I LOVE European sunscreens and can’t believe I wasn’t using more of them. Dr. BeiBei Du-Harper gave such great information and I found it especially interesting to realize mineral sunscreens aren’t a focus in the UK. Have you tried any of the sunscreens we talked about?
Yes it’s not that easy to find mineral sunscreens in Europe. Those are usually marketed towards babies or people with atopic, very sensitive skin so not as cosmetically elegant as in the US.
PLEASE do more of these videos with european alternatives and info about europe!! It’s so helpful as there are not many knowledgeable skincare youtubers that are from europe and it’s really difficult to find the products americans recommend. If anyone has recommendations let me know!
Eucerin makes really good sunscreens and skincare products in general. Their oil control dry touch sun gel is one of my favourites for oily skin, and their Urea handcream is the most effective, yet comfortable and non-greasy hand cream I have tried. A life saver during winters.
While I like the European sunscreens, finding fragrance free ones has been difficult. Luckily I managed to purchase some Australian ones which are less smelly and burny.
Very happy you recommend a Spanish brand as Heliocare. As you know in Spain we need hight sun care protection all year. Sun protection is not an option.
im from spain too! what sunscreens do you recommend? as its summer, so humid and hot now, im thinking of re-purchasing the isdin water fusion (a bit pricey but nice and good for my combo/oily skin)
@@marioborosescu863 Isdin is one of my favourites brands in sun protection. Actually I am using its Age Repair Color Fusion Water the days I am not wearing make-up (I am also combo/oily skin). I've testing Heliocare Gel Oil free, a very good option too. I've chosen Isdin because of the color subtone, far more appropriate to my skin color.
@@cruzgabaldon Do you have any recommendations that don't have that potent smell? I recently bought one from ISDIN and it smells so so much of sunscreen. Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible product. But I'd rather it was a bit masked or with a bit of perfum. I actually have enjoyed the Hawaiian tropic very much!
Heliocare are amazing! I’ve got very oily skin and as a guy, I don’t want to look dewy or shiny - the Heliocare SPF 50 Oil free gel dries down completely matte without looking greasy, it doesn’t break me out (which is nearly impossible), no white cast, no nauseating chemical scent, the formulation is high quality and it has additional antioxidants vitamin C & E included in the formulation 🙌🏻 Most Derms in the UK and Europe love Heliocare
I have heard there is a lot of lobbying against newer filters in the US. The moment they are permitted, European brands will take over the US market and it is the best interest of American companies to prevent newer filters.
Bioderma, La Roche Posay, Heliocare are amazing. Uriage and Avene are also nice. European sunscreens are more easily available in South Africa than American sunscreens
It's so true American sunscreens suck lol you MUST try the Altruist sunscreens from the UK. Very cheap, very moisturizing, very high UVA protection I think you'll love them
Okay, but really one of the best ones in my opinion is the La Roche Posay Anthelios 50+ pa++++ ultra resistant hydrating cream for face non-perfumed (what a name 🤪) but its 8 euros, uses the modern spf filters like tinosorb s and m, uvinol,.. (and NO avobenzo, oxybenzone, etc) completely agrees with my acne prone dry skin without irritating my eyes at all!(like even when I get it in my eyeballs it doesnt sting!) Discovered it in search for a purito alternative and fell jn love. There is also a body versiin of this one in a big tube with almost the same formulation and sold in an eco-tube 😀!
