Australian Sunscreen Face Broad Spectrum SPF 30

10 Reviews

1. 

   madHeron4

   Reply

   If you google, “Sunscreens that won’t make your eyes sting,” this shows up in the top five. It’s an odd mixture of zinc and octinoxate, which is a chemical sunscreen. This is one of the only things I can use as a person who has rosacea and very easily irritated eyes.

   This doesn’t cause breakouts or redness, and it really seems to be SPF 30. It doesn’t sweat off and it’s water resistant.

   It’s also truly not-irritating to eyes, and it won’t harm your neck or ears.

   This is removable with micellar water. Regular soap and water won’t budge it. It’s a good pool sunscreen, for that reason.

   If you really “can’t use sunscreen”, this is one to try. It’s also only about $5.00 an ounce.

2. 

   obsessedTeal1

   Reply

   I bought this, along with a couple other sunscreens, at Walmart when I ran out of SPF. What caught me about this one was the packaging, it really makes a great case for it is designed so nicely… information density FTW! It makes quite a few claims too: “antioxidant enriched”, “no fragrance”, “specifically formulated for daily wear”, “gel formulation”, “absorbs quickly”, doubles as a moisturizer, minimal ingredient list for a sunscreen.

   PROS: Zero irritation. My skin is occasionally sensitive, not sensitive all the time. Sometimes sunscreens will go on with such a hot or “harsh” feeling, it’s like “Damn, I need to find something else. This cannot be good.” This sunscreen has never provoked that reaction. It’s also quite cheap, easily available, and has green tea and caffeine in it. Almost no scent and very mild for what is there.

   CONS: This is a thick sunscreen, no it is not a gel. It also is moderate to quite whitening. I do prefer whitening sunscreens, but this one sometimes looks maybe a bit too white depending on the light. Quite heavy on the skin. If I moisturize more, it’s just tacky and I’m not a fan of always setting my sunscreen with powder (and don’t you dare use RCMA powder with this – terrible combo and it pills). Don’t think it’s the best with makeup either, I have mixed results and will probably avoid it in the future. It needs to dry faster… however I wouldn’t use this as your moisturizer unless you have oily skin because it’s too light. When I first tried using it as a moisturizer replacement, it was giving me the same tight feeling as a clay mask does when it dries down.

   OVERALL: I don’t mind trying this and using the bottle up, but I won’t return to it. I would probably give this a 2.5/5 if I could. The thing I like most is fact that it is 0% irritating and has one of the shortest ingredient lists I’ve seen for a sunscreen. If you don’t really do makeup and don’t care about feeling a bit of product on your face, it’s a cheap way to use SPF.

3. 

   goofyBaboon8

   Reply

   This has a higher PPD rating than spf equivalent sunscreens found in most US drugstores. ( The UVA protection is higher) The broad spectrum protection is not quite as high as some Japanese/European sunscreens, but I’ve been using it for the spring/summer in Texas and my face has not tanned one bit.

   Most sunscreens cause acne, or make my oily skin worse. This is a great option for those with similar issues! This contains the antioxidants caffeine and green tea extract which is a big plus.

   This works well under makeup, and even functions as a primer (makeup goes on smoother).

4. 

   enviousDove1

   Reply

   I got this specifically because it’s a medium-prized product that contains 8% Z-Cote – dimethicone-coated micronized zinc oxide that won’t enter skin and is very photo-stable. (All Blue Lizard products contain at least 6% z-cote).

   Ingredients list is rather nice, with some hyaluronic acid, green tea and caffeine and no major comedogenic red flags. Quite a bit of silicones; I view it as a make up primer.

   It does however also contains 5% chemical sunscreen, (INCI: Octyl methoxycinnamate), which is a chemical UVB absorber, less irritating than the others and not directly implicated in any major health issues as of yet, but like most of them it may be an endocrine disruptor (estrogenic), may increase free radical damage in the skin with UV exposure, etc.

   There is a bit of a white cast anyway. On me it pretty much disappeared, and definitely when I used my mineral foundation over it, but I’m pretty fair skinned.

   Bottle turns blue in UV-light, which is pretty great.

