Ultra Sun any good? Desperately need a "nasty chemical" free SPF

[Laura L'occitane Earle]

Hi all, Hope you're enjoying the gorgeous sun. I have recently noticed age spots / freckles on my face and now realise that even thoughI have never been a sun lover, not wearing any SPF has been detrimental.

I like to use things that are as natural as possible, and have recently starting using oils such as Argan and Rosehip as night-time moisturisers.

Does anyone have any suggestions for SPF that I can use on my face and also on kids that does not contain too many nasties, or preferably none. How does the Ultrasun range fare in this respect. Any suggestions gratefully received. :sun:

 

[Bensmum]

I have the most awful skin. I'm very fair and come out in prickly heat if I even look at the sun. I love, love, love Bare Minerals SPF 30 for my face and neck. It's so easy, just buff it on, and really effective.

 

[Weathergirl]

At a guess I would say Ultrasun is a chemical sunscreen, but I use it and it's fine for me, just don't use it too close to the eyes.

Maybe the Bare Minerals powder sunscreen may be good to try? Never tried it but my guess would be that it will be s mineral, ie physical sunscreen with primarily titanium dioxide. If minim is reading she may know how to find the ingredients of both.

 

[Weathergirl]

Sorry Bensmum you beat me to it!

 

[Capirossi]

I don't know how it fares in terms of chemicals, but I do know it's bliddy brilliant in terms of protection! In fact, I just came online to order some extra bits for hols. Do any of you decant the spf20 sports formula? I have the 500ml but I want to give some to hubby to take away on a stag weekend and I don't fancy taking the 500ml away with us either - it's a bit heavy.

I have been in the sun for two days now with the spf20 sports on my body and the face 30 on my boat race - I have a nice colour but I hardly feel like I've been in the sun at all! Abi would be proud of me, using her amazing invention :cheeky:

 

[iloveshopping]

is the spf50 greasy on the face? i'm using one that makes my face shiny and i have to cover it with laura's b&b

 

[BurlyBeaR]

At a guess I would say Ultrasun is a chemical sunscreen, but I use it and it's fine for me, just don't use it too close to the eyes.
.

I'll second that. I'm in Lisbon this weekend. Applied the sports gel this morning, brilliant protection for walking about and having lunch through the 11-3 danger zone. BUT sweated on the walk home (top of a hill) and the sweat went into one of my eyes. OH MY GOD that was painful for about 2 hours. even with frequent eye baths I was tearing up and it was red raw.. I'll not do that again.

 

[Jabbathehut]

Just back from a 2 week baking on the Floridian gulf coast and am mahogany, according to my work colleagues and I'm naturally quite fair

BUT , to be honest OH and I went through 2X 300mls of factor 30 and 2X 500 mls of the factor 20 Sport to avoid burning in the ferocious heat, reapplying a few times daily.

I'm 5 foot and a size 10 so not massive by any stretch of the imagination.

We did have a beach holiday and lay out reading for around 8 hours a day and did utilise the beach parasols

 

[AllThatGlitters]

I find the Sports 20 excellent, but you have to put up with the alcohol that's fairly obvious for the first couple of minutes. After that, it's invisible, non-greasy, and lasts for ages.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I do understand your wish to use natural products and avoid the nasties but one of the nastiest things you can do to your skin is burn it in the sun.

I'm an olive skinned brunette who rarely burns but I do use sunscreen ... I've never used ultrasun largely because ordinary sunscreen works fine on me. But I have friends who use it and love it. My sunscreen fanatic friend uses it on her two wee daughters and slathers her husband in the stuff. She swears by it.

I'd quite like to try the BM one especially for the face.

 

[Laura L'occitane Earle]

You're right, Tinkerbelle. I can spend so much time and energy researching, deciding, researching some more and in the meantime my procratination is a decision....to do nothing until later! Out of interest, Tink, which one do you use?

 

[minim]

You might find the following articles helpful
Is Your Sunscreen Safe?
http://www.good.is/post/is-your-sunscreen-safe/
Safe Sunscreen: The Top 3 Things To Look For
http://blisstree.com/look/safe-sunscreen-the-top-3-things-to-look-for-559/

bareMinerals SPF 30 Natural Sunscreen
Ingredients:
Active Ingredient: Titanium Dioxide 12%. Other Ingredients: Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Lycium Chinensis Extract, Ranunculus Ficaria Root Extract, Silica, Mica, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines, Titanium Dioxide, Bismuth Oxychloride.

Ultrasun 30SPF face
Ingredients: Aqua • Phospholipids • Alcohol • Propylene Glycol • Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate • Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol • Titanium Dioxide • Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane • Cyclomethicone • Sodium Acrylates • Copolymer • Paraffinum • PPG-1 Trideceth-6 • Dimethiconol • Alumina • Simethicone • Tocopheryl Acetate • Disodium EDTA • BHT • Sodium Methylparaben • Sodium Dehydroacetate • Sorbic Acid • Tetrasodium EDTA • Phenoxyethanol • Methylparaben • Ethylparaben • Proplyparaben

Ultrasun SPF 50
Ingredients: Aqua • Octocrylene • Alcohol • glycerin • butyl methoxydibenzoyl-methane • titanium dioxide • c12-15 alkyl benzoate • dibutyl adipate • pvp/eicosene copolymer • diethylhexyl butamido triazone • tocopheryl acetate • panthenol • butyrospermum parkii butter • bisabolol • lactoperoxidase • lecithin • superoxide dismutase • acrylates/c10-30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer • bisethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine • carbomer • disodium EDTA • ethylhexylglycerin • silica • sodium hydroxide • dimethicone.

