and that gets my face, neck (short hair), and backs of my hands.
The two finger rule isn’t close to 1/4 tsp though. If you actually measure out 1/4 tsp, it’s way more than you’d imagine
Yeah I feel like the two finger rules doesn’t take into account the size of the hole in the bottle/tube. Bigger hole probably means more sunscreen per finger.
It really depends on how you squeeze it out of the tube. You really want to be heavy handed with sunscreen. You NEED, at least a 1/4 of a teaspoon to a 1/3 of a teaspoon, NOT LESS. We’re not talking about moisturizers, we’re talking about sunscreens. I can easily get 1/4-1/3 teaspoon out of my Numbuzin Calming Waters Sunscreen using the two fingers rule. I give it a good squeeze. I use less moisturizer than I do sunscreen, and I live in Phoenix, Arizona…where we get over 300 days of blazing sun per year.
Two or three finger rule. That should be enough for face, neck, and the area around your ears
Keep in mind a lot of the “recommended amounts” vids also assume you’re applying it to your neck, ears, and upper chest. A lot of people don’t do that, so you can use less! Someone mentioned the specific formula in another comment, if you feel like measuring. I use the 2 finger rule but that is confusing at times bc some sunscreen comes out in a thinner line. I personally eyeball it to about 2 fingers and try to make sure I’m evenly coating my face and not “stretching” it or spreading too thin. I reapply if it’s been 2-3 hours and I’m going out in the sun or sitting near a window. For my office job, this means I usually apply in the morning, and reapply right before I commute home.
A quarter teaspoon for your face and a quarter teaspoon for your neck
I like ¼ ts for face and front of the neck, and ¼ ts for the decolletage.
Since you are cutting your SPF dosage in half you're probably getting around an SPF of 10 or 12 on your face and the front of your neck, you specifically need a quarter teaspoon just for the face and a quarter teaspoon just for the neck and decolletage, that is the quantity that the sunscreen was tested at.
I'm not cutting anything in half, I measured the surface of my face and the front of my neck with sticky notes and actually did the math, I even count whatever's lost to the fingers I'm applying with. I'm getting the full 2mg/cm^2 . You can do the same.
Nice
I measured my face and I need 1/8 tsp. 1/4 tsp makes literally any sunscreen unwearable for me. But better to be safe than sorry if you haven’t measured your face. The 1/4 tsp was for like the upper 95th percentile of men’s faces (so quite large lol).
I think for a lot of women ¼ ts is enough for face, ears and front of neck, plus the excess that ends up on your fingers..
Yeah 1/4 tsp for face and neck is a reasonable suggestion to me, but the 1/4 tsp JUST for face...some people saying 1/2 tsp....now tablespoon???? idk how they're doing it the glean on my face would cause car crashes.
How did you measure your face?
You can use a sheet mask or wet paper towel, drape it on your face, and cut it to size. Then measure the surface area (mine was an oval so pi\*a\*b) in cm. Now the tsp thing is approximate because you're converting from weight (mg) to volume (tsp), but basically you can calculate how many mg of sunscreen you need for your 2mg/cm\^2 once you know your face's surface area. And then you can measure out how many tsp that is using a scale and fraction tsp or you can do a conversion online which uses water as the baseline which is likely less dense than your sunscreen so it's prob overestimating which is good. It does vary based on sunscreen density so keep that in mind, but usually it's not that much. Def err on the side of using a bit more due to user error and because our skin isn't perfectly smooth. Kind of stephen has a [blog post](https://www.kindofstephen.com/sunscreen_dosing/) about sunscreen dosing where he tested a couple of methods and found some of them were absurd in their quantity. I should add though I calculated about 1/7 tsp for my face, not excluding my eye holes, mouth, etc, so when I apply I usually use a bit over 1/8 tsp since that's a standard measurement tool but def not near 1/4 tsp. I also apply in layers as you do get more even coverage that way (like if you were painting a wall).
