Sunscreen/sunblock recs

Now that summer is almost here, I thought I'd revive some of the sunscreen/sunblock discussions..

Can anyone recommend a sunscreen that will work under makeup (ie will be stable under makeup and not interact with it)..

I'm using Boots Soltan Once SPF40 at the moment, since it only needs to be applied once every 6 hours.. but find it a bit thick to use with makeup, and not sure if its ok to mix with my foundation as I do...

It says:

Contains Optisol an innovative new ingredient that provides double sun protection. It reduces the amount of UVA & UVB light entering the skin and also counteracts immediate damage from the free radicals that contribute to skin ageing.

Does anyone have any recs for sunscreens to use on the face?

my gf uses neutrogena facial lotion with spf. it's not sunscreen per se, but does the same thing.

yeah, that would be ideal, but I can't find a good moisturiser with a high enough spf! Ideally I'm looking for something with SPF30 or more..

Hawaiian Tropic Sunblock Oil Free Faces SPF 30

Sheer Reflectionsâ„¢ Formula

Reflective Complexâ„¢ / Age-Defying / Vitamins A, C & E.

I live in florida where you need sunblock all year round. This isn't too heavy, and it works well with the dry spots on my face.

Hawaiian Tropic®

I personally like Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 45 Daily Moisturizer.

It's lightweight, absorbs quickly, moisturizes well and is not greasy at all!

Plus it doesn't make me break out like regular sun block.

It blocks UVB and UVA. Don't know the specific scientific details but it's apparently really good. Lol. Haven't had a sun burn yet!

It's pretty affordable at 10-12 dollars a tube.

And it also comes in a tinted formula so there's no need for foundation for those hot summer days with trips to the beach!

I use Neautrogena's Ultra Dry Touch Sunscreen spf 40 and I've been very happy with it. I apply my toner, serum, and sunblock and let everything settle for about five minutes to avoid "rolling." After that I apply my makeup as usual.

Just make sure to cover your ears, throat, and neck as well. Any part of your body that will be exposed to sunlight or pollutants (i.e. air) should be protected. I use Gold Bond's Daily Defense Lotion spf 15 for everyday wear because it moisturizes, protects, and doesn't feel sticky like must sunscreens.

I am looking for a good sunscreen (or primer or light moisturizer with SPF) to wear for everyday. I need something that meets that following requirements:

1. Does not degrade in the presence of mineral makeup (so probably no avobenzone, unless it's stable like Neutrogenia's Helioplex).

2. Good for very oily skin -- mattifying effects a plus Also noncomedogenic (won't clog pores).

3. Little to no fragrance, or natural fragrance. Many synthetic fragrances bother my allergies.

4. At least SPF 30. I have about every risk factor for skin cancer you can have except for regular tanning/sunburns (I have very pale skin, several moles/freckles, family history, AND I'm using acne meds [retinoids] that decrease my sun resistance)!

Here are the ones I've tried so far:

* CO Bigelow Extra Light Face Lotion SPF 15 -- this has some of the best mattifying effects I've seen due to the white clay. (It only keeps me matte until lunch time, but without it, I'm greasy by mid-morning!) However, it's only SPF 15 and I doubt it's stable with mineral makeup.

* Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 -- this was recommended to me as being great for oily skin and stable with mineral makeup. However, it has a horribly strong fragrance that really bothered my allergies, and the fragrance did not wear off until sometime after lunch! Yuck! (It kept me matte for about the same amount of time as the CO Bigelow.)

* Neutrogenia Dry Touch SPF 55 & up -- Despite the "matte" finish, this is still rather greasy, slimy, and thick for everyday use. I use this on days where I'll be outside all day, but I'd prefer something lighter for most days....

Thanks in advance!

The absolute BEST sunblock I've ever used: Clarins UV Plus Day Screen. It's SPF 45, which is perfect because anything less worries me. It's incredibly light and neither greasy nor dry. I wear it under makeup and it doesn't seem to have any bad effects on my MU. Sometimes I even put it over MU and it barely makes a difference! It doesn't smell bad, doesn't clog my pores or react badly with my skin at all, and doesn't leave that horrible whitish-purple sheen that other sunblocks do. I have combination skin and my mom has very oily skin, and we both are really happy with it. Honestly, I have nothing negative to say about it. HG!!

New UV Plus Day Screen SPF 40

Mine looks a little different, but I think they just redesigned the bottle. Get it, it's so worth the money!

My favourite sunscreen is not able to be purchased in the UK, but Shiseido Gentle Sun Protection Lotion for Facial/Body use SPF30+ is fantastic stuff and comes up as my second favourite

i've always heard clarins has good sunscreens.

to answer your question girl geek, my sunscreen (la roche posay, fluide extreme range)doesn't contain avobenzone. i've used it in the past as a base under my makeup with no problem. it's non comedogenic, it doesn't clog my pores. for the mattifying effect, i guess we're all different but i don't really see it, especially on my nose.

