At Rs 825 for 50ml, this is a very low priced sunscreen that is cheaper than its American counterpart. It’s available for sale on Nykaa (click LINK here). (Prices are valid as of 28 April 2020)
What damage should sunscreen protect against?
Sunscreens should contain both UVA and UVB filters that protect against the following damages:
Zinc Oxide formulations
This product only has one sunscreen filter: Zinc Oxide at 21.6%. Its ingredient list has no harmful chemicals and it is an SPF 30.
If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know I am a massive fan of Zinc Oxide formulations (see Zinc Oxide 101) as in a nutshell:
Briefly, the benefits of using Zinc Oxide are:
- It’s a broadspectrum filter providing protection against BOTH UVA and UVB radiation.
- It’s photostable and unlike the other primary UVA filter, Avobenzone, it does NOT breakdown as soon as it comes out of its tube.
- It’s unreactive with skin: ZnO basically sits on your skin and is great for individuals with sensitive skin. (Also, in the highly unlikely event, that tiny amounts of ZnO are absorbed, it breaks down into Zn+ and O- ions in your body – both of which are already abundantly present.
Are there any downsides to using Zinc Oxide formulations?
In my mind there are two downsides:
- Chalky smell: the normal Zinc Oxide formulation has a chalky smell, which is drying and quite unpleasant. Therefore, manufacturers try and mask it with a ton of fragrance ingredients, which may/may not be allergens
- I am not sure how Zinc Oxide at 21.6% produces an SPF 50 product.
The only way you can test SPF definitively is an lab – but from everything I have researched about Zinc Oxide, I don’t see how it provides superior UVB protection to give an SPF 50. Even if you have SPF booster ingredients in the formulation, I still don’t get it.
Closing
In terms of 21.6% Zinc Oxide formulations that are available in India, for sure this is the best option, especially if you want a mineral sunscreen and want to avoid a chemical sunscreen.
If you live in the USA, then this is not the best 21.6% Zinc Oxide formulation: the CVS Pharmacy option is your friend. Please see this blog for more details (Which mineral sunscreen should you buy from CVS?)
See also
- Neutrogena please fix your sunscreens
- Zinc Oxide 101: everything you need to know
- What damage is sunscreen trying to prevent?
- Myths About Sunscreen
- Make-up products are not a replacement for good old sunscreen
- Top 5 sunscreen recommendations
- Why do I need to buy SPF 30?
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