After my failure with Avene Emulsion, I had almost given up on finding a great facial sunscreen. Then I read a piece in Allure with dermatologist skincare recommendations and saw Elta MD UV Clear SPF 46 being touted, and I recalled seeing that name in my RSS feed a few times recently.
What I found out when I started Googling was that Elta MD UV Clear is a physical + chemical sunscreen (zinc oxide and octinoxate) with some skincare benefits. The formula includes:
- Niacinamide, which has been shown to prevent acne and reduce inflammation
- Hyaluronic Acid, which is involved in skin repair and helps hold moisture to the skin
- Lactic Acid, a gentle chemical exfoliant (however this is a very small part of the formula, so I’m not sure how effective it is)
Elta MD also promises a micronized zinc oxide formula, which should reduce or eliminate the tendency for physical sunscreens to look mask-like and provide broad-spectrum protection. I’m sold.
I’ve been using Elta MD UV Clear for about 3 weeks and so far I am very pleased. The airless pump bottle contains by far the best facial sunscreen I’ve ever used.
My experience in the past has been that chemical sunscreens gave me horrible cystic acne and physical sunscreens were hard to apply, smelled terrible, or didn’t play nice with my foundation. I’ve had none of these problems with the Elta MD sunscreen, and it feels like absolutely nothing on my skin.
The one downside (of course) is that it’s a little more expensive than I’d like at about $29. That said, you do get a full 1.7 oz of product (a standard foundation bottle is 1 oz). You can also save a few bucks by ordering from Dermstore with code NEWFRIENDS20, which will get you 20% off and free shipping in the USA.
I LOVE this sunscreen. It’s my absolute favorite and has made such a difference in my skin. I love how it controls oil as well! WIN WIN!
This sounds great! I will definitely check it out….