Tiktok Is Using Sunscreen to Hack Their Contour Routines

burn noticeTikTok Users Are Contouring Their Faces With Sun Damage — Whoops, I Meant "Sunscreen""Bad idea" doesn't even cover it. 

By Lauren Burwell

June 27, 2022

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For those of us glued to the beauty and makeup sides of TikTok, finding the latest tricks to make life easier can be major dopamine boost. Some of these hacks are absolute gems and provide instant gratification, like SPF sticks that make sunscreen reapplication a breeze on-the-go or adding blush to your concealer for a brighter complexion. 

But just because a hack becomes popular, that doesn't mean it's effective — or even safe. There's a very significant difference between the developments created, tested, and approved by actual skin-care professionals, and the hacks created by the everyday user. For example: it might seem like a genius idea to add your sunscreen to an empty compact, but when you dig into the science of it, it's not so brilliant. One recent trend we're eager to get the final word on? SPF contouring. 

This "sunscreen hack" intentionally creates tan lines across the face so users can skip their morning contour and go for a makeup-free look all summer long. The practice might look odd in the moment — content creators are posting videos with streaks of white sunscreen plastered across their foreheads, noses, and cheekbones — but then they're showing off a chiseled contour in their follow-up posts. 

But if you're wearing sunscreen, using sunscreen as contour should be fine, right? We asked the experts for their final verdict on SPF contouring, and whether or not it's worth a shot.

Meet the experts:

• Jeanne Graf, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
• Sheilagh Maguiness, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and cofounder of skin-care brand Stryke Club.
• Hilary Clark, a Los Angeles makeup artist and the president and founder of Beauty H.A.C.

What is SPF contouring?

SPF contouring, a.k.a. "sunscreen contouring," uses the strategic placement of sunscreen to create tan lines that contour the face or other body parts, like the abs. A sunscreen with SPF 30 or lower is applied to areas where bronzer is typically used, allowing these parts of the face to tan. (Some users choose not to use sunscreen at all). 

Then, to complete the contouring effect, a sunscreen formula with a higher SPF is applied where concealer or highlighter is typically layered, leaving those areas lighter after time in the sun. The idea is that by creating artificial tan lines across the face, the user will be left naturally contoured by the power of the sun — all without the use of makeup.

Is SPF contouring safe?

Naturally, we asked dermatologists ab out this hack and they are less than thrilled at the thought of their patients tanning any parts of their face. Those UV rays responsible for your summer tan are the exact same rays that cause skin damage, including wrinkles, age spots, and most concerning skin cancers.

"Patients are putting their skin in danger when they choose to expose [it] to the sun with no sunscreen protection. When you are contouring with sunscreen, you are exposing your skin to radiation," says Jeanne Graf, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

There is also a common misconception that tanned skin helps to prevent sunburns and, therefore, will also prevent the other damaging effects of the sun. That's another myth that dermatologists can easily debunk.

"It is the simple truth that no tan is safe for your skin, any tan means your DNA has been harmed," says Sheilagh Maguiness, MD, a board-certified dermatologist. "The areas that tan have been damaged and will be more prone to photo-aging and skin cancers in the long run."

Yes, some SPF contour advocates apply a base layer of SPF 30 across the whole area of the face and technically, this does meet the minimum SPF recommendation by dermatologists. So if an SPF 30 sunscreen is used across the entire face, could dermatologists lend their approval to this trend? In short: Most dermatologists would still be against it.

"Using a lower SPF on the entire face is certainly better than nothing," Dr. Maguiness states. "However, if you are intentionally getting a tan by using a low SPF sunscreen, you will still end up with photo damage." That photo damage can ultimately result in wrinkles, sun spots, and even skin cancer. An additional problem with this trend is that reapplying sunscreen to maintain the contour throughout the day isn't exactly user-friendly.

"Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours while exposed, or more frequently if sweating or swimming," Dr. Maguiness continues. "I think that trying to reapply the sunscreen in these specific contouring areas might deter people from doing the re-application, again leading to increased risks for sunburn."

But does SPF contouring work?

If the dangers of the sun aren't enough to dissuade you from trying this trend, perhaps some insight from makeup artist Hilary Clark are. "The likelihood of achieving a contoured effect and 'snatched' look is zero to none," she says. "You can't control the way that the sun will hit your face — think reflections off of sand, pavement, buildings, and water — and some areas are more prone to developing melanin than others, so achieving the desired contour effect is impossible."

Even worse, contouring with sunscreen over a long period of time would leave the darker-shaded areas of the face with "sun spots, sagging, fine lines, and wrinkles, along with an increased chance of cancer," says Dr. Graf. "The skin that has been covered in SPF will appear more youthful and radiant compared to the skin that has been exposed over time."

Can you SPF contour with self-tanner? 

Now we know SPF contouring is a definitive don't, but there is a way to wake up with a contour without using makeup. It's way easier than keeping up with reapplying different sunscreens and, most importantly, doesn't carry the risk of melanoma and sunburns.

"Employ a self-tanner to give you contour underneath your cheekbones and at your temples, and you can even use it to contour your neck," says Clark. "If you really want to get fancy, you can use two intensities of tanner — one for light skin tones and one for deeper skin tones — to create a gradient or to control the depth of the contour." And for a streak-proof contour that will stay put at the beach or the pool, Clark recommends a bronzing stain that won't rise right off.

"Apply it in the same way you would with a more temporary bronzer: dispense a small amount of bronzing stain onto a plate or a pallet, and with a pointed or angled foundation brush, paint it onto the skin in the areas that you would like to contour," she explains. "Be sure to feather out the edges so that they blend naturally and you don't end up with a harsh streak and line of demarcation."

So as tempting as it may be to try out this new contouring hack, be cautious about where the information is coming from. It also never hurts to check with your dermatologist before you try something sun-related. 

"When it comes to taking care of your skin, it's not worth putting the health of your skin in danger with intentional [tanning] of the face to contour," says Dr. Graf.

More TikTok beauty trends:

• I Tried the Abstract Concealer Hack That's All Over TikTok
• Does the Viral Face Taping Trend Actually Smooth Fine Lines?
• I Tried the TikTok Viral Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plumper and, Well, I'm Obsessed

Now, watch how one dermatologist treats her own melasma:

Lauren Burwell is a freelance writer. After giving herself a second degree burn with a boiling washcloth to "get a pimple to come to head," Lauren came to terms that, perhaps, she's not an expert. Now, Lauren talks to actual experts to educate readers on her favorite topic, skincare.Freelance Writer

KeywordsTikToksunscreencontouringSPFskin cancersun damagesummer makeupservice