SPF 50 facial sun cream recommendations

[trinni]

Hi

Standing for 3 hours today watching football and I have sunburn!

I'm very fair and don't find SPF 30 is enough.

Anyone have any recommendations that won't make my face greasy looking or chalky white please?

Thanks

I used the La Roche Possay "Anthelios 50+" but found it really greasy.

The Clinique City Block is nice under make up and foundation and powder also act as a physical barrier to UV as well as a lot of them contain Titanium Dioxide.

Trinni, you will burn with SPF15 if you are out in the sun for 3 hours. Especially if you are the type that burns quickly without SPF. The protection factor number stands for the amount of time it takes to burn so, if it takes you 15 minutes in the sun before you burn without sunscreen then it will take you 15 times that duration to burn with SPF15.

When you use sun tan lotion on your body it recommends you to reapply every 2-3 hours. The same would go for facial SPF cream if you intend to be out in the sun for extended periods. Applying an SPF face cream once a day is fine if it's just for your everyday, walking to work and going about your day to day stuff but not for extended exposure.

Also, for those of you who only use SPF face cream in summer, you need to buy a new one when you start again. The chemical SPF ingredients oxidize and become gradually less effective over time so after about 3 months they only offer about half the amount of protection that they did when you first bought them

The clinique one is a chemical block though.The factor 25 city block isn't.So if one is sensitive to chemical screens then the 25 is the only option.

Yep, has to be Clinique City Block.

Do you wear a hat too? A 50+ alone isn't going to make a lot of difference.

helly can you elaborate on the Clinique City Block please? I have used it for over 15 years but find the spf 40 rather "thin" compared to the spf 25. I thought they had just changed the formula- but is the spf 25 really thicker due to being non-chemical?

I use it every day and find that I am still getting slight tanning on my upper cheeks- i walk/exercise outside a lot.

Yes,the 25 is thicker because the screen is titanium dioxide,whereas in the factor 40 the screen is a chemical one,possibly with some additional titanium dioxide,I can't remember.I think the screen in it is Methoxycinnamate.In real terms there isn't much difference between a factor 25 and a 40 anyway.
The other issue with sun protection is that the factors are set using a particular quantity of cream,this is far higher than anyone would ever use on their face,it would be a thick visible layer,so the actual protection you get is a tiny fraction of the 25/40/50 whatever quoted.
Cabbageroses I used to use the 25 one and also walk outside a lot,I would be pink after a walk and did tan through it,it certainly isn't a "block".But unless you stay indoors,I don't think anything will completely protect you.