Kiehl’s SPF Review

On a recent trip to Spain the other week, I found that I had run out of sunscreen. Let me tell you, the Sun was intense and merciless. On my quest to find a new sunscreen, I stumbled upon a Kiehl’s counter at a local department store. Kiehl’s is a brand I have frequently seen but have not tried an extensive number of products from. As I was browsing, it came to my attention that the brand carries a number of sunscreens in their range. And they all seemed rather promising. I am constantly on the hunt for the best facial sunscreens. This post is a Kiehl’s SPF Review for their Ultra Light Daily UV Defense sunscreen.

As context for this Kiehl’s SPF review and other upcoming skincare posts, I would recommend you check out these articles:

All about UV radiation, sun damage and SPF

Should you be using a Vitamin C serum?

All About Antioxidants

Notice:

It has been brought to my attention that the comment section of my blog has not been working over the past few weeks. I have been receiving messages from readers who have been unable to leave their comments. Many were getting popups saying that they were being mistaken for ‘bots’ by the system or simply unable to write a comment altogether. Looking into this issue, I checked my software and it was the case that over the past couple of weeks, over 40 of your lovely comments were mistaken for spam and discarded without my knowledge. 

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If you have a query please do not hesitate to leave a comment and I will get back to you. I believe the issue is now resolved as of 6th September. So, if there is anything you would like to say, I would love to hear from you.

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Face vs Body Sunscreen

Kiehl’s has a pretty good selection of SPF products to choose from. All of them have nice textures and blend into skin without a white cast. I had been using a body sunscreen on my face since I had run out of my favourite facial sunscreen. While it did the job, it would give me a white pallour and cause makeup to cake throughout the day. I was resolved to finish the entire tube though, as I was determined not to shell out the pennies to purchase a new SPF until I had finished the one I was using.

Now that I have switched back, the marked differences between a designated facial sunscreen and a body sunscreen are worlds apart. When applied to the face, a body sunscreen tends to feel heavy, greasy and occlusive. Makeup does not seem to adhere and instead slips off the face. It almost gives a slightly ‘sweaty’ feeling to skin. A well formulated facial sunscreen on the other hand, is a different story. They tend to be formulated to play well with makeup and have elegant textures that lay on the skin beautifully.

On to the review of the day.

Keihl’s SPF 50+ Ingredients

Sunscreen Actives

Kiehl’s Super Fluid (or Ultra Light) UV Mineral Defense SPF 50+ is a mineral based sunscreen. The sunscreen active used in the formula is titanium dioxide. This is an ingredient commonly used in skincare and cosmetic products as a sunscreen active, pigment and thickener. For maximum protection from all spectrums of UV light, many sunscreens will incorporate several sunscreen actives. Other Kiehl’s sunscreens do contain both chemical and physical blockers.

This formula contains only titanium dioxide. This is great if you find that like me, you have an allergy to a particular other type of sunscreen active, as titanium dioxide is a very gentle active ingredient. Titanium dioxide provides broad spectrum UV protection, although some may say it is somewhat inferior to its mineral counterpart zinc oxide. This is up for debate as the difference is relatively miniscule and titanium dioxide is still a perfectly adept source of SPF.

Typically, I have mainly used SPF 30 on my face. This is mainly due to the fact that this SPF parameter seems to give the best result under makeup. There is also not an incredibly significant difference in protection between SPF 30 and SPF 50 as there is between SPF 15 and SPF 30 for instance. I cover all the details in a previous post so you can read that SPF post to understand what I mean. In that article about UV radiation sun damage, I explain what SPF is, what is does, and I also go in depth about the difference between UVA and UVB, and what broad spectrum actually means.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is the chosen antioxidant in this sunscreen. I appreciate the inclusion of an antioxidant in such products because I do not tend to use a separate antioxidant skincare product most mornings. I am just being honest. Sometimes you value a few extra minutes of sleep and just want to slap on your SPF and get going for the day. For this reason, including antioxidants into one product can be valuable. If you read my article all about antioxidants, you know why adding antioxidants into an SPF can be so useful.

