Sunscreen: Sunsense update and L’oreal UV Perfect Review

Paris B 16 Comments

I am a strong believer in the use of sunscreen protection for face and body. For my face, I used to use L’oreal UV Perfect sunscreen with SPF50 protection.

I then switched over to Sunsense by QV, an Australian brand. I loved it because it felt nice on and had mattifying properties, so it made my skin look matt nearly the whole day long. I reviewed this sunscreen and gave it a glowing review. I thought it was perfect – good sunscreen, mattifying, great price.

UPDATE: After about 2 months using it, I found that I was having worse than normal breakouts on my face. I was breaking out in places I never used to break out before. Also, I found that my skin was very uneven as there appeared to be many clogged pores. Again, something I haven’t had for a long time.

I pondered the reasons for this and looked at all the skincare I’d been using. Slowly, I cut out each of them from my routine. Yet the problem persisted. In the end, on a whim and a hunch, I decided to cut out the Sunsense sunscreen and revert to my L’oreal UV Perfect.

In 2 weeks, my skin cleared up. Its no joke! I still don’t have perfect skin, but all the clogged pores are gone, and my skin is much smoother now. The culprit was the Sunsense sunscreen.

So, although it works amazingly for my friend who looks flawless and has no problems with it, I’m afraid it caused me problems and for that, I’d advise anyone wanting to try this to be careful as there is a potential problem of it clogging pores.

So now, I’m back to my L’oreal UV Perfect Sunscreen with SPF50. It comes in a slim 50ml tube which makes it very travel friendly. It has SPF50 and PA+++ which is a very high sunscreen rating and good for our tropical weather.

It contains Meroxyl which is a chemical sunblock that is patented by Loreal. It claims to block both UV-A and UV-B rays which cause aging. This sunscreen used to retail for about RM32.90 but I’ve noticed that the price seems to have dropped recently to under RM30. It often goes on sale for 10% or 15% less which is a good time to stock up on it.

The texture is a lotion and you don’t need very much to spread all over your face. It spreads easily and has a slight fragrance that isn’t very strong. I find that it does help protect my skin from the sun. When I use this and am out in the sun, my face doesn’t feel like its burning. That makes it a great sunblock.

However, I did find that throughout the day, it did make my face oilier. I used to use it under makeup and does cause my makeup to slip a bit which is a bit of a drawback.

I have been using this sunscreen for about 3 years now and didn’t experience any adverse reactions to this sunscreen including blocked pores or breakouts so I do highly recommend it to anyone who wants a good facial sunscreen that is a handy size. It comes in 3 types for now. Transparent, tinted and anti-dullness. I only use the transparent ones.

This particular item is now only available in Europe and Asia. Meroxyl isn’t approved by the USA FDA (Food and Drug Administration) so they can’t bring it into the USA. I’m not quite sure why.

Budget Tip: L’oreal owns Lancome and this sunscreen contains the same ingredient as Lancome’s UV Expert 50SPF sunscreen. The one by L’oreal costs a lot less though! So, its Goodbye Sunsense and Hello again, L’oreal UV Perfect!

Pros: Good sunscreen, slim packaging, did not cause blocked pores or breakouts on me

Cons: Skin gets oily, quite expensive for its size

L’oreal UV Perfect gets a [rating:4.5/5]
Sunsense gets a [rating:0/5]

Review: Skincare: Sunsense Daily Face Sunscreen

Paris B 5 Comments

UPDATE: This one no longer works for me. Please read my update. However, this post was written when it did work and maybe it’ll help you.

I used to use L’oreal’s UV Perfect sunscreen on a daily basis and in fact, used to stock it up in case I ran out. I liked that it was SPF50 and was easy to carry around. Then, a dear friend suggested I try Sunsense Daily Face instead. I resisted for a while, while I finished off my L’oreal, but during the recent Guardian sale, I decided to see what all the hype was about.

We get one that’s SPF60 here so I bought it. It comes in a 75g tube which is quite handy, and is lightly tinted. However, there’s no need for concern over the tint as it disappears on your skin. The great thing about this sunscreen is that it leaves a matt finish on your skin. This mattifying effect also serves as a great makeup base as you don’t have to be afraid of your foundation slipping off your skin. I found that happening a lot with the L’oreal UV Perfect, which left my skin feeling a bit oily.

When I apply this sunscreen on my face, it immediately sinks in but my skin doesn’t feel like there’s a layer on it. Anyone who avoids putting on sunscreen because they don’t like the greasy feeling should give this one a shot. Remember, sunscreen is probably the best anti-aging product you can have in your skincare regime – prevention is better than cure!

The SPF rating on mine is 60 which cannot be found on the website. I’m told this is because in Australia they don’t rate anything higher than SPF30 as there is no evidence that anything higher will screen more effectively. I do find that even out in the sun, my skin doesn’t feel like its burning, which is a good thing as it means that the UV rays are being screened out.

The information on the official website states that Sunsense Daily Face is ideal for use as a protective daily moisturiser, all year round. The oil free base also makes it suitable for acne prone skin. Blocks UV-A and UV-B rays. Screens infrared and visible light. Does not contain PABA, PABA derivatives or lanolin to reduce the risk of sensitivity reactions to those people who are already sensitive to these ingredients.

It retails for about RM39.90 for 75g which is an excellant deal, and can be found at Guardian or Watsons or other pharmacies. L’oreal UV Perfect is about RM30 for 30ml only. I can see myself stocking up on Sunsense Daily Face from now!

Sunsense has a whole range of other Sunscreen products for the body which are worth checking out. They are an Australian brand and I trust the Australians best when it comes to making sunscreen, due to the high incidence of skin cancer there possibly because of the hole in the ozone layer which lies just over Australia.

Sunsense recommends that you:-

  • Use SUNSENSE everyday, particularly on your face and the backs of you hands to help prevent dry, leathery skin, wrinkles, mottling and other premature ageing as well as more serious problems such as skin cancer.
  • When out in the sun apply SUNSENSE to all exposed areas of the skin, wear a broad rimmed hat and a t-shirt of closely woven material.
  • SUNSENSE should be applied to clean, dry skin, 15 minutes before exposure to the sun. This allows the sunscreen to bond to the skin.
  • Sunscreens wear off the skin with normal usage, so re-apply SUNSENSE at least every 2 hours and after swimming, exercise, heavy perspiration and towelling dry.
  • Apply SUNSENSE even when sitting in the shade, surfaces such as sand, water, snow and concrete can reflect the sun’s rays onto your skin even though you are in the shade.
  • Apply SUNSENSE on overcast days. The sun’s rays can damage you skin on cloudy days too.
  • Don’t just wear SUNSENSE in summer. The sun shines all year round and can damage your skin even during winter.
  • A broad-spectrum sunscreening preparation of SPF 20 or greater. Can aid in the prevention of skin cancer, solar keratoses, sunspots, premature skin ageing.

This applies for any brand of sunscreen, not just Sunsense.

Its Ingredients are (for those who understand chemical terms):

Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane 2.0%
Oxybenzone 2.0%
Octyl triazone 1.0%
Titanium dioxide 2.6%
Methyl hydroxybenzoate 0.25%
Propyl hydroxybenzoate 0.15%
Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate 0.02%
Phenoxyethanol 1.0%

Pros: Matt, screens UV rays, Makes a good makeup base

Cons: Tube can be bulky

Disclaimer: This review is purely my opinion based on my own experience with the products reviewed. I do not vouch for the ingredients in the products nor do I hold myself out as an expert. I’m just another consumer like you. As with all skincare and cosmetics, do check ingredients or test for allergies and reactions.

[rating:5/5]