Wearing sunscreen daily is the #1 best thing you can do to prevent wrinkles, so naturally I slather my face in sunscreen every morning (it helps prevent cancer too of course, but I’m vainer than I’d like to admit), under my make-up. I haven’t reviewed sunscreens in a while – here’s what I’ve been trying lately and what I thought.
Cetaphil Suntivity Liposomal Lotion SPF 50+
This sunscreen from dermatologist-faves Cetaphil has a surprisingly light texture, at a middling price of $20.99 for 100 mL. “Cosmetically elegant” sunscreens (i.e. formulations that don’t feel like you’ve slathered your face in greasepaint) are more common now, though they’re still not as easy to find as I’d like! Interestingly, this isn’t actually Cetaphil’s lightest sunscreen – they also have an Ultra-Light Lotion that’s also SPF 50+, and a Hydrating Lotion and Liposomal Spray that’s SPF 30+.
After much searching I found the following inactive ingredient list for the liposomal lotion here, provided after a redditor asked customer service:
Active Ingredients: Octyl Methoxycinnamate 75 mg/g, Isoamyl Methoxycinnamate 75 mg/g, Bemotrizinol 50 mg/g, Octyltriazone 50 mg/g, Methylene Bisbenzotriazoyl Tetramethylbutylphenol 30 mg/g, Butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane 25mg/g
Inactive Ingredients (?): Dicaprylyl Maleate, Ethanol, Cetyl Phosphate, Triethanolamine, All-Rac-Alpha-Tocopherol, Sorbitol, Lecithin, Aloe Barabdensis Gel 4), Carbomer 980, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone 350, Methyl Parahydroxybenzoate, Propyl Parahydroxybenzoate, Water Purified Ad
It doesn’t look complete though, and has a few typos, so I’m not sure how accurate it is. It really annoys me that full ingredients list aren’t required for sunscreens in Australia. I understand that it’s good for them to be able to protect their trade secrets so they can invest more into sunscreen research without jacking up sunscreen price, but it’s so much easier to guess if a sunscreen is likely to break you out or suit your skin type if you have an ingredients list to work off.
The texture of this sunscreen is a little sticky, but it sinks in pretty quickly and the stickiness can be easily fixed by setting it with some translucent powder. It’s broad spectrum (which means UVA protection is 1/3 of the SPF, no other UVA protection indications), 4 hours water resistant and fragrance-free. The only real issue I have with this sunscreen is the packaging – the container is quite rigid and the sunscreen comes out of a little hole at the top. I can see myself having to take a saw to this when I run low!
- Pros: broad spectrum, 4 hours water resistant, pleasant texture, fragrance-free (if you’re sensitive)
- Cons: incomplete ingredients listing, no exact UVA protection rating, difficult to get the last of the sunscreen out of the packaging, a bit sticky
Elucent Anti-Ageing Day Moisturiser SPF 50+
Like with Cetaphil, there’s no official inactive ingredients listing available for this moisturiser, and it’s only available in Australia so there aren’t any sneaky overseas listing we can refer to. Like the rest of Elucent’s anti-ageing line (such as Elucent Anti-Ageing Serum that I reviewed earlier) it contains AHAs, at 4%. Additionally, there’s niacinamide and vitamin E, though the actual amounts are unknown. The texture is quite sticky but sinks in with some rubbing. I really like the hygienic and convenient pump packaging, and in terms of protection it’s broad spectrum and SPF 50+. Unfortunately, it’s moderately pricey at $42.39 for 95 mL, so I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re looking for a straightforward sunscreen, though if you’re after a multitasker this is a good option.
Active Ingredients (% w/w): Bemotrizinol 2.15, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 2.9, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol 1.5, Octyl Methoxycinnamate 8.0.
- Pros: broad spectrum, contains AHAs, niacinamide and vitamin E, handy pump packaging, workable texture
- Cons: incomplete ingredients listing, no exact UVA protection rating, a bit sticky, on the pricey end