The vitamin E in this formula helps to neutralise free radicals. Because UV radiation causes free radicals, as you would know from my Sun Damage article, the inclusion of vitamin E in this formula is important. The soothing and healing properties of vitamin E, which I praise in this avocado oil blog post, are another plus of the ingredient. Ideally, I would have liked to see the incorporation of a few more antioxidants such as vitamin C and resveratrol in the formulation, especially given the high price point. For more on why vitamin C is great with SPF, read this vitamin C article.

Fragrance free

This product is free of synthetic fragrance, so it will not irritate skin that is particularly sensitive to fragrance. I found it interesting to note that the bottle specifically says that the sunscreen should not be used around the eye area. Typically, I apply all my sunscreens around the eye area because I would not want a darker eye region in comparison to the rest of my body. The eye area is also a region susceptible to sun damage, so it is curious that Kiehl’s would say this. That being said, it is not the most moisturising formula so could be a little drying around the eyes. If you wear eye makeup, there is titanium dioxide in that so I suppose it would give some amount of protection, and wearing sunglasses always helps.

Other ingredients

It does contain silicones and talc in order to achieve a silky, mattifying finish. This may be something you wish to keep in mind if you are opposed to such ingredients. I have no issue using these ingredients in my products. They are inert ingredients and enhance the finish of the products. There are individuals that may feel otherwise but this is just my two cents. In cosmetic chemistry, it would be incredibly difficult to formulate a pleasant-feeling, effective SPF for the face that also works nicely under makeup, without the presence of certain non “clean” ingredients.

The titanium dioxide in this sunscreen is nanosized, which I know may be of concern to certain individuals. Again, I do not find an issue with the inclusion of nano particles in products. Oftentimes these nano particles are coated which improves any safety concerns. They also make the product much more aesthetically pleasing. No one wants to be working in a thick gloop of zinc oxide to their skin; it is uncomfortable, and you would probably never wear sunscreen. If you are using a physical sunscreen and it has a pleasant texture, it is likely that they have used nano sized sunscreen actives.

Texture

As the name would suggest, this sunscreen is “super fluid”. It is a liquid formula that you must shake before application in order to emulsify the contents. The bottle has a needle-nose type spout to discharge the liquid. I am not the biggest fan of liquid SPF formulas, but I do find it works nicely under makeup. You will see that the product has a slight beige tint. I was drawn to the tint of the product as it offsets the potential white cast of a sunscreen, and I was done with looking pale as a result of the body sunscreens I had been applying to my face. 

The tint leans a little grey and somewhat reminds me of many grey-leaning BB creams from Asian brands. On my skin tone, the tint is not enough to make a noticeable colour difference on the face. It is extremely sheer and provides no coverage. However, I could see how people with much darker skin tones or who are particularly fair, would struggle with this. For reference, I am around a MAC NC30 in foundation shade and am pretty medium to light in skin tone. If you are much fairer or darker than me, I would suggest trying the other variety of Kiehl’s sunscreen that is completely colourless with no tint.

Matte Finish

I love that the product has a silky feel on the skin and has a mattifying effect. This makes it a great choice for people with oily or acne-prone skin. If you are particularly dry I would not recommend a formula like this. Mineral sunscreen actives are relatively drying too. This means that it might be better for your skin type to opt for a chemical blocker-based sunscreen. Or, at least, a more emollient SPF formula. For my skin type, however, this sunscreen works great as a makeup primer and leaves the skin pretty mattified all day. It should be noted that while I do not have dry skin, I am not overly oily either so very oily skin types may not find they are kept as matte.

Final verdict

I enjoy this sunscreen. It works well under makeup, has a matte finish, and is gentle on my skin. It has a high SPF 50+ that provides broad spectrum protection. I do wish that, for the price, they had done a little more to spruce up the formula. In this day and age, we are seeing emerging formulas protecting from blue light, pollution, and all sorts of environmental aggressors. So, this formula misses the mark a little in terms of what it could include.

However, I do think that it was one of the better choices I could have found at a pinch. It is not the best facial sunscreen I have tried but it does wear well. Overall, it has a nice finish, wears comfortably throughout the day and does not cause irritation. I would give it the thumbs up. 

