Happy Skin Days’s sunscreen test
Product doesn’t pass the sunscreen test and its mainly because of the filters.
3a) Filters: sometimes its just about the lack of them.
Both UVA and UVB have both been implicated in skin cancer and photo-aging and we want filters to protect against both types of damage.
3b) What filters are present?
UVA and UVB filter:
- Titanium Dioxide (listed as 6th ingredient) and
- Benzophenone- (assume, this refers to Oxybenzone) (listed as 9th ingredient).
- Oxybenzone is a weak UVB and UVA filter.
- Its also a hormonal disruptor and a known skin allergen (see Chemicals to Avoid – Oxybenzone for more info). It is the Harmful chemical in this product.
UVB filter: Octinoxate (or Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) (listed as 8th ingredient) is an effective UVB filter, albeit a bit photounstable.
3c) Tell me about Titanium Dioxide
Titanium Dioxide is the 6th listed ingredient – and so this product is relying on it as the primary UVB filter.
This makes sense. While, Titanium Dioxide is certainly a broadspectrum filter, providing protection against both UVA and UVB radiation, it is without doubt more effective over the UVB spectrum. Its not used to provide protection over UVA region.
(see also this post on Clinique for more details on Titanium Dioxide)
Closing remarks
This product claims to be an SPF 50 and that’s it.
There are no other claims or suggestions on the label that this product offers protection against UVA radiation. That is commendable, because it occupies the same space in India, as VLCC, Lotus Herbals and kayas of this world, which promise nothing short of bullet proof, 1,000% UVR protection.
Naturally, as a skincare blogger, my main concern is that this product does not do enough to protect against UVA damage: tanning, photo-aging (loss of skin elasticity, hyper-pigmentation, wrinkles and all that wonderful stuff).
So, despite its honest labelling, this is a “no go” for me.
That’s it for this week. Drop me a line at email@happyskindays.com if you have any queries.
See also: Top 5 sunscreens, How to buy sunscreen: the UVA cut, Sunscreen reboot: the damage we are trying to protect our skin from.
Notes: Batch no: OMC/2032, MRP is Rs 445 for 50g, Packed on 10/2018, Use before 36 months from packed date.