No. 5 on the #Sephora USA bestselling sunscreen list is a sunscreen stick, specifically the #Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50.
I have two immediate thoughts: first, I dislike sunscreen sticks because they are really expensive for consumers. Shiseido have 3 other sunscreens in the top 30 list, and the unit price for each is US$ 1.60, US$ 0.33 and US$ 1.00 (Note 1 below)
Secondly, sunscreen sticks are not economical, but they plug into the huge need for those of us who need to reapply sunscreen over make-up, and it demonstrates to me what an inadequate solution to a very serious problem sunscreen is.
Remember that sunscreen is primarily designed to prevent melanoma (or skin cancer), and if you were given a blank canvas and asked to develop a product that prevented skin cancer, would you honestly make it ineffective after 2 hours of application, as soon as it came in contact with water (?)
Finally, before I analyse the formula, I want to highlight that Shiseido was not prevalent in the US market about 3-4 years ago. But this Japanese beauty brand has formulated a bunch of sunscreens specifically for the USA market. Even if you cross the border into Canada, you will unlikely find these formulas that use old-school filters.
This formula has the following characteristics
- It’s an anhydrous product which will come into regular contact with make-up, and that’s how it’s designed. Therefore, it has a robust preservative system (although using old-school preservatives such as BHT (seriously!?!)
- The product is formed by dissolving the sunscreen filters in a bunch of solubilisers/solvents (you need a lot of solvents b/c the combined % weight of filters is 27.5%
- Product is thickened in the procuess
- Because it is water-resistant, the product has a bunch of ingredients that increase water resistance.
- Finally, besides the UV filters (which you can do very little about if this is your pool of filters), most ingredients are designed to enhance the consumer’s sensory experience.
The biggest difference between Japanese and American products is the priority given to sensory experience. Therefore, the product is super heavy on silicone-based ingredients, poly-alcohols, and lightweight emollients.
What do I think?
I like Shiseido as a brand – but honestly, this sunscreen is neither cheap and is in desperate need of an upgrade. Could the same desired results be achieved more simply? Probably – but as with all sunscreens built on an industrial scale, the impetus for change probably outweighs the benefit of the status quo.
- Note 1: Shiseido Clear Sunscreen Stick SPF 50 )US$ 32 for 20g or US$ 1.60/g, Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion SPF 50+ Sunscreen ($50 for 150ml) or US$0.33 and Shiseido Urban Environment Fresh-Moisture Sunscreen Broad-Spectrum SPF 42 with HA (US$50 for 50ml) or US$1.00