Where to Find Kiehl’s SPF 50+

Below are links to the exact product I am talking about and where you can find them in your country. Kiehl’s has a few SPF products so the links will direct you to the exact one I am talking about. Find Kiehl’s Super Fluid SPF50+ here:

Sephora US

Selfridges

Amazon

Kiehl’s Website UK

Kiehl’s Website US

Still on the hunt for the Ultimate Facial SPF

I hope that this Kiehl’s SPF Review was helpful and that you had a little insight into the way I judge products. I am constantly on the look for new and innovative formulas and have a number of incredibly interesting products coming your way. This product missed the mark a little in terms of the exciting SPF products being released but is still a solid choice. There is a lot of new and innovative skincare technology I will be reviewing soon, so stay tuned. 

This is the first dedicated review to one product I have done so far. These single review posts go far more in depth than usual. However I want you to feel like you are making the most informed choice when I recommend a product. In posts reviewing multiple I am not able to go as in depth about the formula, what certain ingredients mean, and so on. Going forward, I’d like to reserve these dedicated, one product only reviews to products that truly blow me away and warrant their own review. 

I do think that it is important for skincare reviews to be a little more comprehensive. This is not the case with other products such as makeup as you are judging the product based mainly on its colour and texture. Skincare is significantly more intricate than that. 

The active ingredients of a formula carry a lot more weight in skincare than in makeup. So, I just wanted to make sure with this Kiehl’s SPF Review – or any other skincare review I do for that matter – that I am as thorough as possible. If you don’t like reading long reviews, no worries, I have a series of short, to-the-point reviews coming your way too. 😉

Subscribe to the blog for more upcoming skin care and beauty posts. I also send out a weekly newsletter to check up on all my subscribers and let you know more about the latest and greatest!

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

Disclaimer

This post is not sponsored. I purchased this product with my own money. Kiehl’s do not know I am creating this blog post nor do I have any affiliation with the Kiehl’s brand. I have never been compensated to create a review and only give my authentic opinions based on my own views and experiences. 

I take a considerable amount of time and care to link each exact product, so that my reader can conveniently locate each recommendation with ease. Some links may be referral links. This means I can potentially earn a very small commission for referral should you choose to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Keeping me in mind and using my links next time you shop at beauty retailers like Sephora really helps to support this blog, so that I can continue to deliver free, quality information to you. I strive to create valuable content and put a great deal of effort in to every post. Any show of support is greatly appreciated and will enable me to continue putting out consistent, informative articles that are continuously being improved and updated.

The post Kiehl’s SPF Review: Best Facial Sunscreen? appeared first on Shannon Feetham.

How does the Sun damage your skin?

You might have heard by now the importance of sun protection for your skin in the prevention of sun damage and skin cancers. Despite this, many of us do not always make sun protection a priority. As someone born and raised in the Mediterranean, I am accustomed to sunny weather. I do not burn easily and am not aware of the Sun’s immediate effects. It is therefore not natural behaviour for me to be pedantic about sun protection. After all, can it really be that damaging?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Oftentimes in the face of a skin issue like sun damage, we want to be told the solution lies in latest and greatest innovation in skincare formulations. Or the newest technological advances in laser therapy, the strongest acid peels. Not that we should be wearing sunscreen. We want to be in on this big high-tech secret that solves all our problems and even raises our children in the process. The idea that one magic pill or potion could erase years of misbehaviour is just more appealing. The truth is years of sun damage can easily be averted, provided we take some small steps of prevention. But we must first understand how it occurs so we can identify how to prevent it. 

The lowdown

So, we are aware of sun damage. But what exactly are the implications of prolonged sun exposure and why does sun damage even happen? We often wait until we see the visible signs of an issue to take action. However, the small steps we take each day will make the greatest impact. And this applies to our skin and preventing sun damage. Instead of waiting for the visible signs of sun damage to surface, we should be actively working to mitigate the effects.

