JLo's Glow-Enhancing SPF Hack Looks Good, But It Has Some Major Issues
Let's not beat around the bush. Jennifer Lopez looks incredible. She's so toned we can't even cope, her skin glows in a way we don't think we've ever seen before, and she looks years younger than her actual age. If JLo told us she slapped herself in the face 50 times a night to make herself look the way she does, we can't lie, we'd probably do it. However, with that said, we do have a bit of a bone to pick with one of her methods of getting that signature glow she's been promoting on social media.
In a video shared on Instagram, the superstar gave us a peek inside her beauty routine, sharing how she uses products from her JLo Beauty range to prep her skin for the day. In the caption, she explained that she was going to be rocking a makeup-free look in The Hamptons, and then showed her followers in the short clip how she uses a glow product and sunscreen. "I wanted to show you how to get an instant glow. Look like you just came from the beach," she said. But as much as we're dying to get that JLo glow, there are a few issues with the advice Lopez handed out.
Mixing sunscreen with another product is rarely a good idea
In Jennifer Lopez's Instagram video, she grabs her JLo Beauty sunscreen and then mixes it on her hand with the That Star Filter Complexion Booster, which is designed to make the skin radiant and glowy. Only, it's rarely a good idea to actually mix sunscreen with anything else. Though we absolutely love that JLo keeps her SPF on hand and applies it daily, and there's no doubt this method will leave you glowing, whenever you mix your SPF product with something else, you risk diluting its effectiveness.
A highlighting product like this may be more sheer than your typical foundation, but the sentiment is the same. "If your sunscreen has an SPF of 40, mixing it with the foundation will bring the value down to SPF 20 or even lower," dermatologist Dr. Ranjitha Chowdary told Indian Express. Equally, when you mix sunscreen with something else, it can often result in the sunscreen's structure being broken down because the skincare ingredients sometimes don't complement each other. "As a result, patches and holes of your skin will be left unprotected," Dr. Chowdary said.
It's also worth noting the JLo Beauty product used contains Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, which can actually attract UV rays. Not only that, but as board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Alexis L. Parcells told Healthline, "Using olive oil can create a barrier on your skin, which would prevent [sunscreen] chemicals from penetrating and working properly."
There's a safer way to get JLo's glowy look
If you want to try Jennifer Lopez's glowy skin hack (let's be honest, who doesn't?) but make it safer for your skin, there is a way to do that. Instead of literally mixing your sunscreen with JLo Beauty's The Star Filter (or your own favorite brand of SPF and a glowy highlighter), layer one on top of the other, so you're getting the same radiant effect but keeping your skin better protected at the same time.
As for which order to do your all-important sunscreen layering, well, that will depend on exactly what you're using. "If you are using a chemical sunscreen, it needs to sit directly on the skin to absorb the rays of the sun where it is then converted to heat. In this instance, I recommend applying SPF first," board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Lian Mack told Makeup.com. If you're using a mineral sunscreen though, then you're safe to apply that over the top of your glow product. "Physical sunscreens contain zinc or titanium dioxide and act as a barrier, reflecting the UV rays of the sun. Moreover, they can be layered over other facial products because they reflect the UV rays of the sun," Dr. Mack said.
Protected skin and that signature JLo glow? Now that we really are down for.