Linda Sy • ZincO • Sunscreen
(34 reviews)
| Average Rating. | 3.5 |
| Would buy this product again. | 55% |
| Package Quality | 3.9 |
| Price | 3.5 |
| Ingredients | |
chinchi on 6/6/2007 9:16:00 AM more reviews by chinchi
Age: 30-35 Skin: Combination Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
I use the tinted version. I tried this long ago and at first didn't like it. In my recent search for a good physical sunscreen, I decided to give it another try. I now like it. It does leave me shiny, and it doesn't stay on my upper lip when sweating, but overall this performs better than other physical sunscreens I have tried. When I am planning to really sweat, I use UV Natural and just put up with the oiliness. I have to put a powder on over this. (Paula's Choice makes a good pressed powder in my opinion that has zinc oxide and titanium dioxide in it.) I think I didn't like it at first because my skin used to be in worse condition and more broken out. Now, my skin is less broken out and I think less aggrivated by this product. It will, of course, feel heavier than a chemical sunscreen, but seems to me to be better for the face than other physical sunscreens out there. Also, I'd give Linda Sy in general 5 lippies. Twice I have emailed questions to her about product ingredients, and a few days later she sends a detailed reply with references to primary literature for more information. I am planning to try June Jacobs Sheer Micronized spf 30 because of reviews here and will update if I like it better....
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sharron123 on 2/7/2007 4:04:00 PM more reviews by sharron123
Age: 56 & Over Skin: Sensitive, Medium Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
For some reason this made a patch of skin on my cheek very dry and irritated. As soon as I quit using it, it started clearing up, but still took several weeks to go completely away. I had only used it twice and liked every thing about it, but my skin just won't tolerate it. It also left a shine to my face, which I didn't like.
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Ruth1376 on 12/1/2006 5:17:00 PM more reviews by Ruth1376
Age: 19-24 Skin: Sensitive Hair: Other Eyes: Other
I like that this sunscreen has not caused acne for me and that it is tinted. It evens out redness and acne scars better than tinted moisturizer. I wear it in the day with no makeup over it. My skin is very dry in fall and winter and I am able to wear a moisturizer beneath the sunscreen for moisture. Actually, I need to wear a moisturizer underneath. Otherwise the sunscreen does sting. At first it did not. Do not rub the sunscreen in. Instead smooth a generous amount over your skin. you want to spread an even layer over your skin and not rub. My skin type is very dry, very sensitive and acne prone and many substances sting.
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firewoman450 on 11/27/2006 1:53:00 PM more reviews by firewoman450
Age: 30-35 Skin: Other Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
I bought samples of both tinted and untinted versions. The untinted, as the other reviewer said, made my face look like a ghost. I use the tinted version occasionally to cover up red spots and it works ok.
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ingiepop on 9/29/2005 5:57:00 PM more reviews by ingiepop
Age: 25-29 Skin: Combination, Fair Hair: Red Eyes: Green
This is the only facial sunblock I use, and I live in fear of it being discontinued. My skin is pale, acne prone, and sensitive to chemical sunscreens and environmental factors. ZincO tones down my redness and provides a physical block from the sun and other nasty things like windburn. I don't use foundation, and this is a great base to apply concealer and powder for a finished look.
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*TOP REVIEWER* Emma13 on 5/7/2005 7:56:00 AM more reviews by Emma13
Age: 30-35 Skin: Combination Hair: Brown Eyes: Green
My samples arrived yesterday so I thought I would give a first verdict (to be updated as to wear, any reactions etc.) The untinted ZincO unfortunately makes me look like Casper the ghost so that is not an option. (I'm a yellow toned LLL). The tinted version, far from appearing a bronze shade which is what I expected after reading some reviews, looks pretty invisible on my skin although darkens it ever so slightly. Gives me a healthy glow if you like... It looks like a tinted moisturiser. So far so good. It does leave a shiny finish but with a dusting of powder I look natural and yet slightly polished, very nice. I even felt I didn't need other makeup except a dot of concealer on some acne scars! For every day, that is a great result. It does feel heavy on the skin which is not so nice but I can live with that. I don't think I could put another layer on top of it (i.e. foundation) but will give it a try. I'll update when I know more about how it wears day to day, but since I have recently become sensitised to chemical sunscreens but need daily protection, I'm really hoping this will prove a sort of answer. I wish the SPF was higher though (it's 20). I will definitely buy the full size of the tinted version unless my skin starts reacting to it. ****UPDATE**** I bought the full size. No reactions. I do think the texture is too gunky and wish it was sheerer, but it's the only non-chemical sunscreen available to me at the moment that isn't white, so I'll be using it especially when I move to Cyprus next month! ****FINAL UPDATE**** Oh no... having now tried in in the Mediterranean heat, I can say this feels awful... like having a greasy layer on your face, couldn't wait to take it off! Sorry Zinc-O, you & me are thru. Hence revised rating.
