This is part II of my review of (mostly) physical sunscreens. You can find Part I, here. As a reminder, I’m tan and a 2Y08 or 3Y07 using Sephora’s Color IQ system. I also wear sunscreen on top of moisturizer, several serums and eye cream. My skin is combination with oily t zone and dehydrated cheeks. I rarely wear foundation on top of sunscreen.

I also don’t/can’t use products with coconut oil or capric/caprylic triglycerides (i.e., fractionated coconut oil). So there are likely some other mineral sunscreens out there that are wonderful but I can’t use them.

[Note: I’ve also reviewed some Japanese and Korean sunscreens that use chemical filters.]

I’ve been using Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50
on and off the longest among all the sunscreens I’ve been testing lately. This one is very much like a tinted moisturizer except that I think it provides slightly less coverage. I’ve read other reviews that say the tint is really universal and I agree. The tint is my color. The sunscreen is light, easy to apply, doesn’t streak, and is not heavy.

My best friend just happens to use the sheer version and the tint works for her as well.  Because I’ve used it for so long, I tried it in during the colder months and now in the summer. I’m loving it right now in low-humidity, 70-80 degree weather.

Tip: be sure to shake it a lot before putting it on. I tend to count to 15-20, just to be sure. When I first tried this and just shook it a couple of times back and forth, what came out was a very thin liquid.

Ingredients*: Titanium Dioxide (6%), Zinc Oxide (5%), Water, Dimethicone, Isododecane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Undecane, Triethylhexanoin, Isohexadecane, Nylon-12, Caprylyl Methicone, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Phenyl Benzoate, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Silica, Tridecane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Talc, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Aluminum Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-9 Polydimtheylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Alumina, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Sulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Iron Oxides, PEG-8 Laurate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Triethoxycapylylsilane, Tocopherol, Propylene Carbonate, Artemia Extract, Benzoic Acid, C9-15 Fluoroalcohol Phosphate, PEG-9

I have no idea why I decided to photograph these two sunscreens together. I thought the Farmacy Green Screen Daily Environmental Protector Broad Spectrum SPF 30 was my winter sunscreen. It only has an SPF of 30 which I thought was fine for me during the winter months. It left only a tiny bit of a white cast. I took it on vacation with me and that is when I realized that something about it made me want to wash my face in the evenings as early as possible. I could feel it on my face too much. It felt thicker and heavier than the other sunscreens. It might just be me (it has good reviews on MUA) and it is likely that this would work great for someone else.

Ingredients*: Water, Ethyl Macadamiate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Propanediol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polysorbate 80, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Echinacea Purpurea Root Extract, Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower, Tagetes Erecta Flower Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, 7-Dehydrocholesterol, Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Malic Acid, Tocopherol, Myristic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Panthenol, Stearic Acid, Polyglyceryl-6 Isostearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Alumina, Behenic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Caprylyl, Methicone, Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Isohexadecane, Triethoxysilylethyl, Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Hexyl Dimethicone, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Behenyl Alcohol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cellulose Gum, Sorbitan Oleate, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate

I read great reviews of Glossier Invisible Shield Daily Sunscreen SPF 35  so had to try it. It is a chemical sunscreen but doesn’t have some of the ingredients that people think are very bad to have in sunscreens. I love the texture and the feel but it is very expensive. If it offered total protection, I wouldn’t mind the price. BUT, it doesn’t offer UVA2 protection. I also think it needs octocrylene to stabilize the avobenzone. Without it, it only provides UVA protection for a short time in the sun…but I’m not an expert, please google this to learn more. I ended up tossing this in the trash.

Thank you to people who write reviews on product websites! I didn’t even know about UVA1 and UVA2 until I read someone else’s review of the sunscreen. More info about the types of protection each sunscreen ingredient offers can be found here.

Ingredients*: Avobenzone, Homosalate, Octisalate, Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Dipropylene Glycol, Methyl Trimethicone, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Caprylyl Methicone, Propanediol, Bis-EthylhexylHydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate, Betaine, Acrylates Copolymer,Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone,Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, DibutylLauroyl Glutamide, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Citrus AurantiumDulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Carbomer, TocopherylAcetate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Butylene Glycol, Hippophae RhamnoidesFruit Extract, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis LeafExtract, Silica, Bioflavonoids, Potassium Sorbate, HydroxyphenylPropamidobenzoic Acid, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Extract,Ethylhexylglycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate

 

I tried the Dr Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30 because I’m prone to redness. I also read this article that said the author hadn’t worn foundation since she began using this cream. So I was very hopeful that this would be the cream for me. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. I actually disliked this cream so much that I returned it. It was a bit difficult for me to rub it into my skin. It was very heavy feeling, more so than any of the others. It was also the wrong color for my skintone. It wasn’t that it was too light or white; it was just an odd color. Like the Farmacy sunscreen, it is possible that this would work well for someone else. There could just be some ingredient in these sunscreens that doesn’t work well with my skin.

Ingredients*: Water, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Beeswax/Cire D’abeille, Glycerin, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Niacinamide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Pan-Thenol, Diglycerin, Iron Oxides, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethi- Cone Crosspolymer, Isododecane, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Chromium Oxide Greens, Triethyl Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Alcohol, Asiaticoside, Aden- Osine, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Boron Nitride, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, 1,2- Hexanediol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Propanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Artemisia Absinthium Extract, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Polysorbate 20, Aniba Rosodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Sodium Glycerophosphate, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Potassium Magnesium Aspartate, Citric Acid, Calcium Gluconate, Madecassoside, Magnesium Gluconate, Centella Asiatica Meristem Cell Culture, Xanthan Gum, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide

Darphin Intral Environmental Lightweight Shield SPF 50

 

I just purchased Darphin Intral Environmental Lightweight Shield SPF 50 this and have only been using it for about three weeks. It is a bit on the pricey side. But at this point, I’m willing to pay a lot for a great mineral-based sunscreen. I love it so far. It is very light and blends well. Non-greasy. Similar to skinceuticals, it seems to have a universal tint. I think it provides less coverage than skinceuticals so it is like a really sheer tinted moisturizer in terms of color. It really makes it look like your skin but better.

Ingredients*: Water, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Polydiethylsiloxane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Diethyl Hexyl Succinate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Methyl Trimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Lauryl Peg-9, Polymethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Silica, Laureth-4, Cetyl Peg/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Dipentaeythrityl Tri-Polyhydroxystearate, Dimethicone, Silylate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, PVP/Crosspolymer, Isostearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Dimethicone, PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77492), Zinc Oxide (CI 77497 Nano)

Note: None of these products were gifted to me. I paid for them myself. I do not accept free products for review because I think they create bias in reviews. (i.e.,  I might like a product more/have different expectations because it was free versus spending my own hard-earned money on it.) It is human nature for the receiver of a gift to want to reciprocate in some way. The receiver might not do this purposely but the end result is a more positive review.  Read more about research on reciprocation here.

*THE INGREDIENTS LIST MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCURATE DEPENDING ON THE SOURCE OF THE LIST AND MANUFACTURER UPDATES/CHANGES.