After retiring my Fenty Hydra Vizor and deciding not to use it until winter, I moved on to another moisturizing sunscreen. I’ve reviewed Medik8 as a brand before and I mentioned I would be interested to try a sunscreen next, particularly because they live by the CSA motto (vitamin C, sunscreen, vitamin A). This was the time to try their highest protection one.
This comes in an opaque tube with a pump, and the cream has quite a fluid texture that still, takes a bit of work to spread on the skin. I blame the sunscreen ingredients, since this particularity is quite common in products with high SPF. It has a yellow tinted white colour that I can image will leave a white cast on darker skintones. Another thing of notice is the scent: this smells like lemon scented dishwasher soap.
This feels occlusive on top of skin and leaves a bit of shine – not enough to make me look oily, but it is noticeable. As the day goes on I don’t find that I get shinier, so it’s tolerable for combination skin types. Oily skin my find this too greasy and heavy. I also tested it with makeup on top, and I found that it did not improve nor worsened my makeup wear or application. It just did not interfere with it.
I did find it moisturizing, but I feel I could use more hydration – maybe pairing it with a hyaluronic acid serum would solve that need (even though there is hyaluronic acid in it). There are a few noteworthy ingredients (apart from the sunscreen): carnosine, which is an antioxidant and cell-communicating ingredient, two good anti-aging qualities; squalane and arginine (good moisturizers) and blueberry seed oil (another good antioxidant). Still, I would like to have seen a few more antioxidants.
I could definitely do without the perfuming ingredients. They are at the bottom at the list, so supposedly at the lowest concentration, but honestly, even if there is not a big risk of them irritating the skin, they are irritating my soul. The scent dissipated after a few minutes, but I just don’t enjoy it.
Medik8 Advance Day Ultimate Protect SPF50+ Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Dibutyl Adipate, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diisopropyl Adipate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Isododecane, Vaccinium Myrtillus (Blueberry) Seed Oil, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Silica, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Arginine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Carnosine, Disodium EDTA, Coco-Glucoside, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Plankton Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Parfum, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Linalool, Citral.
Final Thoughts
The sunscreen costs 79€ for 50ml. Is it worth the price? Not really. Like I foreshadowed in the Medik8 brand review post, I would only get another Medik8 product if it was heavily discounted, and this came in a multi-brand kit with other full sized products that cost around 50€, so I’m not mad about it. I will gladly use it up, but I won’t repurchase. All of my Paula’s Choice moisturizing sunscreens remain unbeaten.
