Sunblock Army!

Ready to defend from the sun at a moment's notice! Well, give or take 15-30 minutes to absorb.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 50+, Beach Hut Max 100, Beach Hut Face SPF 65

Before you freak out at the wastage, this is for a party of six, so they're all bound to get some use. My sister has agreed to adopt a couple of bottles so that I won't be left trying to finish all these before 2013, which is when they expire. I still have a hard time convincing most of the family to use sunblock everyday, even if some of them have gradient upper arms from weekly CAT.

I forgot to include pictures of Leyende Place In The Sun, but I'm not sure if it's water-resistant so I'm not sure either if I'll be bringing it with me. I also planned to bring Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Complete UV Moisture, but my dad stole it when we were going to Bulacan. That is, I showed him all the sunblock in the picture, but he doubted the neon orange packaging of Beach Hut, and went for my personal stash instead. I could only mumble in protest.

These are real dark horses, though. I doubted them at first because I love my Neutrogena (and I've recommended them to friends, hi I know you're reading!), but an initial patch test revealed a light texture that's easily absorbed, if a bit sticky at first. The scent is okay too, not sunblock-y but still reminds me of being at the beach. I like Neutrogena's better, but it's a personal preference.

Has anyone tried these? How well do they work for you? I'll be testing these out over the weekend and I really hope they save my skin, because I don't want have to purchase another, darker foundation. Will keep you posted. :)

Review: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 50+ PA+++

Photo credit: FemaleNetwork

Description: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 50+ (PA+++) is a breakthrough in sun protection. Stabilized with Helioplex, it provides superior balanced broad-spectrum protection against skin-aging UVA and burning UVB rays, and combines it with Dry Touch technology for an ultra-light, non-shiny finish. This lightweight sunblock has a light fresh scent and is gentle enough for even sensitive skin.

• Waterproof, sweatproof, resists rub-off
• Non-comedogenic (won't clog pores)
• Oil free and PABA free

Price & Amount: When I bought this, it was a little less than P500 for 3.0 fl. oz. / 88mL. The price has increased in recent times but no more than P550, I think.

Packaging: Matte squeeze-type bottle which is nice to hold. The dispensing hole is a bit big so you have to be careful when squeezing the tube lest you want to deal with projectile blobs of sunblock :)

Review: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch is the answer to my wish for a non-greasy sunblock or sunscreen. The consistency is thicker than the Cetaphil moisturizer I previously reviewed (click here), but spreads easily also. I think it even spreads better than the Cetaphil one, because it absorbs much more quickly. Again, it dries to a non-greasy finish which I absolutely love, though you could still tell/feel that you applied it. Still, the finish for me is more than good enough. :) Its SPF 50+ rating protects you from UVB rays while the PA+++ rating is the highest you can go for UVA ray protection. I use it mostly for my body though I have tried it on my face before and it's comfortable enough. However, I avoid putting too many layers on the face with this sunblock on because it will start to feel heavy. Also, I think it broke me out. :( It has dimethicones in the middle of the ingredient list which may explain why.

Overall, though, I'm very pleased with this sunblock and I'd definitely repurchase. For a facial sunscreen, though, I'm trying out Leyende's Place In The Sun but I'm also interested in Neutrogena Waterlight. Or even Venus & Mars tinted sunblock, which Kira reviewed before. Choices, choices :)

Facts about Sun Protection

Thinking about protecting my skin from the sun led me through a few Google searches for product reviews, which also led to some reading on what all those SPFs and UVA-UVB stuff mean. I found them to be pretty informative so I thought I'd share what I learned. :)

1. Sunblocks are different from sunscreens. The obvious difference is when applied, sunblocks are more opaque than sunscreens. Sunblocks usually contain ingredients like titanium dioxide which physically block UVB rays. Sunscreen ingredients break down faster when exposed to the sun and need to be reapplied more often.
2. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and measures the strength of a product against UVB rays (which cause reddening & sunburn). If you're using a sunblock with SPF 50, the amount of UVB rays it takes to burn your skin will need to be 50 times more than that, so you can stay longer under the sun.
3. PA stands for Protection Grade UVA and measures the strength of a product against UVA rays (which cause darkening/tanning and can cause cancer). The more pluses next to the PA rating, the longer the protection. The highest I've seen so far is three pluses (PA+++).
4. While higher SPF is definitely better, beyond SPF 25 the percentage of UVB rays that you are blocked from is only around 1-2% bigger than the previous SPF, but needs more amounts of sun-blocking chemicals. Of course, the more stuff we apply to the skin, the more potential it has to do harm than good. (To your wallet as well as yourself.) Only purchase the SPF that you will really need from day to day, and simply reapply when in sunnier places like the beach. Reapplying is safer because the sun-blocking ingredients will have broken down after a couple of hours or so after exposure anyway.
5. The consistency of any sunblock will tell you that it should be applied well before sun exposure for it to absorb better. Ideally you should apply 1 teaspoon of sunblock to your face. To know how much 1 teaspoon is at a glance, look at your pointy finger and bend it. The length of the finger from the tip 'til the first bend is an (admittedly imperfect) estimate of how much 1 teaspoon is.
6. While face powders with SPF are very attractive buys because of the convenience, the thin layer of powder we usually apply and the speed with which it fades from the skin greatly reduces the protection it offers. Applying too much powder will result in a cakey face and an unattractive white cast. So best to still use sunscreen underneath, and think of your powder with SPF as a complementary to it instead.

