La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Fluide Extreme SPF 50+
Last year I purchased this sunscreen because I was curious to see if it would perform even better than my usual Zinc Oxide-based sunscreens. It has a lot of great sunscreen ingredients in it, and it has a high level of UVA protection. I bought this online from a European store (for about $25 for 1.7 ounces), because at the time sunscreens containing Mexoryl were not sold in the United States. Now Amazon is selling this product too.

The Good
A few years before I had tried Anthelios W Gel Sunscreen, but that made me break out like crazy so I had to stop using it. Luckily the non-comedogenic Fluide Extreme has not caused any breakouts, so it should be safe to use on acne-prone skin, and it’s designed for normal, combination, or oily skin. It’s fragrance-free, water resistant, and paraben-free. It has a very thin watery consistency, and it goes on light and sheer. A lot of new sunscreens are coming out with this light liquid consistency too. You have to be careful applying the sunscreen, or it will drip right out of your hands! This sunscreen can be a little tricky to apply over moisturizer or antioxidant serums, so it’s best to let your moisturizer sink in for several minutes to avoid pilling. Shake the bottle and very lightly rub or pat it on your face. Then wait another few minutes before applying makeup.

The active sunscreen ingredients in the Anthelios Fluide Extreme are: Mexoryl SX, Mexoryl XL, Titanium Dioxide, Octocrylene, Tinosorb S, Avobenzone, and Uvinul T 150. I can’t find the exact percentage of the ingredients, and it doesn’t say what they are on the box or bottle! Even though this contains Avobenzone, I haven’t really experienced too much stinging when I wear this sunscreen, and it’s also free of Oxybenzone, which really can cause a burning sensation in people with sensitive skin. This offers substantial UVB (burning) and UVA protection, but I can’t say it performed even better than my sunscreens that contain Zinc Oxide, instead of Mexoryl. I would say they are about the same – they work really well, but when you’re in extreme sunlight, nothing blocks the sun’s rays completely. 

The Bad
Now here’s the bad part: the 4th ingredient is alcohol denat., and alcohol in skin care products dries out your skin. So while I love that this product doesn’t cause acne, it unnecessarily dries out my skin! The sunscreen goes on great and it looks great under makeup, but by the end of the day my skin feels a little dry and tight. Even if you have oily skin and it doesn’t noticeably dry your skin out, alcohol is still irritating to your skin in the long run:( Because of the alcohol, I’m not sure if I would repurchase this product or not, but otherwise it’s a great sunscreen!!

CVS now sells La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen!
Now that the ingredient Mexoryl is approved for use in the United States, you can find it in some La Roche-Posay sunscreens at CVS stores. Most of the La Roche-Posay sunscreens sold at CVS contain Oxybenzone, which I try to avoid, or they don’t contain Mexoryl, which makes it just like any other drugstore sunscreen on the shelf, but with a more expensive price tag! There’s only one version that meets my criteria, but I haven’t bought it yet because the reviews of it online have been pretty bad (unlike the Fluide Extreme).

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen SPF 40 from CVS has these active ingredients: Avobenzone (2%), Ecamsule (Mexoryl) (3%), Octocrylene (10%), Titanium Dioxide (5%). The only problem is that Isopropyl Palmitate is the 8th inactive ingredient, and this is a major pore clogger, so this might cause breakouts. Also, the reviews of this say it goes on super duper white, and that the white cast doesn’t blend in. If this product wasn’t $32, I would try it, just in case it worked for me… If you are super pale and aren’t prone to acne, this would be a good sunscreen to try, but otherwise I’m not sold on any of the CVS Anthelios sunscreens. 

