[Review] Skinceuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50

A few months back I got a New Beauty Test Tube that had samples of Skinceuticals Phloretin CF serum and Sheer Physical UV Defense (SPF 50) liquid. While the samples appeared on the small size I soon found that a little went a long way. Shortly after, I became a new Skinceuticals fan with intent to buy both after they were finished. While I wish I was able to afford a new bottle of the serum— because I DID feel like it did change my skin and made my pores appear smaller in my opinion, it’ll have to wait until I have extra cash to splurge with, most likely with a few other items that piqued my interest. It actually really helped out my lips which are more sensitive also. That’s the main reason I really want to buy it again. I get severely dry skin right at my lip line and for some reason this helped.

Initially, what I liked about Skinceuticals is that the packaging really explained why their products worked so well, and even better when worked together.

I mean, the product speaks for itself after trying it, but with skin that I classify now as sensitive instead of normal combo in my 20’s, I’m more cautious of what I put on my skin now. Way back when I started this blog I shared my experience getting using to using Atralin for acne. I pretty much needed to go back to basics and scrap everything I had tried because whatever I was doing failed and a dermatologists intervention had to happen. My skin looks pretty good if I say so myself even with a few months off from the Atralin (I’m now back on), my skin has improved greatly from using it and I recommend a trip to the dermatologist for anyone who feels “they have tried everything”–because you may in fact have been doing too much of the wrong things or too little of the right.

Because I am back on Atralin, it’s important that I use sunscreen to protect my more sensitive skin. Atralin is like Retin-A, in the fact that you’ve got to keep out of the sun and stay moisturized and protected at all times. I’ve mostly relied on SPF that is in my makeup but I feel that nows the time to take care of my skin while I can, so SPF 50 sounds perfect to me.

Let me share with you WHY this sunscreen is good. First off, its broad-spectrum and follows the new FDA guidelines for rating SPFs. no BS. The real deal. And another, it’s paraben-free. With so many products out there WITH parabens, it’s kinda nice to use some that don’t. We know they are bad for us, but I cant always cut those products out. I’m happy when I can at least a little bit. Parabens have been linked to cancer in case you haven’t heard.

Another thing I like about this sunscreen is that it uses physical blockers instead of chemical absorbers (like PABA or oxybenzone) for the actual protection. Physical blockers like zinc oxide and titanium oxide (think of that stuff from the 80’s that people put on their noses) protect the skin without the added risk associated with chemical absorbers. Physical blockers are ideal because they are chemically inert and safe for use on the skin. However, I know for some people, titanium dioxide can cause break-outs, and can leave a whitish tint on the skin. Chemical absorbers do exactly what they say, absorb the rays of the sun ( eeep!), but have also been known to create free radicals which can AGE the skin and have also been associated with more forms of dermatitis (rashes). In my case, I did not break out, in fact, I felt like my skin is calmed by this liquid which will bring me to its next good point.

This sunscreen contains Artemia salina, a plankton extract that increases the skins defense and resistance to UV and heat stress. I fully believe that this ingredient sets it apart from other sunscreens I’ve used in the past. My skin feels calmer using it, and that’s important to me because of the dry skin around my mouth that makes me want to scratch. This helps me keep my hands off my face.**Fun Fact** these little organisms are also listed as our childhood pastime of raising “Sea Monkeys”. How funny! **I’d love to find an article about how Artemia Salina helps the skin if anyone finds anything**

One last thing I loved about this liquid, and I keep saying liquid because its NOT a cream or a lotion. It comes out of the bottle as a liquid to be poured out. And luckily it doesn’t pour out like crazy to be wasted. There is some kind of shaker in the bottle and as long as your aren’t squeezing the bottle, you’ll be fine. This liquid has a mattifying, smoothing, primer feel to it. One drawback that I noticed was waiting for it to “set” on my skin. I need to wait a few minutes before applying any makeup because it would cause my concealer to pill if I used it quickly afterwards. As long as I wait a few, this primer mattifies my skin and preps it for makeup application.

Overall, I really fell in love with Skinceuticals sunscreen, and really wish I could afford to try more of the line. I would love to try the antioxidant lip repair product, get a bottle of Phloretin CF gel, and the pigment regulator. Santa, can you hear me?

The sunscreen can be purchased from a few retailers online– I bought it from Skinceuticals directly–and would recommend to do so because they actually take the added precaution of paying attention WHEN they ship your product to you so it doesn’t sit in a hot warehouse over the weekend and kill your stuff. I’ll admit this stuff is a little on the pricey side ($32-$64), but I feel the sun protection is very important to me now and if I have to use something every day for the rest of my life, I might as well love it.

You can find out more about Skinceuticals by visiting their website, facebook, or twitter.

Have you tried this sunscreen? Are you a New Beauty Tube Tester too? I’d love to see what others thought about the serum and SPF also! Or if you have a good sunscreen that you would give a five stars to.

Later Ladies and Gents!

Claudia C.