Reddit mentions of EltaMD UV Lotion Zinc Oxide Full-Body Broad-Spectrum SPF 30+ Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion, Non-Greasy, Sheer, Sensitivity-Free, Fragrance-Free, 7 oz

It took many months of sunscreen searching, a lot of frustration and anger, but I finally found a sunscreen I can say 100% works for me.

Here’s my review.

Active ingredients: Octinoxate 7.5%, Zinc Oxide 7.0%

SPF: 30+

PPD: 16.8

Eye Irritation: None

White cast: NONE

Finish: None that I could notice. It just felt like my skin.

Best suited for: Normal to dry skin. I find it a little moisturizing. I’m not sure if this would translate to shine for oiler skin types. But I think applying a powder over top would take care of it if it does.

Size: 7 oz

Price: 25.45 (I bought it from Amazing Skin Care Store on Amazon)

Price per oz: 3.63

Ingredients: Purified Water, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Palmitate, Octyl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polyether-1, Citric Acid, Oleth-3 Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane

Problematic ingredients: Butylene Glycol (CosDNA gives it a 1 for acne), PEG-100 Stearate (CosDNA gives it a 1 for acne), Dimethicone (CosDNA gives it a 1 for acne), Octyl Stearate(CosDNA gives it a 1 for acne and a 5 for irritant), Isopropyl Palmitate (CosDNA gievs it a 4 for acne and a 1 for irritant).

Final thoughts: Are there other sunscreens out there that have a high ppd, an spf over 30, that don’t irritate my eyes, that have no white cast and that don’t dry out my skin? Yea, but the price is at least 6 to 7 times higher. I’ve tried a lot of sunscreens so I feel confident in saying this is the most affordable solution for anyone who wants all of the above criteria met for their sunscreen. However, you do have to be careful, because there are a number of ingredients that could cause acne or irritation, but as long as those ingredients don’t cause a problem for you, I’d check it out.

Here's the link to buy it. If you look at the bottom right underneath "add to cart" and "wishlist" there are most stores. I think the one from the Amazing Skin Store is the best deal because you get free shipping and it's cheaper.
http://www.amazon.com/EltaMD-UV-Lotion-Broad-Spectrum-SPF/dp/B000PHP8L4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411428522&sr=8-1&keywords=elta+md+uv+lotion

For those of you still searching for your ideal sunscreen, don't give up! It took me a long time to find one I really liked and even longer time to find one I thought was perfect.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Wattery Essence is my go-to.

Second place is probably EltaMD UV Lotion, which was my go-to for a long time. I only switched because it gave me the faintest whitecast and I didn't have the patience to wait for it to soak in and dry completely. The Biore stuff is pretty darn quick and doesn't leave me with any whitecast.

Elta MD UV Lotion has zinc oxide and oxtinoxate, it's nearly transparent on my tan/brown skin, and amazon sells it in a relatively large 7oz container. I don't really hear many people reacting to oxtinoxate. https://www.amazon.com/Elta-UV-Lotion-SPF-30/dp/B000PHP8L4

I use this one! http://www.amazon.com/EltaMD-UV-Lotion-Broad-Spectrum-SPF/dp/B000PHP8L4 no white cast on my medium brown skin, shine is minimal and fades quickly, like in maybe 10min. I absolutely love it.

Elta MD UV Lotion is one that was linked earlier in this thread. It's 20 dollars on Amazon right now and is a physical one as far as I can tell. I haven't tried it before, but it seems like a good deal for the price and quantity, and the description says it's fragrance-free.

• Oil Cleanser (Nighttime Only): Innisfree Apple Juicy Cleansing Oil $17.99; oil cleanser helps to melt off makeup and sunscreen and emulsifies with water for a clean finish. Note: You don't have to use a special oil cleanser, you can also use grapeseed oil, additive-free mineral oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil, just be aware you will typically require a second cleanse to completely remove the oil from your face. I personally use neem oil which is antimicrobial and antifungal because of adult acne, but it is a drying face oil.
  
  
• Cleanser: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser $11-17; has ceramides, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid. Has the appropriate 4.5 pH necessary for cleansers.
  
  
• Serum: OST Pure Vitamin C Serum $18.49; will help with evening and brightening skin tone, complexion clarity, and anti-aging -- requires long-term consistent use to see max benefit.
  
  
• Hydrating Toner: Rohto Hadalabo Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Lotion (Moist) $17.54; contains hyaluronic acid and other hyaluronates, helps to lock liquid in skin, try to apply to slightly damp skin to max benefit. The HA needs moisture to grab onto and some people experience drying if they apply a product with high HA on dry skin.
  
  
• Hydrating Serum: Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence $17; contains snail secretion filtrate, aloe, glycerin, arbutin, naturally derived salicylic acid, and azelaic acid (review here for more info on ingredients}, helps with wound healing, redness, lightning PIH, and soothing inflammation.
  
  
• Face Oil: Pura d'or 100% Pure & USDA Organic Argan Oil $19.99; high in fatty acids which helps moisturize and soothe irritated and dry skin, optional vendor: Garden of Wisdom. Note: A good face oil is a trial and error thing, you may prefer: avocado oil, passionfruit seed oil, rosehip seed oil, etc. Certain oils are more drying, others are richer and more moisturizing. You may have to engage in some research and experimentation to find which is right for you and most can be found for under $20 if you look.
  
