Review: Stable Sun Protection That Prevents Tanning

I have alot of different sun protection products in my current arsenal and I use different products for my face versus my body. I wanted to give a brief review of products I've tried in this post. My primary aim when using sun protection is to prevent sun damage. I also need to consider there might be times when I can't reapply sun protection every 2-3 hours. So, I am also on the look out for "stable" sun protection. Finally, I also hope to prevent tanning. I read that sun protection does NOT help to prevent tanning. However, I also read that tanning happens when UVA penetrates the skin and triggers cells to produce melanine. I also happen to conclude from my readings that tanning/UVA/melanine etc. are signs of sun damage and aging. So, I figure that if the product is effectively blocking out the entire UVA spectrum, it should be able to prevent tanning. And if the product helps keep me "pale", I conclude that it is THE PRODUCT and goes into my HG list! I marked (HG) next to the product for your ease of reference. :D Below are my personal reviews taking from my own experiences. It should not be considered an academic lesson on what is the best product or ingredient for sun protection. :D (I also didn't include ingredients lists, because I forgot to photograph them and I've thrown some bottles away already! Sorry.) FACE

Fancl Sun Guard SPF 30 PA+++ (HG) So far, the best I've tried is Fancl's Sun Guard. It is now in my HG list. I had previously dedicated a review on it.

I recently learnt that it is a physical sun block that uses "UV dispersion agents" and also employs "nano-sized UV dispersion particles" that ensure it doesn't give a white-cast. To be honest, I can say that it is the ONLY product that has proven to prevent my skin from getting darker, although I can't find any write-up on what makes it so effective in preventing tanning. I use Sun Guard exclusively on my face and neck. My face and neck never got darker when I got into the sun. In contrast, I got darker on my arms etc when I got into the sun, using other sunscreens on my body. And I don't reapply this, needless to say, because it's on my face, below all my makeup. The slight negative is that it's very expensive in Singapore, retailing for S$45.50 (in Japan it's only 2,310円! Darn, should have stocked up!)

Biore UV Perfect Milk SPF 50+ PA+++ I liked this for its drugstore price and the "feel". It is milky, light and absorbs quickly, leaving the skin smooth, but beyond that, I'm not sure about the effectiveness of this product. I don't think it helped to prevent tanning. I've finished all the bottles that I have and won't be buying more of this.

BODY
Avene Very High Protection Lotion (HG)
I bought Avene's Very High Protection Lotion at a huge discount a couple of days ago. Robinson's is selling it packaged with a wash at $49.90 and I got an additional 20% discount with my Robinson's card. The sun block itself is retailing for about S$62, if I remember correctly. From what I read on the label, it looks like it is a combination of physical and chemical sun protection. It also claims to be photostable. I basically bought it because I remembered the recommendation from Cacaopack. ^__^ Look at how much product you're supposed to use in order for your sun protection to work effectively! I think it's generally true for all sun protection products (although Avene is the only one that is so specific about the actual amount to use). The good thing about this lotion is that it's not sticky at all, even though I apply so much, and it does not leave a white cast on my skin. And I read that it contains an ingredient that protects against a wide spectrum of UVA and UVB. I'm thinking I need to go back to get a few more of this while it's on offer. I haven't used it long enough but from my short usage, I think it does prevent my skin from tanning! So I'm thinking it is going into my HG list as well.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-touch Sunblock SPF 50 (PA+++) It used to be my HG body sun screen because it felt really nice and smooth on the skin, no ickky sticky. According to the label, it's also supposed to be stabilised with Helioplex. But it does nothing for preventing my skin from getting darker. And it's a fully chemical sunblock and contains butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane that Cacaopack advised against (though I did a search, I'm still not so sure why it's to be avoided). So, it's off my HG list now. Lavera Sun Spray SPF 30 Neutral. (I forgot to take a photo of this, so I'm using an old photo, it's the product on right-most of the photo). For some time, this was one of the primary lotions that I used for my body. I think I bought this because it was the highest SPF that's still available at the time I was buying it. I'm not sure, my memory could be wrong. Purchased it at a huge discount, at the princely sum of only S$7 during a promotion! It's a mineral sunblock that claims it is effective immediately after application. Thing about this sunblock is, it gives a very white cast and it's quite sticky. PLUS, it doesn't seem to do anything for preventing tanning! *shucks* And *more shucks* I just read that Titanium Dioxide, the main sun protection component in this product, doesn't work on blocking the full UVA range. Good thing it was cheap, so I don't feel so "hurt" when it doesn't really work so well. I won't be buying more of this and I probably will chuck this too, unless my son wants to try using it (but maybe I shouldn't let him use it, since it does not give full protection against UVA). Ok, we've reached the end, thanks for staying with me! Basically, I've given my personal preferences and experiences in this blog post. For additional information about sunscreens, you'd have to read more elsewhere. Personally, I'm really very confused by all the information that's available! The person who has the most well-written information on sun screens and the site that I constantly refer to would be Viva Woman. She also recently wrote about new sunscreen labelling standards under EU Regulations. © Copyright. All rights reserved.