Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Sunscreen Products I Like & Dislike

We are so sorry that we have been mia for quite a long time, both of us were really busy at work and study recently. Now I'm back with a review of some sunscreen products I have been using lately.

As you all know, Singapore is hot and humid all year long, sunscreen becomes very important for everyone lives here. If I can only use one skincare product everyday, it will be sunscreen without second thought, because skin damage and skin aging are mainly caused by ultraviolet. 

"Many people incorrectly assume dry skin leads to wrinkles and that moisturizers can prevent them. Not true. Research shows 90 percent of wrinkles are caused by the sun's UVA light and sun damage is the #1 cause of premature aging in women and men." (about.com)

My skin condition is combination type, a bit sensitive and acne-prone.
My concern about a "good sunscreen" must be high SPF value, light texture, doesn't cause breakout and no harmful ingredient (like paraben or oxybenzone)

Below are the 3 products I like:

1, SHESEIDO ANESSA Perfect Smooth Sunscreen SPF50+ PA+++


SHESEIDO ANESSA Perfect Smooth Sunscreen SPF50+ PA+++


Total Score: 4.7 / 5 

What I like
High SPF value: SPF50+ PA+++  5 / 5
Finish: Matt 5 / 5
Texture: Light 5 / 5
Oil Control: 4.5 / 5
Ingredient: Paraben-free, Oxybenzone-free
(mixture of chemical and physical sunscreen) 4.5 / 5

What I dislike:
Price: 4 / 5
It's a bit pricey if to get it from department store, but it's still affordable to buy from HK drugstores.

2, BEAUTE de KOSE Ultra Sun Protector UV SPF50+ PA+++



BEAUTE de KOSE Ultra Sun Protector UV SPF50+ PA+++


Total Score: 4.3 / 5

What I like:
High SPF value: SPF50+ PA+++ 5 / 5
Texture: Light 5 / 5
Ingredient: Paraben-free, Oxybenzone-free
(mixture of chemical and physical sunscreen) 4.5 / 5

What I dislike:
Finish: Glossy 3 / 5 (I prefer matt finish as my T-zone is oily)
Oil Control: 4 / 5
Price: 4 / 5


3, ELTAMD UV Physical Tinted Chemical-Free Sunscreen, SPF41 

 
 
ELTAMD UV Physical Tinted Chemical-Free Sunscreen, SPF41 


Total Score: 4.7 / 5

What I like
High SPF value: SPF41 4.5 / 5 (It doesn't state any info about PA )
Finish: Tinted Matt 5 / 5
Texture: Light 5 / 5
Oil Control: 4 / 5
Ingredient: Paraben-free, Oxybenzone-free
(chemical-free, pure physical sunscreen) 5 / 5
Price: 4.8 / 5

What I dislike:
Oil control power is not good enough for me.




The texture looks creamy, surprisingly it's quite light when I applied to my face.



Evenly spread it on back of my hand, tinted effect makes my skin look flawless.


Below are the 2 product I don't like:

1, FANCL Sunguard Crystal Pearl SPF30 PA+++


FANCL Sunguard Crystal Pearl SPF30 PA+++ (left)

Muard Age-Proof Suncare Oil-Free Sunblock SPF15 Sheer Tint (right)


Total Score: 2.5 / 5

What I dislike:
Moderate SPF value: SPF30 PA+++ 3 / 5 (not high enough for me)
Finish: glossy with pearl 1 / 5
(I hate the sparkly pearl effect, it makes my face look very oily, can you see the shinning pearl from the picture above?)
Texture: Sticky 2 / 5
Oil Control: 1 / 5
Price: 3 / 5

What I like:
Ingredient: Paraben-free, Oxybenzone-free
(mixture of chemical and physical sunscreen) 5 / 5
It might be good for people with dry skin type, who wants a super radiant look.



2, Muard Age-Proof Suncare Oil-Free Sunblock SPF15 Sheer Tint

Total Score: 2.3 / 5

What I dislike:
Low SPF value: SPF15 without PA info 1 / 5
Finish: Tinted, glossy 1 / 5
Texture: A bit sticky 2.5 / 5
Oil Control: 1 / 5
Price: 3 / 5

What I like:
Ingredient: Paraben-free, Oxybenzone-free
(chemical-free, pure physical sunscreen) 5 / 5  

Conclusion:

SHESEIDO ANESSA Perfect Smooth Sunscreen SPF50+ PA+++ & ELTAMD UV Physical Tinted Chemical-Free Sunscreen, SPF41 scored highest points (4.7 / 5). Compare these two products, I would prefer the latter. Despite the lower oil control power, safe ingredient (chemical-free) is more important than any other factors.

Hope this review is helpful for you to choose sunscreen products.


4 comments:

  1. Hey dear, welcome back :) me too, like another reader, have been frequently your blog but wonder if you are too busy these days. and today when i checked again, happy to see such a thoughtful posts on sunscreen. thanks, and like you, i also believe in non chemical sunscreen. let me share mine :) i am using John master organic sunscreen, it has no chemical and is moisturizing, i got it from sephora and it works too. but i read you are concerned with oil properties so you might not like it but as we believe, non chemical ss reigns over oil control property so maybe if you want to try, you can use mattifying primer, hope i help :)

    can i know where do you get the Elta sunscreen? looks cool.

    thanks for your thoughtful post and i must say i love your blog too because of the pretty picture and comfortable layout; just very soothing and pretty. it's a like a cozy place for females hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Tiffany, I'm really happy to know that you like our blog.

    As for the EltaMD sunscreen, I got it from skincarerx.com with 25% off last month. It's not as light as most of the Japaneses brands, but at least I know it's relatively safe. I once saw it on the magazine that a dermatologist is using this brand, it made me want to try it.

    Thanks for your recommendation, I will go down to sephora and try out the texture first.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good morning, thanks for getting back on skincarerx.com. i heard from this site before but didn't delve into it. :)

    i agree when the important and influential like dermatoligst use a product , we immediately have this feeling it's good. hehe i have the same "pattern". like there is a magazine i read in the clinic of what the celebs are using and what's inside their makeup bag, it features Fann Wong and she use Lancaster , V10 skincare. and i also felt it must be good hahaha

    Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete
  4. may i know what is V10 skin care ?

    ReplyDelete

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