Sunscreen - What ingredient am I sensitive to?
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

free skin care · Sun Jun 25, 2006 10:12 pm

Help!
I am very confused. I used La Roche Posay SPF45 for two weeks and my skin was totally fine, I never broke out. Then I went ahead and bought the SPF 60 (same brand) and had a MAJOR breakout and emotional crisis (see previous desperate post! LOL). So, I stopped the sunscreen. Skin is now beautiful and breakout-free. A few days ago I tested a tiny bit of L'Oreal Ombrelle SPF60 on one tiny side of my forehead, and sure enough, I already notice a blackhead/whitehead whatever coming up.

So, obviously I cannot use either. But I HAVE to use something as I have hyperpigmentation on my forehead and, obviously, it's summer.

I studied the ingredients and they are exactly the same in both brands:
Enzacamene 5%
Titanium Dioxide 4%
Avobenzone (Parasol) 3.5%
Mexoryl 3.3%

What is the culprit here for the breakouts?

I use daily Cetaphil moisturizer with SPF15 which has:
Avobenzone (Parasol) 3%
Octocrylene 10%

and it is totally fine with me.

This is a mystery to me, but I have to get to the bottom of it as I need sunscreen asap in order to survive the summer.

Any thoughts?

free skin care · Sun Jun 25, 2006 10:37 pm

Not sure about Enzacamene, TiO2 is generally considered safe, Avobenzone doesn't seem to be a problem here since Cetaphil spf 15 did not break you out. As far as I know, Mexoryl could be an irritant for some people. Maybe you could try a physical SS first to make sure TiO2 doesn't break you out? Or at least try to avoid Mexoryl.

free skin care · Sun Jun 25, 2006 11:27 pm

Hmm...can't seem to edit my post. Anyways, I was thinking of trying these two sunscreens to see what happens....anyone in my situation who has used these with good acne-free, clogged-pore-free results?
Avene spf 50 (11% TiO2, 2.4% ZnO)
ROC Minesol spf 40 (10.55% TiO2, 3% ZnO)

free skin care · Mon Jun 26, 2006 2:11 am

Hi Pele

I'm not an acne sufferer, but I have tried both these SS. I think the Avene would be more acceptable, though it's kind of pink. I found the Minesol extremely thick and tacky.

HTH M Cool

free skin care · Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:41 am

I'm extremely sensitive to chemical sunscreens (will get breaks outs, rashes, flushing, etc from them), so I pretty much have to stick to only zinc or titanium dioxide. BUT since I also have oily, acne-prone skin, this is difficult because I've noticed that a lot of the non-chemical sunscreens on the market are shiny and sticky, argh!!! So, far, the only non-chemical sunscreens I've used that have caused NO reaction are Clarins UV PLus SPF 40 and Colorscience Sunforgettable translucent powder. HTH!

free skin care · Mon Jun 26, 2006 5:26 pm

manslayerliz wrote:

I'm extremely sensitive to chemical sunscreens (will get breaks outs, rashes, flushing, etc from them), so I pretty much have to stick to only zinc or titanium dioxide. BUT since I also have oily, acne-prone skin, this is difficult because I've noticed that a lot of the non-chemical sunscreens on the market are shiny and sticky, argh!!! So, far, the only non-chemical sunscreens I've used that have caused NO reaction are Clarins UV PLus SPF 40 and Colorscience Sunforgettable translucent powder. HTH!

Have you tried Avene or ROC?

free skin care · Mon Jun 26, 2006 5:33 pm

Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with either of those. Sorry! Embarassed

free skin care · Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:15 pm

Hi pele - I use Avene Spray SPF50+ during hot, humid weather and it's never caused any acne issues. It has a whitish cast at first but then blends in after a while. It's very lighweight but still a bit oily. The shine fades after a while but at first it's quite pronounced. But then I always layer it over a Vit.C serum which is also a bit sticky, so perhaps if applied directly on clean skin it may be less oily looking. I use Avene Creme SPF50+ in winter which is much richer and has a slight pinkish cast at first, but this is way too heavy for summer use. One thing I really like about the Avene products I've tried is that they don't contain alcohol like many other sunscreens, and therefore don't cause stinging, burning, watery eyes. In fact, I find the Spray to be quite soothing especially when my skin is irritated from over-use of acids or retinoids. But your skin may simply have trouble with oilier sunscreens rather than any particular active ingredient.

free skin care · Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:33 pm

m.april wrote:

But your skin may simply have trouble with oilier sunscreens rather than any particular active ingredient.

Hmm...you could be right. I wonder. Well, what's a good non-oily one to try then?

free skin care · Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:12 pm

Hi pele - betterat40 has recommended LRP DermoPediatrics SPF40 spray as being matte. Someone I know who uses it agrees. I haven't tried it because I generally wear makeup (which contains ingredients that destabilize the active ingredient in LRP products). When I go without makeup, I use LRP Fluide Extreme SPF50+. It's kind of oily too, but it's sheer. The sheen lets up a bit over time though. It contains alcohol so it stings a little.

But bear with me. I have a sample of Avene Emulsion SPF50+ which is supposed to be less oily. I haven't used it yet (waiting for REALLY humid weather) but the forecast for this coming weekend looks like a good time to finally give it a try! I'll let you know what I think of it next week.

free skin care · Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:54 pm

m.april wrote:

Hi pele - betterat40 has recommended LRP DermoPediatrics SPF40 spray as being matte. Someone I know who uses it agrees. I haven't tried it because I generally wear makeup (which contains ingredients that destabilize the active ingredient in LRP products). When I go without makeup, I use LRP Fluide Extreme SPF50+. It's kind of oily too, but it's sheer. The sheen lets up a bit over time though. It contains alcohol so it stings a little.

But bear with me. I have a sample of Avene Emulsion SPF50+ which is supposed to be less oily. I haven't used it yet (waiting for REALLY humid weather) but the forecast for this coming weekend looks like a good time to finally give it a try! I'll let you know what I think of it next week.

Thank you!! yeah - try it soon Very Happy

What does LRP stand for? La Roche Posay?

free skin care · Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:19 am

Hi again pele - I tried the Avene Emulsion. It was less oily than the Spray but still left a sheen on my face. Nevertheless, I didn't have to use as much Smashbox Anti Shine Anti Brilliance to tone it down as I do with the Spray.

The bottom line is that it isn't exactly matte.

free skin care · Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:37 am

Hi Pele,

I went through a similar saga a few weeks ago and got some great advice re: physical sunblocks from MSLiz (thanks!).

Got myself a trial tube of Clarins SPF 40 and have been using it happily without incident. If you need a bit of moisture, be forewarned, you must supply it yourself. The Clarins product is more like a sheer veil once applied and dryish areas are accentuated. I will be using a few drops PSF balancing oil to work this out.

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.