How to deal with too white or too greasy sunscreens

orangehrzn · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 1005

Many sunscreens based on physical blocks (zinc and titanium oxides) are too whitish. Even the micronized zinc/titanium make you look somewhat pale. It is very easy to resolve that - simply add brown tint. The regular brown tint in foundations and makeup is Iron Oxide. I've tried it but since it is a powder, it creates that powdery caked look that I and many other males wouldnt like on our face. The alternative is to use 'Caramel Food Coloring' made of burnt sugar. That concentrated tint looks black, only a few drops/oz are needed to bring any whitish sunscreen to your natural skin color. The look is perfectly natural and has nothing to do with the caked makeup look of foundations. Frankly speaking not using such a simple tint in obviously white sunscreens is another example of the abysmall stupidity of the cosmetics industry ....

As you know most sunscreens are too oily. I deal with that by putting a layer of Monistat Powder Gel (a silicone mattifier) on top. Monistat smooths out and whitens a little the skin surface, hides the look of pores and small lines, and even hides small pimples. It will also mattify the skin sebum produced during the day. I found ways to mix Monistat with bases and actives but at the end I realized that mixing reduces its mattifying power so I really prefer to apply it pure as the last finishing layer.

Knowing the above, you can tinker a cheap sunscreen with a nice constistency, spreading capability, film formung and moisturizing qualities (even a sunscreen with non micronized zinc/titanium oxides) versus a sunscreen with overblown price.

Olay recently released 'Complete Defense SPF 30 for Sensitive Skin' which is $15 / 2.5 oz and is my favorite combo of Zinc Oxide and non irritable chemical sunscreen. It doesn't look too whitish or too oily but you can always doctor it using the above tips.

Active Ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5%, Zinc Oxide 6.0%, Octisalate 2.5%, Octocrylene 2.5%

Inactive Ingredients: Water, Isohexadecane, Glycerin, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Steareth 21, Stearyl Alcohol, Sucrose Polycottonseedate, Niacinamide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polyethylene, Behenyl Alcohol, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Methylparaben, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Aloe Barbadensis Juice Leaf, Steareth 2, Oleth-3 Phosphate

propylene_glycol · Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 34 Location: Colgate, WI

If you put on sunscreen a little at a time, you won't get the white look. dunno...I never had a problem with it. Maybe I just don't care if it looks too white or not. But I know I sure would not want to go through the trouble of putting caramel food coloring in it. I'd just put it on in thin layers...let it soak in and then add more. Or like he said...just buy something else. Dang! Thats a lot of stuff in there! One good thing is it lacks me (propylene glycol) lol!

orangehrzn · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 1005

I don't think putting a little sunscreen at a time resolves the white issue. A lot of consumers complain of the whiteness here or on other sites. Caramel food coloring is widely used in artificial tanners and tinted moisturizers and its not really any trouble to add a few drops to inexpensive sunscreen that you otherwise like but is too whitish.

propylene_glycol · Joined: 07 Mar 2007 Posts: 34 Location: Colgate, WI

Eh, to each his own :D I guess I just never noticed the white thing. If it don't work, it don't work. Just thought I'd give a suggestion, sorry. Now, watch, the next time I put on sunscreen I'll notice the white lol. Well, if I don't, cool...but if I do and it bothers me, I'll take your suggestion.

jamesherried · Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 784

One sunblock I used to use contained melanin (the pygment in skin) to make the lotion brown instead of white. The only problem was that the melanin used to stain my clothes if I applied it on my neck, so all I could do was apply it on the face to prevent staining of the clothes.

orangehrzn · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 1005

When I was looking for a tint, I looked into melanin too but it is not available to consumers and probably is not that cheap. The caramel color does a really nice job taming the white, if you put a little more you can look like having a light tan.

debdrecoh · Joined: 24 Jan 2006 Posts: 92

Very keen to give it a try - where do you get the caramel food colouring from?

orangehrzn · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 1005

I got it from internet - just google it. Also possibly from food stores or ebay.com. The ingredients should be 'burnt sugar, water'.

orangehrzn · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 1005

A cheap sunscreen that is all good except too whitish and is begging for tinting is :

Eucerin Extra Protective Moisture Lotion, SPF 30

debdrecoh · Joined: 24 Jan 2006 Posts: 92

I found lots of manufacturers but only one sell which was selling 1 pint - the post to Australia would be too much. Even ebay didn't have any. Do you have a web address of the place you got yours from?

orangehrzn · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 1005

First I would try to find it locally in Australia. It's not possible there isn't local caramel or brown food coloring.

There are two 'caramel food coloring' that pop up with generic search on ebay.com but they ship only to USA or Canada. You could contact then and ask about shipping to other countries. The name of their store is 'Moose Country Lodge'. I've seen other auctions of them where they ship to Australia so probably they will agree to ship.

I got mine from naturesflavors.com
They seem to ship to other countries but the price would be probably high, the color is $3, they charged me $8 for 'handling and shipping' for USA, and they are kind of slow in shipping.

debdrecoh · Joined: 24 Jan 2006 Posts: 92

Thanks, I am checking if the ebay suppliers will post to Australia. They did come up in my first search because they have not selected Australia as a country to supply.

orangehrzn · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 1005

Tinting with Iron Oxide works just as well just make sure you don't overdo it cause it creates a powdery look. Overdoing the caramel coloring will make people ask you whether you have tanned lol

I switched to Iron Oxide recently cause I was having suspicions the Caramel food coloring was fermenting or something (forming small bubbles in my sunscreen) and I have suspicions because of that it was mildly comedogenic. It doesn't form bubbles with all susncreens only with Elta MD UV shield SPF 45 that I am currently using.

claire-skin-care · Joined: 24 May 2007 Posts: 17

hi guys :)

i read this thread - and i gotta say, that from what i know - most sunscreens are ok for a very limited amount of sun exposure. my personal solution - much like that of those that live in the desert - just keep covered and stay away from the sun. to get that lovely shade of darkened skin - just have your body exposed no more than a few moments at a time. that will keep your skin fresh too...the sun is the skin worst enemy...

brad999 · Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 16