Never heard of this brand?
I briefly lived in Switzerland, and this brand is the epitome of “Swissness” as everything from design formulation to manufacturing and distribution is done in Switzerland.
The small Alpine state is also the perfect place to road-test a sunscreen that the makers claim needs to be applied only once a day: the Swiss regularly endure intense UV radiation through their national past-times (winter sport and summer hiking).
These activities take them to high altitudes, where there is little cloud cover and UVA radiation is more intense.
I’ve been using this product intermittently for about 3 years
Before I discovered ultrasun’s anti-pigmentation sunscreen, this was my daily sunscreen. I still use it when the anti-pigmentation version is unavailable, as the sunscreen filters present are exactly the same. The product shown below and this sunscreen offer precisely the same level of protection against UV radiation.
The main differences between the face fluid (product being reviewed) and the anti-pigmentation sunscreen (shown above) are as follows:
- The face fluid does leave the slightest white cast and requires more blending. It also makes my face feel slightly greasy after about 4 hours. I have no such issue with the anti-pigmentation version.
- The ingredients in both products are not identical:
- as a moisturiser, the face fluid has more silica, which is supposed to give the product a smoother finish.
- The face fluid does not contain Ascorbyl Glucoside (a Vitamin C derivative) but it does have all the other anti-oxidants present in the anti-pigmentation version.
- Availability: the face fluid is more readily available.
Application of the product
It is vital that you apply the face fluid straight after you cleanse and tone. The SPF protection relies on a chemical reaction between the product and the skin directly.
If you need to apply a serum / moisturiser before sunscreen (e.g.) your skin is dry etc, then this is may not be the product for you…
Do I really need to apply the sunscreen first? How sure are you?
I am very sure. Here is a direct quote from Ultrasun on their Facebook page following me asking the same question.
“we recommend that you always apply the sunscreen first so that it can bond with the skin in the best possible way. Best regards from Switzerland, your Ultrasun team.”
The anti-oxidants in the product are:
Anti-oxidants in this product aim to neutralise free radicals that are ordinarily part of the skin’s reaction to UV radiation. This reaction is more melanin being produced by the skin. But less melanin being produced means less tanning.
The anti-oxidants in the product are
- a derivatives of Vitamin C (Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate)
- Ubiquinone and
- Vitamin E (although this might be added preserve the product from oxidation…)
Ecotin
The product also contains Ecotin, which according to its manufacturer “is a natural multifunctional active ingredient, especially developed to protect our skin from pollution induced damage and ageing. Its global cell-protection benefits are proven by various clinical, in-vivo and in-vitro studies.
Passes the Happy Skin Days’ test
This passes my test as (i) its an SPF 50+ product (ii) with superior UVA and UVB filters (iii) and has no harmful that I specifically search for, namely any form of parabens, Oxybenzone, or BHT.
The six sunscreen filters are:
New style filters” are unavailable in the USA but are available in Europe. Old style filters are available in almost all countries. “Photostable” refers to the filter not easily degrading when exposed to UV radiation.“In the final sunscreen product, its always the combination of (all these) UV filters that determines its range and efficacy of protection.” All six sunscreen filters give the product a high SPF as well as a high PA rating. A PA++++ rating gives very effective protection against UVA radiation.
(Quote from Principles and Practice of Photoprotection)
Finally..
This is a fantastic sunscreen but is not my go-to sunscreen from ultrasun. I use it as my back-up sunscreen.
Like all other ultrasun sunscreens, the value for money proposition is zero. This cost GBP 28 for 40ml. Also, its hard to buy this outside Europe. Here are some online outlets that carry this face fluid.
- Marks and Spencers UK website
- Beauty Expert
- Lookfantastic (ships internationally)
- QVC shopping channel/website
- Selfridges (limited range online but ship internationally)
See also: