I think the first fancy facial sunscreen I ever tried was La Roche Posay Anthelios. It was nice, and it’s still featured in magazines pretty frequently, but last summer I went with Elta MD UV Clear, which is thicker and creamier, and doesn’t run down your hand when you squeeze it onto your fingers. It was great, though it doesn’t vanish into your skin as quickly. It has zinc oxide, which makes a physical barrier instead of a chemical one, which means… it’s going to take a minute.
I wasn't sure what kind to go with this year. Last February, before all the magazines started talking about the newest kinds of sunscreen, I bought a bottle of Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid SPF 70 to wear while I was on vacation in St. Lucia. I’d heard good things about it, and since it was about $15 cheaper than La Roche Posay or Elta MD, I figured it was worth a shot.
It was fine, it seemed like it did the job as well as La Roche Posay, even if it took a little while to absorb. I figured that small inconvenience was worth saving fifteen bucks.
Then, this summer, right before I left for (slightly less glamorous) Ocean City, New Jersey, I read about a new sunscreen from L’Oreal. Well, new to the U.S. anyway. It was one of those products beauty editors allegedly stock up on when they are in Europe or whatever. L’Oreal Sublime Sun SPF 50 “Liquid Silk Sunshield for Face.” It sounded much nicer than the Neutrogena stuff I had.
The day before I left for my trip, I stopped by Duane Reade to see if they had the new L’Oreal sunscreen line. I feel like 95% of the time, when I read about something, it’s months before I can find it in a store. But I found one bottle! On the wrong shelf, turned sideways. For some reason, that made it even more exciting.
Now that I’ve tried both, for a week each, I feel like I can give you an accurate comparison.
The most obvious difference between the two products is the scent. Neutrogena’s sunblock doesn’t have a strong smell, but it definitely has A Smell, while L’Oreal has less of a smell. You can’t really smell it unless you deliberately sniff. But if you do sniff, the scent is pleasantly beachy.
Both can be worn under makeup, but L’Oreal’s Sublime Sun absorbs into the skin much more quickly and instantly leaves skin silky. Neutrogena’s Ultra Sheer Liquid takes a little while to blend into your skin, and a little longer to absorb, but eventually gets to the silky finish. Neither product is mattifying, but neither will make you shiny either.
The texture is pretty much the same, milky, not greasy. Both products have been tested by dermatologists, and promise not to clog pores. I didn’t have a problem with breakouts with either of them.
Neutrogena claims to be waterproof, but I guess they forgot no one is allowed to say that anymore, ever. It's not really waterproof, Neutrogena. L’Oreal has the new claim “Ultra Water Resistant.”
Neutrogena has their “helioplex” thing, which is a word they made up for their special blend of ingredients. L’Oreal has white grapeseed and vitamin E, which they say will keep skin healthy and enhance the benefits of the sunscreen. Whether or not either product’s special ingredients make a difference is anyone’s guess. They both seem to work equally well as sunscreen though. Both offer broad spectrum protection, and both have the same active ingredients, with only small differences in the percentages. Kind of weird since one is SPF 50 and one is 70, but oh well. Is there really that much of a difference between 50 and 70 anyway?
The MSRPs are pretty similar as well. L’Oreal Sublime Sun is listed at $10.99, while Neutrogena is at $12.49. Of course, the actual price depends on the store, and if you find a sale. I actually expected L’Oreal to have the higher price, because it just seems fancier.
The two products are pretty similar, but if I had to choose one, I’d go with L’Oreal. It’s less suncreeny! (Honestly, no one just loves to apply sunscreen.) This feels nice, absorbs instantly, and doesn’t have a strong smell. Even though it's been awhile, I know I like it just as much as I ever liked La Roche Posay Anthelios, so I don’t think I’ll be spending $30 on that again. Drugstore win!
No comments:
Post a Comment