Well, this is impressive. I’ve been thinking a lot more about sun protection recently because I’m trialing a selection of retinol products for the next two weeks so I’ve had to. One of my issues with using a sunscreen fluid on the face is how it interacts so badly with make up by balling up (too many texturally incompatible ingredients). Fine if you don’t wear a base, but if you do then its troublesome. I use an SPF30 tinted moisturiser every morning but, great as it is, I honestly don’t think it gives SPF30 for anything more than moments and obviously nothing on my neck as I don’t wear it there. I’m not even fanatical about SPF – I have olive tones that look way better warmed up and while I’d never sunbathe with no cover, I don’t mind incidental sun here and there. I like skin characteristics so I don’t have an issue with freckles or brown marks that can come with sun, but you can’t mess with retinols.
So, this formulation from Vichy feels something bordering on miraculous. It’s not quite the same as the SPF mists which were meant as SOS top ups on the go, but Solar Protective Water (£19, HERE) does have that same water feel to it. I’ve used the hyaluronic version on my face and my body and while it didn’t feel at all dry on my face, it did feel very slightly drying on my body. I’m being picky though – it’s such an easy to use, non disruptive product that doesn’t stain clothes, doesn’t feel sticky, doesn’t need more than two seconds to absorb and even better, didn’t cause my tinted moisturiser to ball up on my face when I applied it underneath. Such a win! I do need to say that the second listed ingredient, after water, in Vichy Ideal Soleil Solar Protective Water is homosalate, which some don’t like for its rumoured hormone disruptive properties, but you need also to bear in mind that a lot of SPF brands use it. For as many people as you’ll find that don’t like it, you’ll find the same amount again who think it’s perfectly safe, and you also need to know that there is oil in the formula .. you need to shake up the bottle before applying so that the oils that contain the SPF ingredients mix properly with the Vichy water.
When it comes to SPF, it’s so difficult to go through all the pro’s and cons – nothing about the sun is 100% *safe* so you really have to do your research around the topic if you’re having nagging doubts. I really don’t like the idea of staying out of the sun completely – you need sun for Vitamin D and your bones, plus it’s just lovely to be warmed – but it’s an area worth exploring fully to see what works for you. This has solved my SPF/Make Up problem; I feel more trusting of a separate SPF than a built in one for some reason.
Non Aff HERE
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