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*TOP REVIEWER* gerlygerl on 4/12/2005 10:51:00 AM more reviews by gerlygerl
Age: 25-29 Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine Eyes: Blue
I've tried both the tinted and untinted versions of ZincO. The tinted version is extremely dark on my PPP skin - as someone else mentioned, it looks like a fake tan - but the untinted sinks into my skin without any white cast. I've found that mixing the two gives me a perfect shade that's not at all pasty, yet helps hide the redness of my rosacea. Mixing the two also makes the finish more matte than just the untinted alone. Alone, the untinted leaves a sheen that disappears after an hour only to re-emerge after another couple of hours. My skin isn't that oily, so I'm not sure it's because of oil on my skin.
Overall, this is one of the very few stable, broad-spectrum sunblocks that can be used on rosacea *and* acne-prone skins (I'm both). It seems a bit expensive, but you use so little that a tube lasts at least four months. I've found that it spreads easily, but can accentuate dry patches, just like any physical sunscreen. I alternate this daily with Shiseido spf 55, a new find, but the ZincO is a bit more moisturizing and therefore better for my Retin-A'd dry skin.
The flip-top tube is very sanitary, which is great.
This is a great product, but it's certainly not perfect. I don't care for the sheen, I'd rather it didn't include polyacrylimide, and different shades of the tinted version are needed as it's not truly one-shade-fits-all.
The company does have excellent customer service, by the way. They mistakenly sent a tinted tube when I'd ordered an untinted, and then corrected the mistake and said I could keep the tinted tube. It worked out well, as I love mixing the two versions.
UPDATE: This is just way too shiny on me. I'm leaving my initial review up for history's sake, but the PPD on this s/s is low, and the shine was too much for me. I've moved on to June Jacobs Sheer Micronized spf 30 and haven't looked back.
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*TOP REVIEWER* luxed2 on 3/13/2005 9:22:00 PM more reviews by luxed2
Age: 36-43 Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium Hair: Brown, Straight, Coarse Eyes: Brown
Tried samples of untinted and tinted and didn't like either. Way too thick and non-spreadable, very pasty and accentuated dryness. For a cosmetically elegant all physical sunscreen, Epicuren zinc sunscreen is the best I've tried. It spreads easily and is totally invisible on me. Second to the Epicuren is DDF Organic but I'm not sure how effective its spf factor is (since the %'s of zinc & titanium are so low).
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rosyrosey on 3/3/2005 4:19:00 AM more reviews by rosyrosey
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination Hair: Blond Eyes: Blue
I ordered samples of the untinted and tinted versions and didn't care for either. Both felt somewhat greasy. The tinted looked horribly unnatural on my light skin (the color of the product itself is a coffee-brown). The untinted version left a white cast on my face and brought out flakes/dryness in my skin that I couldn't see before applying it.
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eddiev on 2/11/2005 8:30:00 PM more reviews by eddiev
Age: 36-43 Skin: Oily, Fair Hair: Brown Eyes: Green
I was recently diagnosed with rosacea and this has been a wonderful product for me. I now realize how important sunscreen is on a daily basis (whether the sun is out or in). I used the tinted formula and it does a great job covering up some of the redness. This is now my HG sunscreen!
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KylesBeguiles928 on 2/10/2005 4:58:00 PM more reviews by KylesBeguiles928
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue
Heavy product, boring/bland formula, props for the micronized and coated zinc oxide-based SPF but add some more silicones and water-binding agents and lose some of the wax. Also consider making the tinted formula in a variety of skintones instead of just the sheer bronze shade which is the only one offered.
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meow-mix on 1/22/2005 3:01:00 PM more reviews by meow-mix
Age: Unknown Skin: Other Hair: Red Eyes: Green
I love this sunscreen. I am a MAC NC15-20, so I have to mix the tinted and untinted versions together to get a nice match. Doesn't make me oily or break out. I have slight rosacea and this product does burn the skin at the base of my nose slightly if I do not use a moisturizer first. This preventative techinque was recommended to me by Linda Sy herself. Only thing I don't like about this product is that it is not waterproof. It washes off at the beach, or sweats off on very hot, humid days.
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*TOP REVIEWER* oasdus on 12/3/2004 11:47:00 PM more reviews by oasdus
Age: 30-35 Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse Eyes: Hazel
I am reviewing both the tinted and untinted versions. Most of my comments will apply to both versions, other than about the color it gives.
The tinted is too dark for my very pale skin. It gives a golden glow, and would be great with a sunless tan. I like the flip-top cap and the small hole for dispensing the product, helps not to get too much out at once. It blended easily, and though initially it looked kinda shiny, once I had put on powder, I stayed pretty much matte all day. It felt comfortable on my skin, no stinging, no heaviness. I was pleasantly surprised that a product with such high concentration of zinc would spread so easily, not look like wallpaper paste, and not have a horrible smell. This was very nice and elegant. It even made my mild rosacea skin feel a little cooler and more comfortable. Will definitely repurchase, but not getting the tinted again until summer.