Anthelios Fluid Extreme 50+ Full list of ingredients: Aqua, isododecane, isononyl isononanoate, alcohol denat., dicaprylyl carbonate, cyclohexasiloxane, octocrylene, titanium dioxide, isocetyl stearate, glycerin, butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, styrene/acrylates copolymer, peg-30 dipolyhydroxystearate, bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine, polymethylsilsesquioxane, silica, caprylyl glycol, cassia alata leaf extract, disodium edta, disteardimonium hectorite, dodecene, drometrizole trisiloxane, ethylhexyl triazone, isopropyl lauroyl sarcosinate, lauryl peg/ppg-18/18 methicone, maltodextrin, phenoxyethanol, poloxamer 407, poly c10-30 alkyl acrylate, propylene carbonate, terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid, tocopherol, triethanolamine

Have you tried Anthelios sunscreens? Have you tried the European versions or the new US ones?

Related posts:

1. Zinc Oxide vs Mexoryl Sunscreen Ingredients
2. The Best Sunscreen and Sunblock
3. A Day At The Pool

*Coppertone Sensitive Skin Sunscreen SPF 50*
This new sunscreen contains 14.5% Zinc Oxide, 7.5% Octinoxate, and 5% Octisalate, which means it has a great percentage of zinc oxide – more than Blue Lizard and Vanicream. It has the highest percentage of zinc oxide in a drugstore brand sunscreen, as far as I know (a lot of new sunscreens have come out this year.) In my opinion, zinc oxide is an essential ingredient in a good sunscreen.

Good for sensitive skin?
Since this Coppertone sunscreen contains chemical sunscreen ingredients (octinoxate and octisalate), I’m not sure if they should have really put the words “sensitive skin” in the product name because if you have truly sensitive skin, you probably can’t tolerate any chemical sunscreen ingredients. However, a lot of people have sensitivities to specific chemical sunscreen ingredients like avobenzene or oxybenzone, and since neither of those ingredients are present, this might still be a good option to try if you can handle some chemical sunscreens. This product doesn’t make my skin burn like avobenzene or oxybenzone does, but I haven’t spent a ton of time in direct sun wearing it yet. It also claims it won’t sting eyes, but I haven’t tested that yet either. For truly sensitive skin, Blue Lizard and Vanicream make sunscreens without chemical sunscreen ingredients.

Fragrance free and waterproof
The Coppertone Sensitive Skin Sunscreen says it’s fragrance free, which is great for sensitive skin, but I could still smell a faint pleasant sunscreen scent. Fragrance is not listed as an ingredient, though, so this should be fine for someone that needs to avoid fragrance. The product is also waterproof (water resistant) which I personally like, since it stays on better when you sweat or swim, but I know some people don’t like waterproof sunscreens. I haven’t worn it swimming yet, but it seems to be pretty water resistant.

Safe for acne-prone skin?
This sunscreen says it’s hypoallergenic and won’t cause breakouts, but I’m not 100% sure about this yet. The 10th inactive ingredient in the product is Exylhexyl Palmitate, which is a huge pore clogger, but I can’t imagine there’s enough of it to pose a problem. The first time I used this on my face, I did end up with a small pimple the next day, but the second time I used it, I was fine. In some online reviews, people say they got breakouts from this, so it could cause breakouts if you are prone to acne. I will keep testing it to find out for sure. This product says it’s non-greasy, but it goes on pretty thick and shiny, so it’s probably best for someone with normal to dry skin. Coppertone also makes an almost identical version called Coppertone Sensitive Skin SPF 50 Faces that contains all of the exact same ingredients, except for one additional ingredient, but online reviewers claim the Faces version has a slightly more matte finish. I haven’t tried that one yet, but the Faces version comes in a much smaller size, yet it costs more!

Can you wear it under makeup?
I wore this sunscreen to the pool yesterday and didn’t wear any makeup or moisturizer on my face, and while it went on really white, after a few minutes it soaked in and I could barely see it. My face was still a little shiny, though. I tried to wear this over moisturizer and under foundation a few times, and I was getting major pilling and an uneven finish. Some people say this works great under makeup but it didn’t work for me. However, I will definitely wear it on my face at the pool or beach, when I’m not wearing makeup. As a body sunscreen, I think it’s great so far, and while it goes on a bit thick, that’s to be expected from a zinc oxide sunscreen. I plan on wearing this on my body every day here in scorching Las Vegas.