If you’re a science nerd like me, sometimes it is only the factual information that is able to persuade me to act on something. Simply being told that I should do something without being given the facts is not enough. Partly because I don’t like being told what to do – period. And partly because I don’t ever trust only one source of information. I like to look at the mechanisms behind a problem and conduct my own investigations from multiple sources. So, here is the stripped back essence of what UV radiation does to skin.

UV radiation

Ultraviolet (UV) is part of the electromagnetic spectrum of radiation falling between visible light and X-rays. The sun emits this UV radiation, but unlike light rays or infrared, it cannot be seen or felt. UV radiation has been classed as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning it has strong cancer-causing potential.

There are a few different types of UV radiation: UVA, UVB and UVC. UV radiation is classified as a carcinogen due its tumour promoting and tumour initiating effect. When we are exposed to the sun, UV radiation contributes to the depletion of stem cells, causes stem cell DNA damage and eventually leads to photoinduced ageing of skin.

Saving the ozone layer will not only save the environment, but it will save our skin too!

The ozone layer acts as a protective barrier to absorb a lot of UV radiation from the sun. UVC is completely filtered out by the ozone layer but UVA and UVB are still able to reach the earth’s surface. The continual depletion of ozone, as a result of certain compounds and pollutants being released into the atmosphere, poses a risk in aggravating the health effects caused by these harmful rays.

In this post, I am going to focus on ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B as they relate to sun damage of the skin and aging.

The difference between UVA and UVB

What are UVA rays?

UVA rays account for most of the sunlight reaching the earth and penetrate more deeply than UVB. This means that they can penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin at the dermis. These rays are responsible for the adaptive melanisation (or tanning) of our skin. Melanocyte cells respond to UVA rays by triggering melanin to darken the skin in an attempt to protect it. The darkening of the skin from a tan is in fact the skin’s response to the damage of DNA.

Silent killer

You do not physically feel the effects of the damage on your skin in the sense that unlike sunburn, solely tanning is not unpleasant and does not cause discomfort. However, this is bad news for those of us who thought that if we simply tan and are not prone to sunburn, we are at less risk than those who burn. Just because our body does not show the immediate adverse effects of the sun does not mean sun damage is not occurring. 

Repetitive UVA exposure ages skin cells, damages DNA, precipitates the formation of wrinkles and is responsible for the majority of skin cancers. As long as the sun is out, UVA rays are present. They penetrate glass so that even when you are indoors, if you are in a building with windows, you are being exposed to UVA rays.

What are UVB rays?

UVB rays are slightly higher in energy than UVA rays. They are especially prevalent at high altitudes and on reflective surfaces (explaining that bad sunburn you got on your ski holiday) but do not penetrate glass significantly in the way UVA rays do. UVB is chiefly responsible for the reddening of skin and erythema (sunburn) and plays a role in skin cancer. Its inflammatory effect kills keratinocytes and voila, you have sunburn.

This type of UV radiation affects the more superficial epidermal layers of skin but also contribute to tanning and photo-ageing. It induces skin pigmentation by increasing melanin synthesis. The oxidative stress induced by UV exposure increases the production of reactive oxygen species, leading to the proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes. These accumulate and increase epidermal thickness so that the surface layer is dull, dense and crepey.

B is for burn

UVB is more efficient in inducing immediate erythema (or sunburn) but does trigger melanin synthesis and will eventually lead to delayed tanning. The overproduction of melanin skin cells can form clusters of darker skin. Cue hyper pigmentation, dark spots and dullness. With age, the outer layer of skin becomes dense, dry and dull. Think that leathery skin texture with dark patches that you see on people who lay on the beach without protection for years.

Vitamin D

UVB however, also plays a vital role in generating vitamin D, which is a steroid hormone that regulates over 1000 biochemical processes in the body. It is important to keep vitamin D levels in check while also being smart about sun protection. It is a myth that tanning booths are a good source of vitamin D since UVA rays are the type mainly used in tanning, and not UVB (so don’t buy into the lie that indoor tanning booths are a good source of vitamin D, folks).