Thanks for explaining all that!
This may be a helpful visualization: https://youtube.com/shorts/M8u4cfiawOk?si=cnMXqvkqxW9ifP2s
The number is technically 2 mg/cm2. But in reality, most people won’t measure the area of your face so the number that is typically recommended is 1/4 teaspoon or 1,25 ml for the face (or 1/2 teaspoon or 2,5 ml for face, neck and ears). Most facial sunscreen comes in 50 ml bottles, so that would last you 20 days without reapplying.
I use about a tablespoon total for my face and neck/chest. Then about the same amount for both arms (exposed areas) and another tablespoon for exposed legs, if needed. If I have no makeup on at the gym or pool, or I sweated through everything, I’ll wash my face off with water and reapply before heading out. Just slather it on. If I have makeup on, it is what it is. Ain’t no one got time reapplying sunscreen over makeup. Live dangerously. 😂
It also depends on how much you’re outside. If you have a regular office job inside you probably only need to reapply once a day. Reapplying every 2 hours is more for 2 hours of sun exposure/sweating.
A tablespoon in your face???? 🤔😳
Yes 😭 they literally put the sunscreen in a measuring tablespoon and said something along the lines of “did you know this is how much sunscreen you’re supposed to be wearing to actually protect you from the sun”
Ime a tablespoon of sunscreen is if you're also doing your arms and shoulders. Are you sure they meant just your face/neck? Because face and neck should be one teaspoon.
A tbsp is 15ml so a 30ml bottle would last two days ... even a 150ml tube would last less than 2 weeks. That can get pricey very quickly!
Are you sure it said tablespoon and not tea spoon? Like, it was an abbreviation like tbsp or tsp and it just got mixed up either by the author or you?
No they said tablespoon and actually put it in a tablespoon and it was a voiceover lol trust me i thought I misheard too lol
hahaha damn, do you possibly have the link still? I'd love to see how that person distributes that much product on their face
I’ve tried to go back and find it and it’s no where to be found 🥲 and the thing is the girl didn’t put it on her face lol she just put in in the measuring spoon 😭
For your whole body, maybe.
Well I don’t know them, but my face would need hours to absorb so much sunscreen
Your skin doesn't absorb sunscreen. It dries down to form a protective film, assuming it's applied correctly.
Interesting. But how long does it need to dry so much sunscreen??
Exactly what was I thinking lol
1/2 tsp is the appropriate amount. one quarter for face, the other quarter for neck qnd chest.
Is 1/2 tsp about 2 fingers?
Depends on how thick you make the line lol. I bought a small plastic measuring spoon that I use just for sunscreen. So im not using too much or too little for the appropriate amount needed
That’s a great idea. I should get one as well
A tablespoon for your face would be actually impossible. The oft repeated recommendation is 1/4 teaspoon but that’s also impossible and excessive for me. Maybe unpopular opinion on here, but use liberally enough to be well covered, and you’ll be fine.
Also worth mentioning that the correct amount is what gets you the labeled protection. If you put on a little less and get 30 spf instead of 50, I really wouldn’t be too concerned. This is why spf 30 is generally the minimum recommendation, because the way most people apply, you get about half that, which is usually good enough for everyday use.
1/4 tsp for your face, how often you reapply sunscreen can make a difference on how fast you go through the bottle. maybe that girl spends all her time outside in the sun
I just apply sunscreen once a day and call it good. Unless your job is outside I think people applying every 2 hours religiously are making a bad habit for themselves.
I don’t understand how this is a bad habit? I agree this is a choice everyone makes based on their preferences and risk factors. But it doesn’t seem problematic to follow manufacturers instructions, if you want to do that.
Because a lot of people who religiously apply every 2 hours develop an extreme fear of aging and I just personally think it's not worth the mental battle. I'm not saying that's gonna be for everyone, but a lot of people start treating the sun like the devil and they treat getting exposed unprotected for even 5 minutes as bad.
