November 26, 2015

Review and Comparison: Clinique For Men UV Defense SPF 50 vs Kiss My Face SPF 40

Physical sunscreens, based on titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, are something that I am obsessed with. First of all because I have sensitive eyes and can not use some chemical sunscreen ingredients without unpleasant burning sensation. Also physical sunscreens are more gentle and better suited for sensitive skin. However it is not easy to formulate them with protection higher than spf 30 so that the texture wiIl be pleasing as well. So I am always excited about new physical sunscreen creams, which are really underrepresented on the market. 

Clinique For Men UV Defense broad spectrum SPF 50




Ingredients:
Actives: Titanium Dioxide 6.2%, Zinc Oxide 4.0%;
Other: Water, Dimethicone, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Polydiethyl Siloxane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Diethylhexyl Succinate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Methyl Trimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Silica, Laureth-4, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Dipentaerythrityl Tri-Polyhydroxystearate, Dimethicone Silylate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein/PVP Crosspolymer, Isostearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492).

Excellent (very beneficial ingredients, proven research)
Good (mostly beneficial ingredients, not extensive research available or just not quite outstanding properties)
OK (mostly thickeners, emulsifiers, mild preservatives, pH adjusters, all that is necessary formulation wise, but not a skincare per se) 
Bad (anything that shouldn't be in skincare, irritants and fragrance)

Discussion:
There isn't much to say about this product. You can probably guess from ingredient list that there are almost no "skincare" ingredients present. No antioxidants, no plant oils, no anti-irritants. On the plus side, there are no irritants or fragrant components, which makes this product advisable for sensitive skin.
I did like the liquidy texture of this sunscreen. It was moisturizing, easy to spread and not sticky. Sunscreen didn't leave white cast and it worked well under make-up. However I should say it is more suitable for normal to dry skin. For everyone else this lotion will be too emollient and leave shiny looking skin.
Even though it is marketed for men, there is nothing gender specific about it.


Price:
30ml (1fl.oz) for 29.50$.

Kiss My Face broad spectrum SPF 40





Ingredients:
Actives: Titanium Dioxide 6%, Zinc Oxide 10%;
Other: Water, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes, Caprylic/Capric TriglyceridesStearalkonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Silica, Tocopheryl acetate (Vit E), Ergocalciferon (Vit D), Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vit C), Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

Discussion:
This product is strikingly different from Clinique sunscreen. It is well endowed with skincare actives, mainly antioxidant rich plant extracts and vitamins (cucumber and green tea extracts, vitamins E, D and C), which give additional protection from free radical damage caused by UV exposure.
Texture wise this cream is very emollient, in fact it borders on greasy. It is also a little bit hard to spread and it also leaves quite noticeable white cast unfortunately.

Price:
88ml (3fl.oz) for ~12$.

Comparison and Verdict:

Both of these sunscreens have broad spectrum protection and do not come in jar packaging.
In terms of ingredients Kiss My Face sunscreen wins hands down. Both of them have no irritants in them. So you can pair Clinique cream with strong antioxidant serum underneath to get necessary antioxidant boost.
Price-wise, Kiss My Face cream is also a winner. You pay about 4$ per ounce. As for Clinique sunscreen it is a bit overpriced, considering how quick you would go through 30ml and you pay ~30$ per ounce.
In application/texture category Clinique is a definite winner. As much as I would like to have Kiss My Face as a winner here as well, it is just too greasy. Also it leaves a white cast which is a typical problem for many physical sunscreens. Clinique on the other hand has a great formulation, which leaves no cast and is suitable for under make-up (however still not for oily or combination skin).

Overall, both products are worth attention for people with drier skin type, but both of them have some drawbacks.
Kiss My Face SPF 40 - 4 out of 5.
Clinique SPF 50 - 4 out of 5.

2 comments:

  1. What is your holy grail sunscreen that you use the most consistently? I use the kiss my face face factor spf 30, but feel like trying more different physical sunscreens. Any recommendations?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Paula's Choice have quite a few options for different skin types. But they are more than twice as expensive as Kiss My face. And unfortunately I can't recommend any cheaper alternative... It's harder to make physical sunscreen that feel/looks good on your skin than chemical sunscreen.

      Delete