Claim: Parabens free, induce the heat caused by infrared radiation which is now known also contributes to ageing.
Ingredients: Niacinamide, Chia seed extract, Indian pennywort, Chamelion plant, various Polysaccharide, Adenosine, 1,2-Hexanediol (Proctor and gamble patented humectant), Virgin extract, Arctic Raspberry extract. Various skin benefiting derivatives from wheats including Xylitylglucoside (encourages Hyaluronic Acid production within skin), Sodium Palmitoyl Proline (Amino Acid, which intended to reduce inflammation), Anhydroxylitol (serves as humectant), White Water Lily extract, glycerin, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Thermus Thermophilus Ferment (bacteria that lives in deep sea vents and hot springs and produces an antioxidant enzyme that is activated by heat), Phytosterols (which encourage collagen production), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (which is salt and a derivative of vitamin C in sort of weak yet stable derivative so an anti-oxidant), Seaweed extract, Hyaluronic acid, and Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate.
Ratings: SPF 50+ PA++++
Cost/Value: $32 (2.5 fl oz) / extremely reasonable price
It is a 100% Chemical sunscreen. Its active ingredients are Octinoxate, Homosalate, Octislate and Uvinul A Plus.
It DOES smell. It has a weird smell and synthetic fragrance is in the top quarter of the ingredients lists
It DOES sting my eyes. It stung my eyes pretty badly and migrated to my eyes within first 20 minutes. They were stinging and tearing very badly for the first hour badly enough that I had to close them and lie down. After that the pain dissipated, but it did cause stinging and tearing on and off throughout the day, over about 8 hours.
It did NOT gather in my undereye wrinkles.
It did NOT leave a white cast on my skin. It is completely sheer.
It DOES set in 20 minutes in extremely shiny soft finish. That is a little bit stiff but not at all transfer proof. Alcohol is about two-third down the ingredients list which is not a really good sign. With all of those humectants, I suspect it was difficult to find something to dry this down in reasonable way.
It DOES look beautiful under make up. The make-up did not move around too much and it did not have any effect on the texture or colour of my foundation.
It DOES stick around throughout the day. However, is it an all chemical sunscreen, and 100% chemical sunscreens like this should be reapplied regularly, even if it feels like it is still there.
This brand is recommended for all skin types but particularly combination and oily skin types. I think it is just a preference thing, whether you have oily or dry skin, some people prefer creams and others gel textures. Despite alcohol being so high up in the ingredients list, its not mattifying in any way. So, if you have combination or oily skin and you are looking for mattifying sunscreen, this is not it. I absolutely do not recommend it for sensitive skin. Even if you can tolerate every single one of the chemical sunscreen filters used in this sunscreen, it still has a ton of fragrance and ton of alcohol. I can’t see this working for somebody with sensitive or damaged skin.
In conclusion, despite of all the excellent skin care ingredients in this, in my opinion, none of them make up for the fact that it made my eyes water. I would only recommend this to you, if you have never reacted to a sunscreen. If you've ever experienced stinging eyes or burning skin from a sunscreen, skip this one. Otherwise, you might love it.