Of course, nothing will be better in saving you from the sun than staying out of it (even those high SPF sunblocks). If you can, do avoid exposing yourself to the sun's rays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., which is when the sun is strongest. :) Hope it helps!

Review: Cetaphil UVA/UVB Defense SPF 50

I've been reading beauty blogs and catching up on makeup & skincare on the Internet for a couple of years now, and I've never read any skincare-related topic that would say DON'T wear sunscreen. I grew up associating the idea of wearing sunscreen only with swimming though. It was this thick, goopy lotion that came out of a pink and blue bottle:

Photo credit: Amazon. Memories anyone?

It had a smell which I kinda liked and it tasted yucky (did so accidentally and a long long time ago, ok? :) ). When I read about needing to wear sunscreen even when you're not headed for the pool, I didn't like the idea. Sunscreen feels sticky and has a very distinct smell. Did I want that to be with me everyday?

Hence the search for a good sunscreen. The one I'll review today is the Cetaphil UVA/UVB Defense SPF 50.

Photo credit: DermaDoctor

Description (on box and bottle): This light, non-greasy moisturizer nourishes and hydrates your skin while also protecting it from the sun's harmful rays.

• Broad Spectrum Sunscreen
• Protection from UVA and UVB Radiation
• Non-comedogenic
• Non-greasy
• Fragrance free

Price & Amount: I was able to buy this in Duty Free for around $17 (P748 with $1 = P44) for 50mL / 1.7 fl. oz. I have only ever seen it there and not in our Watsons or Mercury Drug pharmacies, so while this isn't exactly locally unavailable, it's hard to find. (Edit: Kira commented below that it's available in Watsons for P800+. Thanks, Kira! When I find it I'll update this again for the exact price.)

Packaging: While doing my research (a.k.a. Google), I found that when this first came out it was in a typical squeeze-tube bottle that could fit in one's pocket. The version I have now is slimmer and with a pump, so it's very hygienic. The expiry date is embedded on the top part of the bottle, so you never forget when you should throw it out. You may have to push the pump several times to get product out, but one pump gives a small enough amount of product for you to gauge how much you need. For the face, I used two pumps.

Review: Though marketed as a moisturizer, this one of the few Cetaphil products that contain SPF. I was very excited when I saw this because I had been looking for a facial sunscreen, and I have good memories of Cetaphil's facial wash. For a moisturizer the consistency is a bit thick, but not goopy. if you consider it as a sunscreen it's actually a bit on the runny side. Spreading it around gives a slight white cast and takes some time to absorb, and if not spread evenly enough, would be rather obvious for a skincare product. The fragrance-free claim to me only means that there was no added fragrance, but did not mean that the product was unscented. It still had that sunscreen smell, but I couldn't smell it anymore when I applied it on my face.

Though non-greasy, it did leave my face more shiny than usual. The first time I tried it a few months ago, I wore it under a layer of BB cream. I was horrified halfway through the morning when I looked in the mirror and discovered that my face was rather shiny--I have dry, sensitive skin, and that amount of shine that early in the day was new to me. Today when I put it on, it stung my eye and mouth areas. :(

Conclusion? I am disappointed. If there is one thing you need about a sunscreen for the face, it's supposed to be gentle and non-greasy, and Cetaphil provided neither. To be fair, the BB cream I used usually had a bit of a dewy effect on my face so that might have contributed to it. Also, my face started getting really sensitive due to the weather, but this experience has made me afraid of trying it again. I might in the summer, though. If it still doesn't work then, I'll just use it on the rest of my body instead. The hunt for a sunscreen continues...