What damages are we trying to protect against?
(see What damage is sunscreen trying to prevent? for further details)
Sunscreen test
The product has no harmful chemicals, is at least an SPF 30 and therefore, that just leaves us with the filters to conside
The UVA and UVB filters present are:
UVB: Octinoxate (4th ingredient), Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid (trade name Ensulizole) (6th ingredient),
UVA/UVB or broadspectrum filters: Zinc Oxide (5th ingredient), Titanium Dioxide (13th ingredient)
Octinoxate is the most common UVB filter used globally and along with Ensulizole and the midget amount of Titanium Dioxide this product is very likely to be SPF 50. (Ensulizole is is an old-school UVB filter that is water-soluble and is commonly found in gel formulations, to make sunscreens feel lighter and less oily. Ensulizole is a very strong UVB absorber with an absorption maximum of 302nm).
Let’s talk about the protection this product gives against UVA radiation.
Zinc Oxide is the primary UVA filter and it provides superior protection in the UVA region. There is also a tiny amount of TiO2 which we can ignore.
The million-dollar question is whether this product provides PA+++ rating as proclaimed by the labelling?
What is PA rating?
PA rating is essentially a measure of a product’s effectiveness in providing protection against UVA.
India has no regulation on this aspect of labelling. Therefore brands can put whatever they think is the PA rating. (see What is PA++++?)
I am here to tell you that this product is at best a PA++ rating, providing significant prevention effect, as it simply does not have sufficient quantities of UVA filters to merit a higher rating.
Closing remarks
This sunscreen lotion provides good protection against both UVA and UVB radiation. If you can live with the chalky smell then this
At the time of writing the product is priced at INR 280 for 50ml. It’s available for sale on Nykaa or basically anywhere.
Drop me a line if you have any questions at email@happyskindays.com
You may also be interested in these related blogs: (1) Myths About Sunscreen (2) Make-up products are not a replacement for good old sunscreen (3) Top 5 sunscreen recommendations (4) Why do I need to buy SPF 30?
Note: Full ingredient list from Nykaa
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