Keeping your skin protected from the Sun

Some simple steps you can take to keep your skin protected from the sun:

• Liberally apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to the exposed areas of your skin
• Reapply sunscreen after swimming or sweating as it can wash off
• Wear sunglasses to shield your eye area
• Stay in the shade during peak hours of sun
• Wear hats to protect your scalp and face
• Avoid skincare ingredients that may induce photosensitivity
• Do not allow your skin to burn
• Avoid tanning booths and use self-tanners instead. Or go au naturale. 

Certain ingredients make you more sun sensitive

There are a number of skincare ingredients that can increase the skin’s sensitivity to the Sun. Such ingredients include various fragrant plant oils, glycolic or lactic acids, and benzoyl peroxide. This means that, if your skincare routine contains any of these ingredients, there is even greater reason to use an SPF daily.

Various ingredients also help to lessen the effects of excess sun exposure. I wrote an entire article about vitamin C skincare benefits – spoiler, it also helps with photo-protection. Ingredients such as hyaluronic acid can help to strengthen the skin barrier. Read this article for what HA does for skin. And read this article for why antioxidants help protect skin alongside SPF. 

What does SPF do?

The SPF rating on sunscreens refers to the protection from UVB rays. It essentially lets you know how long you can stay in direct contact with the sun before your skin begins to burn. For instance, if your skin begins to burn after 20 minutes in the sun, applying an SPF 30 means it will take 30 times longer before you burn.

Because of the lack of liberal sunscreen application, it is best to apply an SPF 30 or greater so that you can be sure you are getting adequate sun protection. An SPF beyond 50 can be misleading. It is probably more beneficial to frequently reapply an SPF 30, than to assume an SPF 100 will protect you 100 times more effectively. Many countries ban a rating over SPF 50 due to the false sense of security it gives.

In terms of percentage of UVB radiation that SPF will block out, SPF 15 sunscreens will filter about 93% of UVB rays, SPF 30 sunscreens filter out about 97%, SPF 50 sunscreens about 98%, and SPF 100 about 99%. As the SPF rating increases, the difference between consecutive ratings becomes smaller. It should be noted that no sunscreen will block out 100% of all UV rays.

What to look for in a sunscreen

Because SPF relates only to protection from UVB, opt for a “broad spectrum” sunscreen. This means it will shield you from both the UVA and UVB rays and will safeguard you from the visible surface level effects of sun damage as well as the deeper level damage to skin.

In an upcoming article, I will be giving a complete overview of all the very best SPF products with the best textures, best ingredients and best under makeup. As a teaser, I will mention this Murad SPF 50 is a game changer. And this non toxic sunscreen is the best “natural” option I have tried yet. You will also want to check out this mineral sunscreen review as a great option for under makeup wear. I will explain everything you want to know in the upcoming post. Let me know in the meantime: do you have a favourite sunscreen?

Stay vigilant

At times it might feel a little wasteful or redundant to slap on sunscreen just to pop outside for five minutes, or during a cloudy day. I must admit I am still having to acclimate to the practice of daily sunscreen use. Keep in mind that although you cannot feel or see the UV rays, they are still present at all times – apart from at night when the sun is no longer in the sky. As long as you can see outside, sun damage is able to occur, and the damage is cumulative. 

It is never too late to begin to take adequate protection of your skin and prevent further harm. The fact is, this isn’t even an aesthetic matter. Being mindful of UV exposure is simply ensuring that you are taking care of your health. Your skin is your largest organ; it’s a living organism. Take care of it and it will take care of you. 

If you found value in this blog post, please share this article so we can spread the message. Follow the blog for more skincare posts. 

Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

This post is not sponsored. All opinions belong to the author.

Sources:
Panich, U., Sittithumcharee, G., Rathviboon, N. and Jirawatnotai, S. (2016). Ultraviolet Radiation-Induced Skin Aging: The Role of DNA Damage and Oxidative Stress in Epidermal Stem Cell Damage Mediated Skin Aging. Stem Cells International, 2016, pp.1-14.

D’Orazio, J., Jarrett, S., Amaro-Ortiz, A. and Scott, T. (2013). UV Radiation and the Skin. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 14(6), pp.12222-12248.

Fda.gov. (2018). Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation. [online] Available at: https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emittingproducts/radiationemittingproductsandprocedures/tanning/ucm116425.htm

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