There are so few drugstore sunscreens that have Zinc Oxide in them, my preferred sunscreen ingredient, but I noticed a few stores carry Solar Sense Clear Zinc products. Even though Blue Lizard is my favorite drugstore sunscreen, I wanted to try something new.
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.
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June 29th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Thank you for your great post! Although I want to use sunscreen with zinc oxide, most of the sunscreen in the drugstores do not have it. I saw only one sunblock with zinc oxide and it was not even non-comedogenic. Thanks to your blog, I have made sure to use skin care products that won’t clog my pores.
June 29th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
This has got to be the singularly most useful skincare blog I have stumbled into. Everybody else’s seems more commercialized. I’ve individually bookmarked some of your most useful entries, such as the ingredients list and sunscreen breakdowns (and I’m still finding more!). Thank you for taking the time to update this. Every entry is so well-organized and well-written.
One Q. I’ve discovered I’m allergic to benzoyl peroxide (causes itching and makes my eyes swell up even though I’m not using it in the eye area). I’m hoping the swelling goes down soon, but in the even that it takes longer than I’d like, what would you recommend other than seeing a doctor about it? I’m trying so hard not to touch the delicate area but it itches like crazy and I can only resort to putting ice on it to relieve the itching (does nothing for the swelling).
June 30th, 2008 at 12:17 am
Alienman,
Thanks for the compliment. Since I’m not a doctor, I don’t know exactly what to recommend for the allergic reaction to Benzoyl Peroxide. I would wash my hands thoroughly, and then wash my face with a mild cleanser that didn’t have any active ingredients. Then I would take an allergy medication like Benadryl, and an anti-inflammatory like Advil. I’m not sure what else a doctor would say, but if the problem doesn’t go away the next day, I would then see a doctor. Or if you have any breathing problems, make sure to go right away!
Hopefully you won’t have to go through this again. Benzoyl Peroxide is always listed as an active ingredient on products, so it should be pretty easy to avoid in the future. And if you go to a Dermatologist, make sure to tell them about your allergy, so that they don’t prescribe it to you.
June 30th, 2008 at 7:35 am
wow, i just bought this last friday! It was super cheap and I wore it this weekend with no complaints. bought the little tub. it has green tea extract and smells nice. :)
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Thank you for the prompt reply! When I was on the Proactiv regimen, I hadn’t suffered a reaction like this ever, so I think it was because I had applied too much after not having used any b.p. in a long time. Your blog is like a Bible to me now. Thanks again!
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Hi Jeni,
I LOVE YOUR BLOG. I am the content editor for HealthCare.com and have been working on developing our blogs side of the site, so I look at 100s of blogs a day, looking for good writers and content. Normally, when I find a good blog I send a standard invite, but I had to take a moment to compliment your honestly compliment your blog and thank you.
I moved to Miami from NY recently and have let all of my good skincare habits go :( the beach and sun are just SO tempting. After 6 months of that, my skin has become truly out of wack. I ended up reading, no lie, your entire blog. What inspiration! I have forwarded the URL to all my girlfriends in NY too (we all used to work at Sephora together). Thanks for offering an honest approach in a very seedy industry!
Because I am supposed to be focused on working and not skin care, I would like to invite you to syndicate your blog with us at http://blogs.healthcare.com. We receive over a million visitors to our site a month and it would be a great way to drive even more traffic to your already busy site.
If interested let me know alexandra.snyder@healthcare.com. Again thanks for your awesome blog!
September 1st, 2008 at 1:42 pm
i bought this the other day and googled reviews and your site came up :).
it sounds like it is so good for your skin. i’m dealing with acne right now and use zinc masks but it’s tinted so it’s kinda useless during the day.
i want to use this product so bad but if it clogs pores, it’s useless to me :(
September 19th, 2008 at 7:51 am
When looking for the best antiaging skin care product that best suits the particular physical problem, it is important to remember that cost is a significant factor in quality versus quantity. Not saying that all expensive products are better, but the inexpensive ones may not contain some of the key ingredients used in the higher quality items that make them so successful. The texture of the lotion or cream is also something to take notice of. The better products tend to be thicker and stickier than the poor quality, watered down versions. The idea behind the fight against wrinkles is to re-moisturize and re-hydrate the skin. Failure to do so results in wasted money. The longevity of the anti aging skin care treatment should also be taken into consideration. Depending on the goals, some products conceal the wrinkles, while others actually add elasticity, which removes the wrinkles. It is no secret that the latter product takes more time to see significant results.
Anti Aging Treatments
February 5th, 2009 at 11:41 am
I need a lip balm with zinc oxide for when I am out in the sun to prevent cold sores. Most everything I’ve tried is not effective. I tried the Solar Sense for the face but it didn’t seem to last. The Solar Sense Sport Stick sounds good but I don’t need something to make my lips dry. Any other recommendations? Also, if I use the Sport Stick any recommendations for a great hydrating lip balm to use in conjunction?
May 18th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
I am obsessed with sunscreen and skincare products. I use suncreeen every day of the year. For the past 3-4 years I’ve been using recommended sunscreens from my aesthetician. But I wanted to find something more cost effective with a higher SPF. As a result I searched online, went to makeup counters, and spent hours in the aisles at Target/Walgreens reading each label. I was completely shocked to find Solar Sense’s Clear Zinc for $3 having such a high percentage of zinc oxide. It seemed too good to be true! Why can’t more companies make clear zinc oxide?? I’ve used it twice. Its a bit greasy & caused my eyeliner to run :) I haven’t broken out yet. My intent to use this product is for weekends (when I don’t wear makeup) and if I’m in a pinch for clear zinc. I’m ecstatic to find this product. For $3 you can’t go wrong. And using it occasionally instead of my expensive products will impact my pocket book!
May 27th, 2009 at 7:17 am
Discovered solar sense clear zinc this spring and having gone through one 5 oz tube already, I do like the protection it offers. Now that the ocean temp is swimmable, I’m hopeful that clear zinc will stay on while catching waves….