Sun protection the step that decides the rest.
What this actually is
Sun protection is the one piece of skincare advice that is both universally agreed and almost universally under-done in Ireland. The reasoning people apply here is understandable and wrong: it is grey, it is cold, it is not a beach. But UVA — the wavelength that drives visible ageing and keeps pigmentation coming back — passes through cloud and through window glass, and is present at roughly the same level from morning to evening across the whole year. Irish weather changes how sunny it feels, not how much UVA reaches your face.
That is why sunscreen belongs in a pigmentation plan rather than beside one. Every treatment that lifts pigment — peels, lasers, tyrosinase inhibitors — is working against a source that returns the moment protection stops. We see the same patch come back on the same cheek, on people who did the work and skipped the last step, more often than any other pattern in the clinic.
The practical part is short. Use one you like the feel of, because the one you skip protects nothing. Apply it as the last morning step, more generously than feels natural, and reapply if you are outdoors for a long stretch. Texture is the deciding factor, which is why we stock several rather than one.
A routine that suits it
Where we would start. Build it up one step at a time rather than all at once.
- Cleanse
Nothing exotic — sunscreen comes off with a normal cleanse. A stripping one only makes the skin underneath harder to protect.
What we use - Treat
Antioxidants in the morning work alongside SPF rather than instead of it — they mop up what gets through.
What we use - Protect
If you wear makeup or want a lighter finish, a tinted or weightless filter is more likely to be worn than a heavy one.
What we use
Irish owned & operatedDublin-based salonFast local shipping
Treat
Step 3 · 6 products
Moisturise
Step 4 · 8 products
Ships in 5–7 days
Ships in 5–7 days
Protect
Step 5 · 6 products
Lip care
2 products
Showing 22 of 22 products
Frequently asked
- Do I really need SPF in Ireland, in winter?
- Yes, and it is the least intuitive part of the advice. UVA levels are far more stable across the year and across weather than UVB — the one that burns — so a grey January day still delivers the wavelength that drives ageing and pigmentation. If you only wear sunscreen when it feels sunny, you are protected for a small fraction of the exposure you actually get.
- Is the SPF in my moisturiser or foundation enough?
- Usually not, for a practical reason rather than a chemical one: the protection factor on the label is measured at a quantity far greater than anyone applies of a foundation. A dedicated sunscreen used properly beats a higher number applied thinly. If a combined product is the only way you will do it at all, it is still much better than nothing.
- Which filter should I choose — mineral or chemical?
- Both protect. Mineral filters sit on the surface and suit reactive skin, but can leave a cast on deeper skin tones. Modern filters, particularly the Korean and Japanese ones, tend to be cosmetically lighter, which for most people is what decides whether it gets worn daily. Come in and try a few on the back of your hand rather than choosing from a description.