Facial Sunscreen Reviews, Part 1

I promised I would review the facial moisturizers with SPF (and one sunless tanning product) that came in the Sun Safety kit I got from Sephora, so here it is!! I've tried all but 2 of the products, so the final two will be in a separate post.

Smashbox Photo Finish UVA/UVB spf 15 w/ Dermaxyl Complex
Pros: easy to apply, absorbs quickly, essentially fragrance-free, gives skin a flawless finish
Cons: as with the original Photo Finish, this product makes my face an absolute oilslick within a couple of hours, price
Repurchase? No, no, no. I can't tolerate an oilslick on my face.
Price: $42 for 1 oz.
Ingredients: Octinoxate (Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate) 7.5%, Octisalate (Ethylhexyl Salicylate) 5%, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Ethyl Perfluorobutyl Ether, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Cola Acuminata Seed Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, C 12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Tribehenin, Ceramide 2, PEG-10 Rapeseed Sterol, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Water (Aqua, Eau), Ethyl Trisiloxane, Caprylyl Methicone, Methicone, Silica, Silica Silylate, Hexylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).

Philosophy hope oil-free spf 30
Pros: easy to apply, absorbs quickly & well, just a faint sunscreen odor that dissipates quickly; a slightly thicker lotion/cream that may offer a little more moisture for those who need it
Cons: after a couple of hours, my face was pretty oily - not as much as with the Smashbox, but still oilier than I would like
Repurchase? I would love a product like this for my body but not for my face. They do have a face & body sunscreen w/ spf 30 & antioxidants called "Shelter" - I think I'd like to try that for my body.
Price: $38 for 2 oz. (the price for "Shelter" is $25 for 4 oz.)
Ingredients: Octinoxate (7.5%), Octisalate (3.75%), Oxybenzone (4.0%), Zinc Oxide (4.53%). Inactives: Water (Aqua), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dibutyl Adipate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Glycerin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Behenyl Alcohol, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Dimethicone, Behenoxy Dimethicone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Arachidyl Glucoside, Maltodextrin, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Leaf Extract, Arginine, Benzyl Alcohol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Disodium Edta, Citric Acid.

DDF Mattifying Oil Control UV Moisturizer spf 15
Pros: applies easily, absorbs quickly & well, very faint sunscreen odor that dissipates in a short time, lightweight lotion with a nice consistency
Cons: my face was really oily after a couple of hours, price
Repurchase? I really wanted to like this one, but because of the oil problem, I wouldn't repurchase. Something like this for the body would be awesome.
Price: $42 for 1.7 oz.
Ingredients: Octisalate 4%, Avobenzone 2%, Octocrylene 1.25%, Enzulizole 1%, Dimethicone, Triethanolamine, Isopropyl Isostearate, Pentylene Glycol, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Propylene Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Lactic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Silica Dimethicone Silylate, Stearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Dimethiconol, Peg-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Disodium Edta, Peg-4 Laurate, Peg-4 Dilaurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Peg-4, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Trideceth-9, Sodium Benzoate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

Boscia Oil-free Daily Hydration spf 15
Pros: applies easily, very thin, lightweight lotion that absorbs quickly & well, no sunscreen odor, took 3-4 hours for my face to show signs of oiliness
Cons: has a fragrance that reminds me of charcoal or ashes (eventually dissipates, but it makes me want to gag when I first put it on)
Repurchase? I would definitely buy this one if it wasn't for the fragrance. Every Boscia moisturizer I've tried has this odor & I find it pretty offensive. Who wants to smell like an ashtray?
Price: $36 for 1.4 oz.
Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/leaf/stem Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Algae Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Bishydroxyethyl Biscetyl Malonamide, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Alcohol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sclerotium Gum, Aluminum Hydroxide, Potassium Phosphate, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide.

Supergoop Everyday Face & Body Lotion spf 30
Pros: slightly thicker lotion that is easy to apply, faint sunscreen odor, price
Cons: have to work a bit to get this one rubbed in, takes longer to absorb, made my face pretty oily after a couple of hours
Repurchase? No
Price: $14 for 1.6 oz.
Ingredients: Homosalate (Sunscreen) 10%, Octisalate (Sunscreen) 5%, Avobenzone 3%, Octocrylene 2.8%, Water (Aqua), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer (Waterproofing), Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate (Sunscreen Stabilizer), Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Acrylates Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Stearic Acid (Plant Derived), , Phospholipids, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Extract, Glyceryl Stearate (Plant Derived), Cetyl Alcohol (Plant Derived), Carbomer, Behenyl Alcohol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Aloe Barbadensis (Organic Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Glycerin (Plant Derived), Ethylhexylglycerin (Plant Derived Preservative), Polysilicone-15, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Note: They now have Save Face Serum spf 30 with Uniprotect - it's a lightweight antiaging serum with spf. I would love to try it!! My one concern is whether it would be possible to apply enough of the product to protect without it leaving a weird "film" on the skin (sometimes that makes it hard to apply foundation). $32 for 1.7 oz. - comes in a nifty airless pump bottle.

Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion spf 30 (oil-free)
Pros: easy to apply, absorbs quickly & well, includes anti-aging ingredients, fragrance-free w/ a very, very faint sunscreen odor that dissipates quickly, lightweight lotion with almost a thick mousse-like consistency, cool pump bottle, left my face no more oily than it would normally be after a few hours 
Cons: price
Repurchase: Probably, but I wish it wasn't so expensive!
Price: $42 for 1.7 oz.
Ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5%, Octisalate 5.0%, Meradimate 5.0%, Oxybenzone 3.5%, Avobenzone 1.0%, Water (Aqua), Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Stearic Acid, Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Phospholipids, Ceramide 3, Dimethicone, Panthenol (Pro Vitamin B5), Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Allantoin, Cetyl Alcohol, Tetrasodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben.
Note: I really, really, really want to try the PTR Uber-Dry Sunscreen spf 30!! $26 for 4.2 oz. - I may buy this one to take on vacation in October. There is also Ultra Lite Oil-free Sunblock spf 30, $26 for 4 oz. and Un-Wrinkle Makeup-Less Chemical-Free spf 30 Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer, $48 for 1.3 oz. I need to go to Sephora & see if I can get samples!

(picture from sephora.com)

Tan Towel
Pros: very handy, single-use product, citrus-scent
Cons: I had a lot of difficulty getting this product to glide smoothly over my skin - it kept getting "stuck" and my hand would slip off it and I would have to go back & pick it up. It was very annoying & I was afraid that I would get uneven color, so I ended up going over all areas with another sunless tanning product. I later noticed that the product also contains erythrulose (another self-tanning ingredient) in addition to DHA - and erythrulose & I don't get along well. When I use erythrulose, I get funky fading - not good.
Repurchase? I don't think so - although I wish it had worked because it would be great for travel.
Price: $27 (med-dark) for either 5 full-size towelettes or 10 half-size towelettes; $24 (fair-med) for either 5 full-size towelettes or 10 half-size towelettes
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Ethoxydiglycol, Dihydroxyacetone, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Erythrulose, Sodium Metabisulfite, Fragrance (Parfum), Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Propylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea
Note: I had a difficult time using the full-size towelette, so I ended up cutting it in half, which made it easier to handle.

Link to Facial Sunscreen Reviews, Part 2