Please try Australian sunscreens they are just THE BEST! I can’t recommend enough the Ultra Violette line, and the cancer council matte in the pink tube!🥰
as a european i am really happy about this video, there just isnt a lot of talk online about european suncare products instead of vague statements on the variety of the filters (at least ont in my specific online bubble) which makes it really hard to buy as long as most people talking about us and korean sunscreens (which are also always conntected to higher shipping costs and inaccessability)
I'm so glad you did this interview. I live in the Netherlands and watch a lot of American beauty content. I was always confused why we have such differences in sunscreens. I'm so glad you talked about these products, as I can buy many of them myself here and now I have an idea what to look for! Thanks
And there's a huge difference in the ingredients list between many brands here in Europe and the same ones distributed to the USA. Not just for the spfs but an array of products including the lines like: L. Posay, Avene, Uriage (that almost no one mentions in USA), the German brand Biodroga, etc, etc
EU laws are the best when it comes to sunscreen and personal skincare. It's just their are meant in favour of people, their health and comfort. Our agencies are constantly testing everything, evolving in practices, reviewing new filters (trying to prevent skin cancer and damages - remember, skin is an organ and in fact the biggest one in our body, so good sunscreen is a health issue), thinking about the enviornment.. really regulating everything, so - yeah! European sunscreen for me, all the way!
Avéne intense protect has changed my life. Having good protection that doesn’t burn my eyes or turn me purple literally lifted my standard of living 🤠 ☀️
Wow she was standing/sitting in such an area where sunlight was coming on her skin and she wasn't afraid at all. This proves how strong her sunscreen is. And yes, tinosorb s and m are reaaalllllly great. Out of the box comment but can't control myself. Her accent ❤️❤️
It’s so frustrating to have to pay overseas shipping to get good reliable sun protection, and can’t believe that the USA is still using only the oldest filters, and offering mediocre sunscreens. Good sun protection should be affordable and accessible for everyone.
Sunscreens are supposed to form a layer on your skin to block out UV so are these antioxidants many sunscreens have, even able to penetrate the skin and be effective?
The antioxidants aren't always added to penetrate. They could be used to stabilize the filters, or to reflect some UV themselves (depending on their specific structure).
What would be the reapplication rule for indoor? I can understand having to reapply every 2 hours if you are outdoor but this seems excessive if you are in the house all day.
I’m in Australia and I use Avene (French brand) 50+. You just have to rub it in really well. Has to have zinc oxide or titanium oxide, otherwise it’s useless.
Luv this video! Thank you for doing it. I have an ignorant question. In countries/areas that may be more desert-like, Africa, the middle east, etc., is sunscreen part of their lives? I understand there may be more urgent matters to focus on, work, food, survival, etc. But culturally, it would be interesting to hear how various countries approach sun protection. Alaska & Antarctica as well, that would be interesting to hear about.
The new and patent filter in the avene intense claims to protect against visible light, which is interesting considering only iron oxides are thought to do that. The filter has been in the works for about 20 years and I hope their clinical trials are authentic. Saves the hassle of tinted sunscreens that are a hassle to find for SOC, and are expensive.
@@threatlevelmidnight3588 nah people are just wreckers and narcissistic, pay attention on how everyone wants to get ahead in life at the expense of others. Even cutting someone off in traffic nearly causing an accident as an example.
That is the one downside about cosmetics in the US especially with sunscreens is that Europe has better filters and it does suck. Come on FDA approve more filters.
I've been using the Uriage Bariésun for kids 50+ for 5+ years, and it performs great. I was eager to try other products as well because its not reef-safe, but I always come back to this. I've always felt like that the US has a better selection of sunscreens, probably because so many are not available in Europe, and I quickly and wrongly deducted that this means that the US has just more. So thanks for educating me :)
7:45 In the past, sunscreens where all about UVB protection, thus older filters usually provide less good UVA protection. 8:08 Zinc does provide good UVA protection.
I think she was talking about the chemical filters first? And you have no idea how high or how low the UVA protection is with zinc oxide in an US formulation. Or how long it lasts. There is a document flowing around the internet that says that the Elta MD clear sunscreen has a UVA protection of 3.6 for example.
Despite being a pasty-white-Irish-descent person who has roseacea I did not wear sunscreen daily before I tried Asian sunscreens. I now wear sunscreen *almost* daily and the change in my roseacea has been amazing. US sunscreens tended to burn my sensitive skin and eyes, felt tacky and mask like, and usually had "that sunscreen smell". I only got irritation from one Asian sunscreen I tried (it had EOs), and because the texture and smell was so much more pleasant I could easily wear it almost daily. My 14yr old child is now a convert too! If you are struggling to make sunscreen a daily practice, try European or Asian ones. You won't regret it!