UPDATE: I have since tried to switch to spf without chemicals, so I no longer use this.
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missgolightly on 11/18/2004 4:09:00 PM more reviews by missgolightly
Age: 25-29 Skin: Acne-prone Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue
I got this with a sample of green cream (which, incidentially, I chickened out of trying) and since I am always looking for a good tinted moisturizer with SPF I tried this. I was quite surprized and really do like it. It blends well into my skin, has a smooth feel, and evens out my skin tone. So far, I haven't noticed any breaking out from it nor have I noticed it increased flakiness. I did use it over a moisturizer, though, because it is winter so I didn't want to encounter dryness. I think I am going to order this through her website because so far, I haven't found anything I like better.
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redrockgirl on 10/26/2004 9:17:00 PM more reviews by redrockgirl
Age: 30-35 Skin: Other Hair: Other Eyes: Other
I needed a physical sunblock to prevent melasma, or to just take a break from chemical sunscreens. This is an spf20 sunblock with micronized and coated ZnO at 14.5%--the highest % i know of. The PPD is 8+. I have tried both the tinted and the untinted versions of this product and these are my thoughts.
Untinted: makes me look like Casper the ghost and my BF comments on it. Never wear it again.
Tinted version: even though I am light skinned (but not PPP), i find this works well with my skintone and blends in. Initially, the look is dewy, but by the end of the day, it is matte. I find it to be a comfortable sunscreen, not too heavy, with just the right amount of moisturization, but it may be too much for someone with very oily skin. Initially, i felt a bit of stinging upon applying this product (others did too, see below) but this no longer happens even though i use the product every few days or so. Maybe the skin gets used to it?
Cream blushes blend well with this, but powders are preferable. Because this evens out my skintone, i tend to wear less blush and MU overall, which is a nice timesaver. I think i'll probably use it as my 'foundation' as well.
So, it is now one of my HG's, depending on the need. I would definitely repurchase.
Update: i hate the stinging feeling, so I stopped using it.
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ShellTay on 8/14/2004 1:10:00 PM more reviews by ShellTay
Age: 30-35 Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium Hair: Blond Eyes: Hazel
I love this. I have acne prone and sensitive skin. Most sunscreens iritate my face or cause me to break out. This is actually soothing on my skin. I also have melasma (great skin, eh?) and this prevents my spots from darkening. I also use in under my eyes without sensitivity. Further, it doesn't feel super oily and thick like many SPF lotions. It's the only sunscreen I use now. I recommend trying the tinted version if the white formula lightens your skin. The color of the tint evens everything out and diminishes any redness. I recommend trying it. She offers samples on her website.
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*TOP REVIEWER* Fhorn on 7/21/2004 4:54:00 PM more reviews by Fhorn
Age: 30-35 Skin: Acne-prone Hair: Brunette Eyes: Brown
I have sebhorreic dermatitis and I got this to try for summer camp but unfortunately I didn't like it. It irritated my extremely sensitive eyes and gave me a white mask on my face.
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Kajsa on 7/6/2004 2:36:00 PM more reviews by Kajsa
Age: 30-35 Skin: Other Hair: Blond Eyes: Blue
The good thing:
It has physical sunscreen with spf 20 and melts into your skin, you will look pale but not white. I used it under my foundation and it worked fine, didn't look shiny only dewed feeling during the day.
The bad thing:
I have tried this sunscreen for 4 days in a row now, and after 2 days my forehead and cheeks broke out.
Will not buy this again, but if you are not acne prone this is worth trying cause you can buy small samples and many people with rosacea loves this sunscreen. www.lindasy.com
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MJMartin70 on 5/31/2004 6:40:00 AM more reviews by MJMartin70
Age: 30-35 Skin: Combination Hair: Brunette Eyes: Brown
I am still searching for a sunscreen with good UVA protection that does not irritate my eyes. I purchased a sample of this and I am really glad I did not buy the full size product. This not only irritates my eyes, but stung my entire face when I applied it. I do have sensitive eyes, but not sensitive skin -- I have never had a sunscreen sting upon application before, and I really have no idea what in this causes this reaction. Needless to say, this caused my eyes to sting furiously as well (and water horribly), and so my search for a sunscreen continues . . . .
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DawnMarie02 on 5/22/2004 2:38:00 PM more reviews by DawnMarie02
Age: 30-35 Skin: Sensitive, Fair Hair: Brown Eyes: Green
This product makes my skin look even flakier than it is. At one point, I literally looked like I had scales on my face and had to wash it off. I have rosacea and this product is recommended for that, so I'm not sure what the problem is! If you have even *slightly* dry skin, I would avoid this. The only pro is that it is SPF20 and doesn't burn my skin, however, who wants to look like a shedding snake?