Conclusion
This sunscreen doesn’t contain any antioxidants, so that’s one of its major drawbacks. This probably won’t be the best solution for someone with super sensitive skin, it’s hard to use under makeup, and it could possibly cause breakouts (I will keep you updated on that). However, because it contains a large amount of zinc oxide, plus two good chemical sunscreen ingredients, it’s an SPF 50, fragrance free, waterproof, and really economical, I think this is a great sunscreen to consider – at least for your body. I’ll continue using it, until I discover something better. Have you tried this product, or the Faces version? What’s your favorite drugstore sunscreen? And don’t forget - choose a sun product labeled sunscreen, not tanning oil ;)

Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (7.5%), Octisalate (5%), Zinc Oxide (14.5%)
Inactive Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetyl PEG/GGP 10/1 Dimethicone, PEG 12 Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aloe (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice, Ethyhexyl Palmitate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Sodium Chloride

Related posts:

1. Blue Lizard – The Best Drugstore Sunscreen
2. Vanicream Sunscreen
3. Burning Skin Care Ingredients

With all the warnings and info about skin cancer and wrinkles, you would think that most people use sunscreen, at least when they are deliberately in the hot sun, but that is so not true! Most of the people I saw that were using sort of sun product item had the dark brown bottles of tanning oil, not sunscreen. If only there was a tanning tax on the sun – okay I know I’m crazy.

Tanning Oil
So what is tanning oil? It’s basically the exact opposite of sunscreen. Tanning oil contains ingredients like mineral oil and coconut oil that make your skin shiny in order to magnify the sun’s burning/tanning ability. Some tanning oils and tanning lotions come without SPF, but a lot of them contain a low SPF 4 or 8. Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat are some of the most popular drugstore brands that make SPF tanning oils (which is an oxymoron). When you slather on a slippery, shiny oil, you’re going to burn faster, so the minimal SPF 4 is barely offering you any sun protection. What really bothers me is that by offering an SPF, Banana Boat can claim they are “helping to prevent sunburn.” Sure. That’s like my friend who doesn’t think his smoking is that bad because he smokes “natural cigarettes.”

I know most people understand that tanning oils promote skin cancer and wrinkles, but when I was a teenager, I really had no idea. Because the tanning products had the SPF, I thought it was sort of good for my skin, and I thought it meant I could get tan but protect myself at the same time – the best of both worlds. Unfortunately now I know nothing could be further from the truth, but it took me 20 years to figure it out. It’s amazing how much smarter you suddenly become when premature wrinkles show up in your early 20s! I’m not the only one that is misinformed because after reading reviews of these tanning oils online, I realize people wrongly believe these products are helping them safely tan (which is impossible because tanning is always unsafe). So don’t be fooled - it may be sold in the same aisle as sunscreen, but tanning oil is not your friend!

If it has the word Tanning or Oil in the product name, don’t use it when you go in the sun. I noticed Banana Boat also makes a “protective” tanning oil with an SPF 15. That sounds like it’s good for your skin, but there’s no way around it – putting tanning oil on your skin (even with an SPF 15) is damaging when you’re exposed to UV rays from the sun or a tanning bed. Baby oil is another product that you don’t want to slather on before hitting the beach! There’s nothing wrong with using these products as a nice coconut scented skin moisturizer – as long as you don’t mind mineral oil, the products themselves are usually fine for skin.

Stick with sun products that are called Sunscreen or Sunblock – and especially use a high SPF sunscreen if you are going to be in the sun for a while. If you want to be happy like the girls in the picture, wear sunscreen! If you use tanning oils or skip the sunscreen, you will regret it later – guaranteed! And that’s the end of my tanning oil rant!

