RoC Soleil-Protect Mattifying fluid SPF 30

My view: slap on this sunscreen

This is a budget-friendly sunscreen that provides UVA and UVB protection.

RoC Soliel has:

• Photostable UVA filters to protect against damage caused by UVA radiation (tanning, hyper-pigmentation, loss of skin elasticity and wrinkles).

• Modern UV filters, that are large in size and therefore, don’t get absorbed by our skin. A massive problem with sunscreens, is manufacturers using old school filters, such as Oxybenzone, which are easily absorbed into the skin. In fact, Oxybenzone has been found in urine samples of 90%+ of Americans. (see Chemicals to Avoid – Oxybenzone)

What follows is the Skincare Nerd Edit, which is a technical read of the product.

The Skincare Nerd Edit

I am following the guidelines I wrote in How To Buy Sunscreen: The UVA Cut

Q1) Are there any harmful chemicals in this product?

No.

None of the following harmful chemicals are present in this product: parabens, BHT, TEA-Salicylate, Benzophenone-3 (or Oxybenzone) and 4-Aminobenzoic Acid (or PABA).

Q2) Is the SPF of the product 30 and above?

Yes.

There simply is no point wearing a lower SPF product. (See Is SPF 50 better than SPF 15?)

Q3) What are the UVA, UVA/UVB filters?

Damage caused by over-exposure to UVR is cumulative and is summarised below:

“UV-filters” are substances that are designed to protect the skin against UVA and UVB by absorbing, reflecting or scattering this radiation. UVA and UVB filters protect against UVA and UVB damage. UVB/UVA filters combine the function of UVA and UVB filters.

3a) What are the filters?

The filters in this product are:

• UVB filter: Octocrylene – this is an excellent UVB filter.

• UVB/UVA filter: Biscotrizole and BEMT – both of which are photostable AND provide protection against UVB and UVA.

• UVA filter: Avobenzone, which is an excellent UVA filter. Its also very photo unstable and reduces in efficacy by 50%-90% within 60 minutes of exposure to UV radiation.

Avobenzone is an important filter. It provides coverage in UVA1 region, which is the bulk of UV radiation. Therefore stabilising Avobenzone is critical to how good a sunscreen is.

This sunscreen uses the best stabilisers for this purpose – Octocrylene and BEMT – which enables Avobenzone to do its job.

(See also: What damage is sunscreen trying to prevent for a fuller explanation of UVA and UVB damage)

Closing remarks

As my regular readers know its a challenge finding reasonably priced sunscreens in India. And I am so glad I found this product.

That’s it from me (for today). Please let me know if you have any queries or I’d love to hear your suggestions so please write to me. Click on “EMAIL ME” for my address. I look forward to hearing from you!

See also:

• no 1 sunscreen recommendation: Avene
• Top 5 Sunscreen Recommendations
• Do You Know Your Filters?
• Guide to Buying Sun Protection
• Do You Understand The Gibberish on Sunscreen Labels?

Notes: INCI names of ingredients

• Biscotrizole: Methylene Bis-Benzotriazoyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (Nano)
• Bemotrizinol or BEMT: Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol, Methoxyphenyl Triazine
• Avobenzone: Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane