SUNSCREEN PRODUCTS

[Robin88]

Hi

i am wondering what products to use during the daytime especially in the summer to protect the skin from sun damage. I have combination skin and i have tried a couple of sunscreen and found them pretty oily. I was told that one has to use a moisturiser with SPF 15 or more to protect your skin. thanks.

R :)

[mad scientist]

It's hard to get very good sunscreens in the U.S.: most are not very UVA protective and in many cases, they are not photostable (i.e., sunlight breaks down the sunscreens actives). One that is available in drugstores and has decent UVA protection is Cetaphil SPF 15 lotion. New Neutrogena products that are UVA protective and stable are the new UltraSheer Dry Touch SPF 55 (the 30 and 45 verisions are not good): the new Age Shield sunscreens: and the new Cooling Body Mists. To get the labeled level of protection, you must apply 2mg/cm^2 of skin surface: this is about 1/4 teaspoon for the averge size face. This is the application rate at which sunscreens are tested for theri level of protection.
There are very good sunscreens available from Canada and Europe from brands such as La Roche Posay, Avene, Photoderm and Vichy. The can be ordered online from places such as www.tubotica.com (Spain), www.feelbest.com (Canada), and www.physea.com (France). There are other websites as well, these are the ones I've used.