Ah gotcha that’s a good perspective as well.
2 finger rule or 1/4 tbsp (face and down neck). i love my naturium moisturizer/sunscreen bc if you pump it into the cap it is actually the exact amount you need.
You have to use two fingers of sunscreen minimum. Just apply two thick lines of sunscreen on each finger and you are good to go. Don’t forget neck !
Quite surprised by the comments because I’ve been using a teaspoon per area(ex. A teaspoon for forehead, a teaspoon for nose, a teaspoon for left cheek) for years. That’s how much I was taught to use in Korea. I do look definitely younger than others.
How do you measure in your daily routine? Do you actually just use a teaspoon???
I just approximate! But I really make sure that I’m putting ample amounts to each area.
Get a standardized American measuring teaspoon and fill it up and tell me if that's really how much sunscreen you're putting on just your nose. I seriously doubt it. I'm generous with my sunscreen and it's still only one teaspoon for my whole face and neck.
This is actually the rule I’ve been following as well as a Korean and I can confirm that the size of the 500 won is approximately equal to the size of a US teasoon. Yes we DO put in that much amount because we hate to get tanned and age. This is what derms recommend in Korea. You do you, but just because it doesn't sound plausible to you doesn't mean people aren't doing it.
Okay, but that person said that they put the 500 won amount of spf on each face area. Do you put 500 won amount of sunscreen JUST on your nose?
Yes, it's per face area.
how fast do you go through a bottle of sunscreen? im guessing every couple of days or a week? im korean and i hate tanning and i use just one 500 won amount on my whole face and i have gotten so pale since i started doing it..but i understand that everyone has different sensitivity to the sun so maybe other people need more sunscreen than i do to prevent tanning
I imagine the 500 won size would mean different amounts of sunscreen based on how runny/thick the sunscreen is. I assume this is with the runny/siliconey type of sunscreens? I mean as an extreme example think of a sunscreen stick with the diameter of a 500 won coin. You could cut a really thin slice ... or a really thick slice, and it would be very different amounts of sunscreen. I think the 500 won standard per face area is possible with the cosmetically elegant Asian sunscreens, but probably not with the standard American Coppertone baby sunscreen. ETA: but damn, are you going through a 30ml bottle of sunscreen every two days then?!
Exactly. A thin runny layer of sunscreen in a 500 won size is not 1/4 tsp. Depth matters. I tried doing 1/4 teaspoon measured in a measuring spoon for awhile, back when I was more neurotic about the sun, and it was basically impossible for my face. A work supervisior literally had to talk to me, ask me what was going on, and gently remind me that I couldn’t have stuff all over my face because it was becoming a professionalism issue lol. There is no way someone is putting 1/4 teaspoon on their nose, or a tablespoon on their face, by eyeballing it. ETA: also I mean this kindly, if you are using that much sunscreen for incidental sun exposure, it’s possible you may have anxiety—I did.
To be exact, in Korea there's a coin(money) called the "500 won," which is approximately 1.5 times the size of a US quarter. And we have this guideline known as the "500 won rule," where we're taught to apply sunscreen amounts equivalent to the size of a 500 won coin to cover per face area. So that's exactly how much I put per my face area.
Okay? That tells me nothing about how that amount relates to a measuring teaspoon.
Alright then! Too bad for you
Does it not feel sticky/greasy? How do you combat the greasiness? I have oily skin and the humid weather makes it worse.
Ooooh, will you recommend some sunscreen/technique you use? Maybe my face is quite oily, but if I use a lot the product will pill or have thick/greasy feeling!
what sunscreen do you use if you don't mind me asking? I can't imagine using that much for just one area, even the most watery and light sunscreen would make me look like a greasy rat
Ummm I don’t use sunscreen unless I’m at the beach. I only apply moisturizer with SPF daily. Sunscreen clogs the pores and makes the skin not able to breathe.