  
• Emulsion/Milk (Daytime Only): Hada-Labo Shirojyun Arbutin Milk $16.35; High hyaluronic acid and glycerin content, is slightly richer than the toner previously listed and can be used as a daytime moisturizer underneath your sunscreen. Arbutin is a skin-lightening ingredient that evens skin tone and fades PIH, but you can get Rohto Hada-Labo Gokujun Hyaluronic Acid Milk $15.86; which is the same thing but without the arbutin.
  
  
• Sunscreen (Daytime Only): Up to you, one of the trickier products out there and I assume you have something you like already. Asian sunscreens tend to have a better cosmetic finish but rely on chemical sunscreen ingredients. I personally use EltaMD UV Lotion Broad-Spectrum SPF 30+ which is marketed for body but has the same ingredients as EltaMD's facial sunscreen.
  
  
• Moisturizing Cream (Nighttime Only): Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream $17.00; Contains snail secretion filtrate, peptides, fatty acid rich oils, and niacinamide to help moisturize, prevent water loss, and encourage wound-healing. One of the richest face creams I've personally tried with good ingredients for the price. For details on the ingredients, see here. Remember if your T-zone is oily, you don't have to apply it there!
  
  Option 2: EltaMD PM Therapy Moisturizer $22.13; high in niacinamide and linoleic acid to help restore skin's moisture. May need the aid of an occlusive like Vaseline or a sleeping pack (see below).
  
  
• Special - Sleeping Pack: Option 1 Mizon Multi Function Formula Snail Wrinkle Care Sleeping Pack $14.98; Option 2 Etude House Moistfull Collagen Sleeping Pack $15.96; Option 3 Laneige Water Sleeping Pack EX $33.99; Sleeping packs are extra rich creams which go on top of all your other skin care at night to give you an extra boost in moisture. Similar to people putting a thin layer of Vaseline on at night, you put a thin layer of the sleeping pack on and sleep with it over night 2-3 times a week as needed. They're more of an extra thing, not an every day thing, much like a face mask.
  
  That is an example of a moisturizing and non-irritating East Asian skincare routine using products that are all $20 or under each (barring a couple options), each with good hydrating and anti-inflammatory actives. Almost all are available through Amazon or through a singular vendor like W2Beauty which usually has coupon codes and can combine shipping. Target will carry the Laneige line in stores, but it is more a mid-price range. I can't personally guarantee they'll work for you, but the starting points are all there for you to do the research yourself if need be.
  
  

Yikes, I'm sorry. I'm very pale as well, but like I said, I've never tried the physical variant of their sunscreens. The one I use doesn't have any tint on it at all.

I'm really sorry that didn't work out for you. :(

edit: Elta MD UV Lotion SPF 30+ 7 oz. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PHP8L4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_yqLePxkNNV2FF this is the one I use. Would you post a link to the one you purchased?

You always need a sunscreen - regardless of the season. Sun is not good for your skin, as excessive UV exposure leads to early photoaging and DNA damage that can eventually lead to different types of skin cancer. There's a thought that avoiding sun exposure can lead to vitamin D deficiency due to low cutaneous production of Vit. D precursors, which can in turn lead to imbalance in calcium and phosphate (think: bones, muscle, nerve issues), and it theoretically can, though probably not in significant enough levels so as to lead to any clinical problems with normal da. Any derm will tell you to wear sunscreen any time you plan to be outside (even on cloudy days) and to supplement with increased dietary intake of vitamin D (fortified milk, supplements, etc.).

When I'm choosing a sunscreen the main thing that I look for is Zinc Oxide, as it is a complete block for all wavelengths of UV radiation. I have trouble assessing the true protective power of purely chemical sunscreens because there's usually a lot to account for. But that's just me, and I think that chemical sunscreens are fine if someone wants to avoid white cast in higher ZnO preparations. You certainly can get full protection from UV radiation with chemical sunscreens. I personally use CeraVe AM moisturizing lotion w/ SPF 30 and layer with CVS Clear Zinc or Elta MD UV Lotion.

Elta MD UV Lotion. Not drying unlike the UV Clear formula (imo).

darn. I'm almost out too! I decided to give another product a try that was recommended here. I just ordered it - good price for how much you get.

http://www.amazon.com/EltaMD-UV-Lotion-Broad-Spectrum-SPF/dp/B000PHP8L4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411428522&sr=8-1&keywords=elta+md+uv+lotion

EDIT*I also sent MUAC a message to get an official answer. I will let you know what I hear!

I love this one! EltaMD UV Lotion Broad-Spectrum SPF 30+ 7 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PHP8L4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_J62Fub0ZBGGS7


$20.00 for 7.0 ounces. No smell no burning. Light and fluffy and moisturizing. No white cast if you rub it in. Doesn't make me look greasy but my face is also the Sahara soooooo.

This CosRX one is flawless IMO. A bit pricey for how much you get, but it goes a long way. I use this for my face/neck/acne prone areas, and I use This Elta MD one on my body, It's still really good but a lot cheaper/volume.