Related posts:

1. The Tanning Tax
2. Do You Need A High SPF Sunscreen?
3. Philosophy Coconut Collection

SEPHORA COLLECTION Sephora Sun Safety Kit

Here’s what comes in the set:
• Murad Essential-C Eye Cream SPF 15 (0.14 oz)
• DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew UV Moisturizer SPF 15 (0.23 oz)
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 in Lemon and Chamomile (0.10 oz)
• Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Defense Lotion SPF 30 (0.25 oz)
• Kate Somerville Protect SPF 55 Serum Sunscreen (0.16 oz)
• Clarins Delectable Self Tanning Mousse SPF 15 (0.27 oz)
• Cover FX BritePrep FX Brightening Foundation Primer & Photo-Aging Defense SPF 50 (0.16 oz)
• Bliss Best of Skintentions Daily Moisturizer SPF 15 (0.34 oz)
• Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 60 PA+++ (0.23 oz)
• Ole Henriksen Herbal Day Cream SPF 15 (0.25 oz)
• Smashbox Photo Finish UVA/UVB SPF 15 (0.25 oz)
• Bare Escentuals BareMinerals Multi-tasking Face SPF 20 in Summer Bisque (0.02 oz)
• Pink Sephora makeup bag
• 2 x single-use UVSunSense UV monitoring bracelets

If you are a sunscreen junkie like me, this is a great way to try a bunch of different products without committing to a full-size tube. Not all of the products are just sunscreens – some are moisturizers or primers with SPF. I think the Shiseido sunscreen you get is actually their lotion, not their cream (my favorite sunscreen). I can’t wait to try the lotion version too. Sephora says their kits sell out fast, and they are a limited edition, so get yours now! I just wish those UV bracelets weren’t for one-time use because I would totally wear them around every day.

*Get your Sephora Sun Safety Kit*

Related posts:

1. Sephora Sun Safety Kit
2. Best Of Sephora 2007
3. Get A Free Shiseido Sunscreen

Vanicream Sunscreen Sport SPF 35
As much as I love my favorite Shiseido SPF 55 sunscreen, it’s expensive, and during the winter months, I switched to Vanicream Sport because it’s 4 times cheaper per ounce, and it contains the same active ingredients as the Shiseido. Vanicream Sport contains 8% zinc oxide and 7.5% octinoxate, so while it doesn’t have as much zinc oxide (Shiseido had 13.9% until they recently changed their formula), I think it’s plenty for wintertime, unless you go skiing, or live somewhere extremely hot. Usually when I see the word Sport in a sunscreen, I assume it’s water-resistant, but the package doesn’t state this to be the case. So I wouldn’t use this in the water, or when you’re sweating a lot.

I used Vanicream sunscreen several years ago and didn’t like it, so I think they have changed their formula to go on more sheer, or maybe I’m just easier to please now. The Sport sunscreen goes on slightly thick and white, but it soaks in well, and it would be good for anyone with normal to dry skin. I have light skin and it looks almost sheer on me, but I’m not sure how well it would look on someone with dark skin. The sunscreen is slightly shiny on my face, so I always wear a light foundation and powder over it, and makeup goes on perfectly over it. It gives my face a slight glow, and it never causes me to breakout. It is oil-free, odorless, preservative-free, and it doesn’t contain any pore clogging ingredients. Keep in mind that everyone is different, so the product still could cause breakouts even though it won’t in most cases.

A while ago I rated Blue Lizard as my favorite drugstore sunscreen, and I still really like Blue Lizard, but it’s not recommended for acne-prone skin, unlike Vanicream. While Vanicream has a drugstore price ($14 for 4oz), I haven’t actually seen it in drugstores, although you may be able to get it at your pharmacy, according to the Vanicream website.

Now that the UV index is past 5 in Las Vegas, I will soon switch back to a stronger sunscreen for my face because I’m obsessive about sun-protection, but if you don’t live in an extreme climate, Vanicream Sport would be a great year-round sunscreen for your face and body, as long as you don’t have really oily skin. Just keep in mind that since it goes on a little shiny, it might be too greasy looking when the humidity is really high.

