Skin type: oily and sensitive (combination at times), acne prone
Hello beauties,
A very Happy Friendship Day to one and all! Friends are our lifelines and extended family and needless to say having a genuine friend is more than a blessing; may God shower this blessing to everyone in life. Anyway, I am here to share my skin care regimen from Algenist. I have tried few skincare products from Algenist before and find them quite promising and effective for my skin type. Considering summers around and my hiking trip I decided to try their sun protection regimen and so far I am happy with the results. So let’s read more about Algenist Sublime Defense Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF 50.
Price: $28 for 1.0 Oz, excludes shipping and tax
Ingredients: Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Algae Exopolysaccharides, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Hexyl Dimethicone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Fragrance.
What it is: An ultra-sheer, weightless fluid for everyday protection against broad-spectrum UVA/UVB damage.
What it does: This fast-absorbing, ultra-lightweight fluid provides daily protection against broad-spectrum UVA/UVB damage. Alguronic Acid combines with antioxidant-rich botanicals and UVA/UVB protecting actives to delay signs of aging caused by sun and environmental stressors. This oil-free, sheer formula has a silky texture and weightless feel, designed to apply smoothly on top of other skin care products and under makeup for a soft, matte finish.
My Experience with Algenist Sublime Defense Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF 50:
The sun defense fluid comes in small opaque but sturdy plastic bottle packaging with twist over cap and tiny spout opening. At first sight it looks kind of cheap packaging but looks are deceiving they say so as long as product fairs well I think we can overlook boring packaging. It does have strong medicinal smell which subsides soon thankfully. Overall I am pretty happy with the user friendly and travel friendly packaging.
The UV defense fluid appears milky white in color with watery consistency though it has bit viscous nature hence aptly described as fluid. It certainly feels light-weight and water based fluid to me though it has a bit thick texture which makes it bit tacky to spread on my skin at times. I won’t say it clings to dry patches or is difficult to massage on skin but considering its watery consistency it appears bit sticky when applied on skin.
I am quite used to gel textured or runny fluids, so it definitely gives me bit weird and different experience to apply it on my skin though it does not leave any oily-sticky residue on my skin. However I can notice slight whitish glow on my face post massaging this fluid on my skin which soon accustoms to my natural skin tone but it might bother beauties with tanned/deeper skin tones. I mean it is not a prominent whitish cast unlike other sunscreens but I do feel bit shiny and glowing face for few minutes; there by the shine fades onto matte finish making my skin appear visibly toned, matte and clearer than before hence no complaints.
I am also happy with its shine control property as I don’t sweat much or feel an oily T zone frequently considering summers around. Moreover as I mentioned earlier that my skin tends to become combination at times, it gives me relief to see that the fluid takes care of my drier skin on cheeks very well without accentuating or clinging to dry patches. I do feel softer and supple skin with regular usage of this fluid; not to forget it helped my skin combat sun tan and sun spots all through my trip. Oh yes my skin is pretty prone to sun spots and tanning and this sun defense fluid really helped me prevent sun spots and tanning on my face thankfully.
I did suffer from dryness (blame it to other products) but I swear by this product for saving me from horrible brown spots. In fact it goes beautifully under makeup without making me look weird white in pictures or in person. Most of my face makeup products are infused with SPF 30 or greater hence I don’t club the two. I find it perfect for using alone with no moisturizer as it alone hydrates and refines my skin texture. For winters I might have to pair it up with a mild hydrator. Considering its effectiveness against sun damage I am pretty convinced to get it again despite of its controversial formula as I see alcohol and other chemicals in the formula. I would definitely suggest this fluid to every beauty especially combination, normal, oily skin type including acne prone skin type as it does not clog pores and/or caused break outs on my skin so far. Let’s sum up pros and cons:
Pros of Algenist Sublime Defense Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF 50:
• A light-weight, sun defense fluid infused with goodness of hydrating and skin refining agents.
• Bit watery yet spreads well.
• Absorbs nicely on skin without sitting on dry patches.
• Does not accentuate or aggravate dry patches further.
• Mildly hydrating for dry skin.
• Imparts matte finish with even-toned and refined skin texture within few minutes of usage.
• Sure shot protection from sun tanning, brown sun spots.
• Takes good care of uneven skin texture without emphasizing or aggravating it further.
• Does not trigger my sebum glands.
• Does not clog pores and/or cause break outs either.
• Sits nicely beneath makeup as well.
• Quite user friendly & travel friendly concept.
Cons of Algenist Sublime Defense Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF 50:
• It does feel bit tacky with shiny white finish initially.
• Strong weird medicinal smell.
• Number of controversial ingredients.
• Might be tricky for paring with SPF infused products.
• Price.
IMBB Rating – 4.6/5
Well I am certainly not convinced by most of the cons considering how aptly it saved my skin from sun damage; in fact I find it cheaper than most high quality sunscreens especially formulated without parabens, sulfates, phthalates, dyes and triclosan.
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