 

[minim]

Physical vs. Chemical Sunscreen
The difference between physical and chemical sunscreens |

There are two general types of sunscreens, physical and chemical ones. Physical sunscreens use physical UV filters, while chemical sunscreens use chemical UV filters. Their differences and similarities are further explained in the table below. Nowadays there are also sunscreens that contain both chemical and physical UV filters to make the best of both worlds.

http://www.skinacea.com/sunscreen/physical-vs-chemical-sunscreen.html#

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I'll use whatever I can get my mitts on so I'm not the best person to ask really. My skin isn't sensitive and if I'm sensible in the sun I won't burn. And my version of sensible is 30 on my face always and 15/25 on my body depending on how intense the sun is. I am more fanatic about my face and always wear a hat and sunglasses. But that's on holiday or on a sunny lazy day at home. Normal day it's SPF15 on my face.

A few years ago I had one of those tests that shows the underlying sun damage to your face. And I scored well for my age. Less damage than would be expected for my age. The girlie did say though I needed not to be complacent.

I respect your decision to avoid the nasties but I just think get something on your skin today ... especially given the gorgeous sunshine ... and protect yourself whilst you make your choice. It doesn't have to be sunscreen for the face of course. It can be a moisturiser, make up and a sunhat. It's not that I don't care about the nasties as such but on a day to day basis my skin doesn't. I care more about skin cancer.

I know if it was me I'd dither about looking at this that and the other and it'd be Christmas before I'd decided. I'm sure you're more decisive than me.

 

[Nicky-j]

It certainly doesn't give a matte finish, but I don't think it looks at all greasy. It doesn't on my skin, at least, more a healthy moisturised look. It goes in really well and, if I'm wearing makeup I just leave it 15 minutes or so before applying it. I use Smashbox Halo, Bobbi Brown Mineral Powder foundation and the new Mally liquid one and all stay on just fine, if that helps at all.

 

[donna255]

Big debate on Facebook about this brand. It seems that it is NOT ONCE A DAY. The official site recommends reapply as necessary at the max every 8 hours depending on your skin type. So the woman on QVC and AY are giving the wrong info. Someone on Facebook even contacted Ultrasun about application and how often and got the reply you do need to reapply it during the day.

They are saying QVC should change the information they are giving out.

 

[Nicky-j]

Big debate on Facebook about this brand. It seems that it is NOT ONCE A DAY. The official site recommends reapply as necessary at the max every 8 hours depending on your skin type. So the woman on QVC and AY are giving the wrong info. Someone on Facebook even contacted Ultrasun about application and how often and got the reply you do need to reapply it during the day.

They are saying QVC should change the information they are giving out.

On the Ultrasun UK website is states "just one application a day delivers long-lasting, high-level protection" … I can't see anywhere it states you need to reapply. Eight hours in the sun is an awful lot of sun and you probably shouldn't be getting more than exposure than that anyway.

 

[minim]

Interesting -

“SPF is very misleading,” says dermatologist Dr. James Spencer, of St. Petersburg, Fla. “If I were a logical consumer, I would think that SPF 30 is twice as good as SPF 15. But SPF 15 blocks 94 percent of UVB rays. SPF 30 blocks 97 percent. Past 30, there isn’t much additional benefit to be had,” he says. “It may not be the best measurement, but the FDA has chosen to keep it.”
The danger is that people may think they are getting exponentially more protection from very high SPF products, which may cause them to stay out in the sun longer. Proposed FDA regulations will make 50 the highest SPF available.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3683230...ont-get-burned-sunscreen-claims/#.T8EpLlKwXgU

 

[Laura L'occitane Earle]

Thank you all for the kind advice. Coincidently, Red magazine dropped on the mat this morning and the first article I turned to was by the Beauty Editor discussing the merits of sunscreen over SPF. She seemed to think an SPF can give a false sense of security as she had often been burned when wearing one. She concluded that for her, wearing a sunscreen on her face, neck, decollete and hands, and enjoying a limited amount of sun was preferable to slathering herself in SPF, and laying in the sun, and I tend to feel the same.

Thanks Minim for the links - very interesting reading. I am now heading towards Badger chemical free SPF 30 sunscreen. BTW Minim, what do you use on your face, as you seem very aware of nasties in products and ingredients, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[donna255]

In the USA they are bringing out new regulations over sun creams and what they can say.

http://www.temptalia.com/sun-care-sunscreen-and-new-labeling-requirements

No longer allowed to state once a day for one.

Actually it is the leaflet that comes with the Ultrasun where it tells you it depends on your skin type and how long you are in the sun.
That is what is causing the problem, stating one suits all when in fact it is your skin type, where you are going etc. That is what is having the Facebooker up in arms over the claims being made for the brand on QVC.