   Am going to try their “sensitive” formula, it’s similar but 5% titanium dioxide, 10% zinc oxide and no chemical sunscreen – that one is bound to look chalky.

   Oh and they both contain parabens.

5. 

   sincereRice1

   Reply

   Edit on 3/9/12

   I used a online simulator to calculate UVA protection of this sunscreen. It turned out to be too low to satisfy my need of UVA protection despite it claimed itself as a Australian sunscreen.

   Today is my first day of using this. It went on very smooth, absorb very well, and did not stuck on my dry patches nor did it sink in my big pores!! I always prefer physical sunblocks over chemical ones. I have tried numerous physical sunblocks, contain zinc oxide (Burnout blue one Spf 32, Neutrogena sensitive Spf 60+, FaceCotz Spf 40, Shisedo Spf 55, Sofina – Perfect UV Spf 50+, Elta UV Physical SPF 41 and some others I could not remeber) but most of them either being expensive, sticky, stuck on my dry patches, sink in my pores, or dry out my skin. None of the above flaws has happened to Blue Lizard Face so far although I just wore it the first time. My foundation went on very smooth over it. I will report back when I notice anything.

6. 

   shyPonie6

   Reply

   This sunscreen works! A bit thick and greasy but absorbs well. My husband has rosacea and loves it. We wish it was cheaper and came in larger bottles so we can use it all over. Absolutely no tanning with it while on vacation in Florida. My daughter and I must use an oil cleanser to prevent breakouts with this cream.

7. 

   goofyBass2

   Reply

   Dear Blue Lizard,
   How happy I am to have found you! You are thus far the ONLY sunscreen that does not make me break out, make my face feel like its burning and stinging, you go on well under makeup, you keep my skin protected with broad spectrum UVA/UVB, you are recommended the world over by skin care and cancer experts, and by cosmetics guru Paula Begoun, and you are affordable! Oh and you have antioxidants and no fragrance! How I love thee!
   Thank you for coming into my life and I hope many more combo-skinned acne-prone fair ladies find you and love you as I do.

   p.s. I have taken off a lippie because of the slight heaviness of the feel when you actually use a spoonful as is recommended, but it does absorb and the white cast does eventually go away. I still love you.

8. 

   unhappyMandrill1

   Reply

   I loved this sunscreen. It is easy to spread, a little white – but it goes away after a while, good price, makes my skin looks good and it is easy to find at Ulta. Truly the best sunscreen, cosmetic-wise. It makes my skin looks dewy and hides imperfection. I wished it is more protective …

9. 

   innocentClam9

   Reply

   Update:
   I have now had the chance to try other sunscreens, and I am a little less impressed with this product now than I was at first. Like many zinc products, it is drying, so I need to put on moisturizer first. The texture is a little rough, and it leaves my face unnaturally white. I can mix in some colour, but it takes effort to get it just right. It also makes pores and wrinkles more visible, although a silicone primer can lessen this effect.

   I have found a sunscreen brand that I like a lot better. It is called Elta MD, and their sunscreens contain zinc oxide and octinoxate, just like the Blue Lizard series. However, it uses nano-size zinc (z cote), so it goes on completely transparent. The texture is also better, and it does not seem to dry out my skin (I have tried UV Daily). Their sunscreens are made for sensitive skin.

   This is the best facial sunscreen I have tried so far. It contains zinc oxide and only a small amount of chemical sun filters, it does not make my eyes water, and it is the only sunscreen that does not make my face shine from all the oil. Looks better (less oily) than the La Roche fluide extreme and it is about a 3rd of the price. It is almost invisible on my oily acne-prone skin! It does look slightly white, but I mixed in some iron oxide pigment blend which made the color completely natural. I have only tried it for one day, but so far it has not made my acne worse. It actually had a slightly drying effect on my skin, but nothing a little glycerine and water couldn`t handle. I will definitely buy this again.

10. 

    finickySalami1

    Reply

    I like it, it is a little greasy for my combo skin but I like the fact that it does not leave my face pastey white. It is hard to find but luckily I live near Ulta, they always carry it.