Oops, looks like my thread got merged with this one! If you could let me know whether you're responding to me, the original poster, or both, that'd be awesome

Pomander and Magosienne -- thanks for the recs, I will look into those!

I love Shiseido's sunblock. It's milky and liquidy, not thick like many other sunblocks. It doesn't affect makeup in anyway. It smells like any other sunblock to me.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that clarins also has a milk-like conistency rather than being thick or heavy.

i read that anything over spf30 is hardly any different so like 30-100 or whatever is all the same level of sun protection. i found it via google somewhere, i'll have to try get hold of it again

Originally Posted by Ashley /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love Shiseido's sunblock. It's milky and liquidy, not thick like many other sunblocks. It doesn't affect makeup in anyway. It smells like any other sunblock to me. Which Shiseido sunscreen do you use? They make several different kinds. The Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion I mentioned above does not smell anything like a normal sunscreen IMO -- it had a very heavy perfumy scent instead! I am allergic to several (but not all) scents, mostly synthetic fragrances I think, but since most labels just list "fragrance" I'll probably never know exactly what ingredients I'm allergic to. I just know that some scents give me sinus headaches, and scented facial products often make my dry/sensitive eyes burn!
I have been looking into the Clarins sunscreen recommended Pomander, and Mac's Prep + Prime SPF 55 which was recommended to me on another site. Both look promising but so expensive...! Shiseido's $37 for about 4 oz was already much more than I'd prefer to pay, but Mac's is $26 for 1 oz, Clarins is $40 for 1 oz!

Originally Posted by ceri-with-a-c /img/forum/go_quote.gif i read that anything over spf30 is hardly any different so like 30-100 or whatever is all the same level of sun protection. i found it via google somewhere, i'll have to try get hold of it again Ceri -- I have heard statistics like that too. I do know that for some people who burn really easily, SPF higher than 30 actually do make a noticeable difference in how long they can stay in the sun without burning. If I'm going to be outside for more than 20 minutes, I always use at least SPF 45. (I start turning pink after 15-20 minutes in direct sunlight, so I figure any little bit helps!) I never used to wear sunscreen on an everyday basis since I've always spent most of the days indoors (school, work, etc.) But with all my risk factors for skin cancer I figured I ought to start wearing SPF every day! All those few minutes of UV exposure each day adds up!

gril_geek - I'm using the ultimate sun protection lotion for face/body SPF 55. Interesting...I do smell a fragrance now, but mine is not that strong. Perhaps I'm not as sensitive to scents.

Thanks Ashley -- I never use perfume and rarely use products with synthetic fragrances due to my allergies, so maybe I am just more sensitive to scents I do have some natural scented lotions and lip balms that work for me though.

Actually, I recently learned that sunscreens that contain avobenzone are stable if they have octocrylene and do NOT have octinoxate. (Anything with avobenzone and octinoxate needs to be reapplied every 2 hours since it breaks down. And I'm not redoing my whole face of mu every 2 hrs to reapply sunscreen!) So go ahead and recommend any good sunscreen for oily skin and I can check the ingredients to see if it's stable

When you're shopping for a sunscreen, look for a formula that provides broad spectrum protection against both UVB (sunburn, skin cancer) and UVA (wrinkles, aging) rays. Eventhough most chemical sunscreens says broad spectrum, they offer only partial protection because UVA-protective ingredients, such as avobenzone (Parsol 1789), are unstable and degrades about thirty minutes after application. So you want to choose a formula that contains Mexoryl or Helioplex. Mexoryl is photostable and this means you can wear it all day long without the need to reapply and it does not degrade in sunlight.

For people with sensitive skin look for a physical/mineral sunscreen. Look for the active ingredient Zinc Oxide, which provides the best broad spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays. The problem with mineral sunscreens is it leaves a white film. But there are formulas now with Zinclear, invisiable zinc, nano-zinc, which goes on clear. But the jury is still out on whether are negative health impact with nano-particle sunscreens.

SPF (filters out UVB)

SPF 15 filters out 93% of UVB, SPF 30 filters 97% and SPF 50 filters 98%

PA+++

Japanese brand uses the PA rating system. The higher the level of PA, the more protection you get for UVA rays. There are four levels of protection — PA, PA+, PA++ and PA+++.

Application

1/4 to 1/3 of a tsp of sunscreen -face

1/2 tsp to each arm

1/2 tsp each to the front and back of our torso

1 tsp to each leg.

this sunscreen sounds great !

i also find my mineral makeup repels water. i just tap it off with a kleenex and then reapply some finishing powder, and my makeup looks good as new.

thanks for explaining the PA system, lol, i was contemplating buying a sunscreen (from Kanebo if i'm not mistaken) but i wasn't sure how much protection it was providing, and frankly i was lost without any SPF indicated somewhere

I like Px All Weather Friend for my face. My face is oily t-zone (in summer) with acne in my chin area. This has not bothered my skin in the least. I use it under my MMU.

For the rest of my body, I use the Neutrogena spf 55 or 70.