Monday, January 9, 2017

The Body Shop Skin Defence Essence SPF 50 PA++++


Finding a suitable daily sunscreen/SPF can be pretty tricky, that is why I am still on a hunt for one. For my liking it shouldn't leave a white cast, cause breakouts or feel greasy. On top of that it should provide a sufficient level of protection, have a relatively clean list of ingredients and be cruelty-free. In the past I have enjoyed using Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defence SPF 50 but it no longer ticks all the boxes for me. Hence, I decided to branch out and try Body Shop's Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence SPF 50 PA++++.

The Body Shop Skin Defence Multi-Protection Essence SPF 50++++
The product comes in a simple white tube which for some reason reminds me of asian skincare packaging. I quite like it. You get 40ml of product and it has an expiration time of 12 months. The texture is quite runny and lightweight. It absorbs extremely fast into the skin without leaving a white cast. If you are not careful and over apply (which tends to happen since the consistency is watery and it's harder to control how much product comes out) it can make your face look shiny. For me this is not an all-year-round product. I prefer something a bit more nourishing during the winter months.


It doesn't have a typical sunscreen scent, which is a bummer because weirdly enough I do enjoy it. The scent it does have, in my opinion, is quite overpowering with a strong reminiscence of alcohol. It also tends to linger on the skin for a prolonged period of time. 

In terms of ingredients it contains Alcohol Denat at the very top of the list, which explains the borderline alcohol scent. Alcohol can be drying and irritating especially for sensitive skin. Perfume is another irritant that can be found in this product and something to be wary of. Among other ingredients it has Red algae extract and Vitamin C but in rather low amounts as these appear at the bottom of the list. This product hasn't broken me out after continuous use.

Overall, I was not a fan of this product. I was actually looking forward to using it up and trying something else instead. It's overly perfumed, has a too high concentration of alcohol to be used on a daily basis, didn't do much for my skin and frankly speaking is extremely overpriced for what it is (in Finland it retails for 29,50 Euros). As such my search for a perfect SPF continues... 

If you know of any good cruelty-free sunscreen with a clean list of ingredients, do let the girl know!

Until next time,
Muffy