Me: Combo skin - oily nose/chin, dry & sensitive cheeks and forehead.
The product: $9 for 3 ounces. You can also find a 1 ounce tube on some websites if you hunt around for it. Fairly ubiquitous at "all natural" and vitamin product websites. Fragrance-free. Contains a mix of physical and chemical sunscreens, including what is in my opinion the absolute worst sunscreen ingredient...oxybenzone, which is estrogenic and also can be highly irritating. It's not that I am anti-chemical sunscreen, but the company masquerades this as a mineral sunscreen when it is not, so be forewarned. There ARE several good antioxidants in this - the vitamin E and vitamin A especially. While it does contain vitamin C, the pH is not correct for the ascorbic acid to work properly. CIBA estimates a PPD of 6.9.
My experience: It's been a few years since I used this, but the poor experience is still fresh in my mind. It was fine on application - a little thick and hard to spread, but also not terribly greasy. I rubbed it into freshly cleansed skin one morning and left it alone for a half hour. When I went back to inspect my face I was shocked at just how much white was still on my face. No amount of rubbing or time would diminish the VERY pale white cast this left. Not only that, but there were defined streaks of tacky sunscreen left over that did not absorb at all. This sunscreen really is the worst of all worlds. It has enough physical filters to impart a significant white cast, but not enough to cover the whole UVA spectrum efficiently - and yet it also has potentially irritating chemical filters as well. It is thick and tacky, without being moisturizing. It has that geisha-white cast. I would never even consider trying this sunscreen again, not even if All Terrain sent me a gift basket full of them!
Active ingredients: Octinoxate (7.2%), Oxybenzone (6%), Titanium Dioxide (3.5%), Zinc Oxide (Z-COTEŽ) (3%)
Other ingredients: Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Gel, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Bladderwrack (Fucus Vesiculosus) Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceteareth-21, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus) Extract, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis) Seed Extract, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Sea Kelp (Macrocrystis Pyrifera) Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Water, Xanthan Gum. continued >>
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All Terrain TerraSport SPF 30 is a dry land sunblock (not meant for use while swimming) that claims to be non-greasy, broad spectrum and non-pore clogging. It also contains no animal ingredients and never tested on animals. It's also relatively inexpensive - it averages about $8 for 3 ounces. The packaging is a plastic flip-top tube, but it should be in a pump because it's so liquidy. Don't be surprised if you get too much the first time you squeeze it.
I've been using this sunscreen daily for the past few months because I need a moisturizing sunscreen that doesn't contain avobenzone and that is compatible with other facial products that contain titanium dioxide. I am impressed with the ingredients, as they make this sunscreen more like a treatment moisturizer than a bag o' chemicals that I usually see in traditional sunscreens. This one contains ascorbic acid, aloe vera and retinyl palmitate to name a few (read on to see the full ingredient list).
How does it feel? The texture is light and liquidy and it does sink in, but the dry down is a glowy finish and not matte. I would recommend this for someone with combo/normal/dry skin. It might be too rich for oily skin types. It doesn't leave a dry finish in warm/humid weather. But for my normal/drier skin I don't feel dried out by the end of the day when I use this. Does it leave a white cast? Yes though not too excessive. It contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (z-cote).
How does it wear under makeup? Fine if I let it sink in for at least 10 minutes first. When it was cooler and the humidity was lower I could pull off wearing a liquid matte foundation over it but now that summer is here, I'm sticking to mineral makeup overtop. With mineral makeup, I first use a powder makeup primer like Pure Luxe Silk Powder to absorb excess moisture and to reduce shine in the day and I find my makeup lasts well all day long.
Does it clog pores? It didn't clog mine but that doesn't mean it isn't pore clogging. I have clear skin and I always use a good oil-based makeup remover (Lumene) and follow it with an effective foaming cleanser afterwards, so either might be contributing to clean pores.
In summary, I really like this sunscreen for daily wear under mineral makeup and my skin doesn't reject it. I'm already on my second tube!
Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (7.2%), Oxybenzone (6%), Titanium Dioxide (3.5%), Zinc Oxide (Z-COTEŽ) (3%). Other Ingredients: Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Gel, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Bladderwrack (Fucus Vesiculosus) Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceteareth-21, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus) Extract, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis) Seed Extract, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Sea Kelp (Macrocrystis Pyrifera) Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Water, Xanthan Gum.
EDIT 6/29/08: I'm going on a chemical sunscreen hiatus as an experiment to see if these chemicals have a relationship to my hyperpigmentation. However, this is still a recommendable sunscreen for many people and I'll keep my rating the same.
EDIT 1/23/2009: My skin and hyperpigmentation are doing fine without this. I've been using physical-only sunscreens (DHC Q10 Color Moist Base and Skinceuticals' all physical one) and my hyperpigmentation is now easier to control. Even though I don't use this anymore, I think this product is generally recommendable to others that have positive experiences with chemical sunscreens continued >>
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