I looove sunblocks! It's a must for us girls. However, most sunblocks give that icky, greasy feeling and nobody wants that. Especially for me with my oily, acne-prone skin, the last thing I need is more grease on my face. I'm sort of on a sunblock spree. I've tried a lot of sunblocks and I've never bought one kind twice because I like testing different ones. And so, I made a review of the different sunblocks I've tried.
My criteria for a good sunblock:
- Must have a protection of at least SPF 40
- Must be oil-free
- Must have UVA protection as well
- Must be non-shiny and non-greasy
Nivea Face Sunblock SPF 50 PA++
Well, the one for sale in the Philippines doesn't look exactly like this, but it's pretty close. I used this picture because I don't have a pic of this sunblock anymore. I didn't like this sunblock. Yes it was oil-free and non-greasy, but even the tiniest application left a really obvious whitish cast. People would always ask me what happened to my face! I was using this sunblock back when I wasn't using any makeup. I'm not sure how my face would have looked like if I used makeup on top of it. Plus, I don't like the sunblock-y smell.
Cosmed Total Block Milk SPF 90 PA+++
I've never heard of this brand before. I just stumbled upon this in one of those beauty shops in Hong Kong. This product claims to have SPF 90 and a very high UVA protection of PA+++. Well, a claim of SPF 90 is very hard to prove but I decided to try it nontheless. This product is a milk type sunblock. You have to put a very little amount because if you put to much you'll have a slight whitish cast on your face. It's just slight though and it's nothing that my MMU can't fix. It's non-greasy but when you apply this, you have to be sure to blend, blend, blend or else the application becomes uneven. It's not a pretty sight to have some white spots on your face. After a few tries though, I finally got how to apply this properly.
Kanebo Tiffa Silky Look SPF 50+ PA+++
I spotted this sunblock both in Thailand and in Hong Kong. At first I was hesitant to buy this because all the instructions were in Japanese and the sales attendants in Thailand spoke very little English. In the end, I decided to put my faith on Kanebo and tried this out, and I'm so glad I did! I love this sunblock to bits! It's also a milk type, non-greasy, no shine, no whitish cast, no sting upon application and my face feels smooth when I apply it. It's texture once it dries up is similar to a makeup primer, so it's possible that this can substitute for a primer. Although I have a fetish for trying out different sunblocks and not repeating, I'm seriously thinking of buying this one again once my stock of sunblocks to review gets finished and when I see this again when I go abroad. This sunblock is available in 3 variants: Clear, Silky Look and Pearlish. I might also decide to try the Pearlish next time.
Garnier UV Protect SPF 50
This sunblock is very similar (if not exactly the same) as Loreal UV Block. Garnier is part of the Loreal group of companies, both sunblocks have Mexoryl as the active ingredient, and are both available in the same 3 variants: the white, purple and natural colors. Well, you do the math. I bought this one in Thailand. I got the white one, since I prefer ones that don't have a color so they won't turn out to be not my skin type or interfere with my makeup. This has no whitish cast, but it's a little shiny, but the shine can be covered by my makeup. Although a lot of people don't like Loreal UV Block, this one worked for me.
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 55
I bought this sunblock back when it wasn't available in the Philippines yet. I bought it in Hong Kong for twice the price here! This sunblock is non-greasy, no whitish cast on me but it has a bit of a shine but nothing that loose powder can't fix. It's a big tube so it lasted me a really long time. The downside for me is that sometimes my face felt a little stingy upon application. I also broke out during my first month using this, but after that, my skin adjusted to it. This product says that it has UVA protection although the rating is unspecified.
Other Sunblocks I've tested:
Somang CoQ10 Whitening Sun Cream SPF 39 PA+++ - I tested this a few times when I was in Hong Kong, but this is actually a Korean brand. I liked it. It was non-greasy, had a pleasant smell, and the CoQ10 is definitely a plus. I decided not to buy this since I already had a lot of sunblocks waiting to be tried out and this might just expire before I get the chance to try it out. I might buy this though the next time I go to Hong Kong.
VMV Armada SPF 60 - This sunblock has a watery texture, no shine and non-greasy. I still have to buy a tube for myself, though, before I can write more.
Avene Very High Protection Cream SPF 50 - I tested this when I was in Thailand. It felt sticky so I decided not to get it. With its small size and high price, I felt that there are better ones out there for me.
Next in line to be reviewed:
I have a bottle of Dr. Baden's Sunblock Lotion SPF 60 waiting to be opened. I bought this in Hong Kong. It'll be a while though before I consume the sunblocks I'm using now. After that, I might just try Cetaphil SPF 50.
