Viva Woman

These are from my recent Mexoryl-based sunscreen loot:

1. Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 50+  Face Cream For Reactive Skin    
2. La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Fluide Extreme For Face 
3. La-Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Lait Veloute Face & Body Lotion

In my earlier entry about Mexoryl-based sunscreens for maximum protection, I mentioned I wanted to get one or two to try out but eventually, I went out to buy three of them.  They were all below S$40 and La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ Fluide Extreme in particular was even going for under S$20 with a special promotion.  So it was really hard to resist.

Protection
In terms of formulation, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ Fluide Extreme For Face and La-Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ Lait Veloute Face & Body Lotion are more superior because both contain Mexoryl SX and Merxoryl XL, a combination that is said to be the most potent photostable anti-aging sun filters for UVA and UVB rays.  Mexoryl SX or XL alone does not provide complete protection.  Just refer to the following rating compiled by Environmental Protection Agency and note that Ecamsule is the other name for Mexoryl.

Vichy Capital Soleil 50+  Face Cream For Reactive Skin also offers very high protection but the sunscreen only contains Mexoryl XL.  But this formulation contains Eperuline, a sensitivity regulator and is therefore most ideal for those with allergic and very sensitive skins, limiting the chain of events leading to sun intolerance reactions.

But since I don’t have sensitive skin, I find that using the La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL range gave me better peace of mind because the formulation promise better total protection and they even come with Titanium Dioxide and Octocrylene.

Texture
All three sunscreens give fabulous velvety protection and left no white marks or greasy effects upon application.  In fact, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Fluide Extreme For Face which is in milky form left no trace of oil at all on my face.  Vichy Capital Soleil SPF 50+  Face Cream For Reactive Skin is creamy on contact but again, left my face almost greaseless.  However, this is because both products contain alcohol denat which drys and strips your skin’s moisture when used overtime. 

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Lait Veloutte Face & Body Lotion is much more creamy, feels a tad oily upon application but it dries up pretty fast on my hands, leaving no greasy marks.  When applied on my face, my skin did feel slightly greasy though it was manageable.  The good thing is that I didn’t see alcohol denat on the ingredient list for this product.

Summary
I have to concede that all the three Mexoryl-based sunscreens work great on our skin but for the sake of comparison, La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL range is better especially the La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Lait Veloutte Face & Body Lotion which is also water resistant.

But honestly, I’m not exactly comfortable using these chemical sunscreens even though they promose ultra protection because of their ingredients.  Even if they do not contain alcohol denat, they contain a whole lot more chemical ingredients compared to mineral sunscreens.   The only attraction for me about chemical sunscreens with Mexoryl is that you’re virtually impervious to sun exposure.  As I mentioned in my earlier entry, Mexoryl is photostable and this means you can wear it all day long without the need to reapply and yet receive long lasting, effective protection as it does not degrade in sunlight. 

I guess I will continue to wear these for awhile given the fact it has been exceptionally sunny on most days now.  I will most probably however, just limit to my hands and switch back to mineral based sunscreens for my face.

And please also read my post on tips on sunscreen protection & application.

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