*Buy Vanicream Sunscreen Sport, SPF 35*

Vanicream Sunscreen SPF 60
This is a sunscreen product that only has chemical-free active ingredients, so it’s great for sensitive skin, and for use on children. The SPF 60 contains 7.5% titanium dioxide and 7.5% zinc oxide. There is also an SPF 30 version that I haven’t tried, which contains 5% titanium dioxide and 5% zinc oxide. This SPF 60 sunscreen feels very similar to the Sport version, but I find it’s even more shiny, so even under makeup, it’s a little too “glowy” for me. I also get nervous about putting a lot of titanium dioxide on my face because other sunscreens with that ingredient have caused me to breakout. So far though, this sunscreen has been safe for me, and it doesn’t contain other pore cloggers. Like the Sport version, it’s fragrance-free, paraben-free, and preservative-free. If you can handle a little glow on your face, this would be a great sunscreen for normal to dry skin, and it’s a great kid’s sunscreen. As far as I know, this is not a water-resistant, so I wouldn’t recommend using this if you’re swimming at the beach or pool, or if you’re excessively sweating.

*Buy Vanicream Sunscreen, Sensitive Skin, SPF 60*

Have you tried Vanicream sunscreens? What do you think?

Related posts:

1. Blue Lizard – The Best Drugstore Sunscreen
2. Coppertone Sensitive Skin SPF 50 Sunscreen
3. UV Natural Sunscreen

Why I regularly use sunscreens that are at least SPF 30
For every day use, I always choose sunscreens that are at least SPF 30, and my favorite sunscreen happens to have an SPF 55. It takes a lot of sunscreen to actually achieve the stated level on the tube! For some reason I always thought you needed a teaspoon of sunscreen for your face, but it turns out you only need 1/4 or 1/3 of a teaspoon to adequately cover your face. A shot glass of sunscreen is what you need to cover your whole body.

As vigilant as I am about sunscreen, I find it hard to put an entire third of a teaspoon of sunscreen on my face. No matter how great the sunscreen, it starts to look thick and unnatural when you have a super thick coat of it on. It also gets expensive! My other fear is that when I put on foundation over the sunscreen, I worry that some of the sunscreen ends up back on my hands. Also, if I’m not going to be out in the sun, I don’t want to have to reapply my sunscreen every few hours, since I have on makeup. I’m sure some of the sunscreen wears off as the day goes on. If I do go to the beach or pool, I stay in the shade, and slather on the third of a teaspoon on my face, and reapply at least every two hours, and right after being in the water.

It’s estimated that people only apply about half as much sunscreen as they should. So that SPF 30 is more like an SPF 15. That SPF 15 is inadequate sun protection if you don’t use enough. Paula Begoun has a sun essentials/sunscreen FAQ that has lots of useful information.

Sunscreen does not offer 100% sun protection
Even the best sunscreen is not going to offer 100% sun protection. With the correct amount, an SPF 30 offers about 97% UVB sun protection, while an SPF 15 offers about 95% protection. Personally I want all the protection I can get because I still notice freckles appear when I’m out in the hot sun, and I sometimes get a slight tan, even when I slather on the recommended amount of sunscreen.

Is a high SPF dangerous?
An SPF higher than 30 is still only going to provide about 97% UVB protection. The higher number just means you can stay out longer in the sun without getting burned. In Paula Begoun’s book Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me, when reviewing Neutrogena Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 70, she does state that higher SPF sunscreens put more sunscreen active ingredients on your skin, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

How I choose sunscreens
Primarily I look for sunscreens with at least 10% Zinc Oxide and an SPF 30+. I have 20 more posts I’ve written about sunscreen that go into more detail about ingredients. I also personally like sunscreens that are waterproof in the summer, so that they don’t sweat off. I am not afraid of higher SPF sunscreens, but I’m also happy with sunscreens in the 30-55 range for every day use.

Related posts:

1. UV Natural Sunscreen
2. Zinc Oxide vs Mexoryl Sunscreen Ingredients
3. Vanicream Sunscreen

Benzophenones
Many sunscreens contain some form of benzophenones in it, which I believe is the culprit for sunscreens that feel like they are burning. In the old days PABA was the cause of a lot of burning problems, but I haven’t seen any sunscreens containing PABA in years. The EPA has an informative article called sunscreen: the burning facts.

Currently ingredients like Avobenzone, Oxybenzone, Dioxybenzone, and Sulisobenzone can be an issue for people with sensitive skin, and these ingredients are very common in sunscreens. Avobenzone (probably the most common sunscreen ingredient nowadays) makes my face feel like it’s on fire when I wear a lot of it in the sun. If you haven’t had any issues with these ingredients, then by all means keep using them if you are seeing good results from the product.

I use face self-tanners that are basically moisturizers with self-tanner, however they also contain sunscreen ingredients. I really like Neutrogena Build-A-Tan Face and L’Oreal Sublime Glow For Face because they don’t clog my pores, and they work well. But lately they burn so much when I apply them (probably because I recently started a new retinol regimen) that I feel like it’s probably not a good idea to keep using them. I have not seen a single drugstore face sunscreen that doesn’t contain sunscreen with benzophenone ingredients, or pore-cloggers, so it’s quite annoying! I’ll have to check Sephora and the department stores. I also want to research to see if there are any regular body self-tanners that are safe to use on my face, since a lot of them don’t contain sunscreen.

There are other chemical sunscreen ingredients, and while any ingredient can cause problems in some people, the benzophenones are the most common ingredients that cause problems. I have no problems with these zinc oxide-based sunscreens, even though some of them contain some chemical sunscreen ingredients as well.

What skin care ingredients cause your skin to burn? I also get burning from glycolic acid (which is normal), menthol, peppermint, SD alcohol, and alcohol denat. Only the glycolic acid is beneficial for your skin.

Related posts:

1. Zinc Oxide vs Mexoryl Sunscreen Ingredients
2. Dangerous Skin Care
3. Skin Care For Everyone

Solar Sense Clear Zinc Sport Stick For Face
I picked up the Solar Sense Clear Zinc Sport Stick For Face for $3. It says you can also use it on your lips, which is great because I have searched high and low and cannot find any lip balms that contain Zinc Oxide!

This Solar Sense Stick has an SPF 45, and contains 8% Zinc Oxide, which is pretty decent, plus it contains other chemical sunscreen ingredients. The product doesn’t appear to have any pore-clogging ingredients, although it’s pretty thick going on.

I first tried this fragrance-free product on my lips, and it was okay, but not great. It left a slight white residue, and it dried out my lips. You could always use this and then coat your lips with another lip balm or lip gloss, but it’s annoying that it makes your lips dry.

Next I smoothed the stick on my face. It does go on clear, and it leaves sort of a waxy feel. I can’t imagine coating my whole face with this stick, since it would take forever, and it’s thick. In the end, I’m not really sure what to do with this stick. It’s not practical to use on your whole face, and it’s too drying and chalky on your lips. It’s water-resistant, and due to its waxy consistency, maybe it would stay on better in the water than other sunscreens? It’s hard to say, but maybe it could work as an extra sunscreen coating on noses, ears, and other easily burned areas.

Solar Sense Clear Zinc For Face
The other interesting Solar Sense product is this little tub of sunscreen. It’s also only about $3, which is great. It contains 6.65% Zinc Oxide, plus chemical sunscreen ingredients. I haven’t personally tried it yet. My boyfriend used it and liked it, but he got a bunch of clogged pores, and it does have some pore clogging ingredients (although they are 10th in the ingredient list, so in theory this shouldn’t be too bad for acne). I’ve also noticed a few generic store-brand Zinc Oxide sunscreens out there in drugstores and supermarkets, so it’s worth checking where you shop if you’re trying to find a super cheap, yet effective sunscreen.

Related posts:

1. Zinc Oxide vs Mexoryl Sunscreen Ingredients
2. Zinka Zinc Oxide Sunblock
3. Burning Skin Care Ingredients

Blue Lizard is the only drugstore brand I currently buy. They have a few different products, and the Zinc Oxide ranges from 6%-10%, which isn’t spectacular, but it’s the highest concentration of Zinc Oxide I’ve seen in a drugstore brand.

Blue Lizard Sport SPF 30+
This is what I’ve been using for the past year as a sunscreen for my body. It’s Very Water Resistant, so it’s good if you’re going to be outside sweating, or going to the beach or pool. It has 6% Zinc Oxide, and other chemical sunscreen ingredients (Octinoxate, Octocrylene, and Oxybenzone). I personally like water resistant sunscreens, since it gets sooo hot in the summer here, and I end up sweating the second I leave the house. Their Regular sunscreen is the same as the Sport, but it’s not water resistant.

Blue Lizard Sensitive SPF 30+
I just picked this sunscreen up today. I hadn’t seen it on the shelves until recently, or I would have grabbed it a long time ago. It’s not water resistant unfortunately, but it has 10% Zinc Oxide, and 5% Titanium Dioxide. This is great for people that have sensitive skin and can’t handle chemical sunscreen ingredients. It’s also good for children 6 months and older. This sunscreen appears to have the exact same ingredients as their Baby version. I’ll probably use this every day, but if it comes off when I sweat, I’ll go back to the Sport version.

While I’ve been obsessed with sunscreens that have the highest percentage of Zinc Oxide possible, as well as super high SPFs, I am satisfied with the Blue Lizard sunscreens because they are affordable (they cost about the same as regular drugstore sunscreens, or maybe a few dollars more) and they offer adequate sun protection. The good thing about cheaper sunscreens is that people tend to use the proper amount of sunscreen because the cost isn’t outrageous. When I use expensive sunscreens, I get stingy with my application and probably don’t use as much as I should.

The bad thing about Blue Lizard
I personally wouldn’t use Blue Lizard on my face. It contains pore clogging ingredients, and even their new Face sunscreen has pore cloggers. If you are not prone to acne at all, using it on your face should be fine. If you are prone to acne on your body, this sunscreen could also pose a problem, so be aware of this issue I haven’t ever tried it on my face, so I don’t know if the product leaves a white cast at all, and I don’t know how it looks under makeup. On my body, I don’t really notice a white cast. For my face, I use these sunscreens.

This sunscreen doesn’t smell like coconuts (which I personally love). The Sensitive version has no fragrance (great for people that are allergic to fragrance), and the Sport has a very faint, yet pleasant scent.

Where to find Blue Lizard
You can buy it online at Drugstore.com. I picked up mine at CVS, and according to the Blue Lizard website, other retailers that carry it include: Rite Aid, Ecker, Stop & Shop, Longs, Ralphs, Duane Reade, Kroger, and a few other stores. On Drugstore.com, you can get a 5 ounce bottle for the same price as the 3 ounce bottle (about $9.50). It’s too bad it’s not sold at Target, Wal-Mart, or Kmart. Also check out my review of Vanicream sunscreen.

Related posts:

1. Vanicream Sunscreen
2. Coppertone Sensitive Skin SPF 50 Sunscreen
3. Solar Sense Clear Zinc

The full-size sunscreen is 2 ounces, and the deluxe sample is .08 ounces, so that’s a pretty generous sample. Now I just have to figure out what to buy!!! Also, Sephora is doing free shipping for orders over $50. They are also giving away tons of samples (like always) when you go to checkout. I have three free samples, plus a deluxe sample of a Philosophy body wash, plus the free Shiseido sample in my shopping cart right now.

Shop Sephora and get the “Best of Sephora” Sunscreen free!

Update: Sephora no longer has the free Shiseido sunscreen, but they have other weekly free with purchase products.

Related posts:

1. Get Free Sephora Skincare Samples
2. Sephora Goodies
3. Vanicream Sunscreen