The Cetaphil 50+ does have a slight white cast as it has titanium dioxide, although it does lessen after it's dried down. This is off google: When it comes to white cast - all the sunscreens that contain Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Tinosorb M and A2B will have some level of white cast. If it's in nano form the white cast will be reduced, but it will still be visible on anybody.
@@sara_387 thank you so much for your informative comment! It was super interesting! I think maybe the south African cetaphil has no white cast though, and seems invisible on the skin because it may be formulated for South Africans who have darker skin? I know there is no titanium dioxide or zinc oxide in mine, as I have my tube and the ingredient list next to me. I guess it just depends where you live huh😣
@@suranyagovender4604 yes, I had to check the ingredients to see if the one linked was the same as the one I buy in Australia. They do formulate a bit differently around the world.
PA is capped to "16"? Oh boy...this is why I just stick to Altruist. It's affordable and provides a PPD rating on their website. I just have to work around with the texture during atrocious humid summers in PH. I'm skeptical to try or rather make our local sunscreens as my primary sunscreen because I don't know the UVA protection. They just indicate SPF.
she literally said that UVA rating in europe caps at 16 cuz rule of thumb is, UVA protection is at least 1/3 of the spf number. it could be better, but so far as technicality goes, it caps at 16.
@@Malfujitaka And? My concern is PA which is prevalent here in Asia. It doesn't give a rating but just plusses. While Altruist gives a number in PPD, not just a symbol or logo.
Why is Susan talking about the UK AND Europe. The UK isn't part of the EU anymore but of Europe, because Europe is a continent and it would be very hard to leave.
Iceland is counted as a nordic and a european country too allthough it's an island and much far away from the continent than UK. ✌️ Anyway sun shines everywhere we live and it's good to have a proper protection 🌞❤️
The UK is geographically in Europe but you're correct it's not in the EU and she should have spoken to an EU dermatologist, considering the UK now doesn't have to follow the EU regulations on sunscreens or whatever else.
Heliocare is Spanish and it's an amazing brand, with so many great products, some including Niacinamide or HA! So happy for them to get featured in son many videos lately
Can you do a sunburn and/or after sun skincare video?? I am new to skincare and I KNOW that sunscreen and sun exposure is so damaging, but still working on my sunscreen routine and getting into the habit of applying it properly. We’ve all been there, right? I got a pretty good sunburn on accident and realized it’s kinda hard to find reliable information on how to care for sunburned skin and how to change my routine to make sure I am avoiding irritation and soothing the skin to heal as fast as possible.
Thank you so much for this video! I have been buying sunscreens here in the UK based on your recommendations from the US, not realising we had different (and possibly better) alternatives here. Please do more of this for your international viewers! ♥️
Blue skies don't equal the best sunscreens 😅 I haven't used Australian sunscreens and have nothing against them, I am just saying this is a weak argument. Blue skies don't confirm good formulations. If that was the case, Latin America and Africa would also have the best sunscreens due to the amount of heat and blue skies they get 🙂
Yeah, the mineral sunscreens in the Uk are either bad or expensive. But on the other hand, our chemical sunscreens are way much better than what's available in the US.
Before I even watch I'm going to answer... Yes. La Roche Posay Invisible Fluid (Holy Grail), EVY, Altruist. Europe is at least 30 years ahead of us. Modern chemical filters, a higher concentration of Avobenzone... in the U.S. the limit is 3%, in Europe I think it's 5%. Those modern filters give Avobenzone a backbone. Another thing is that U.S. mineral sunscreens are generally criminally expensive, where as my HG sunscreen, La Roche Posay Invisible Fluid, is like 10 euros a bottle. It's the budget beach sunscreen in France. I wish the FDA would dump sunscreen into Cosmetics, so LRP could just sell my HG on Amazon or Ulta. PLEASE. More content like this ... let's hammer this home to the FDA to get off it's collective duff and CANCEL Oxybenzone and other deleterious filters on the Monograph, and add some more modern filters. My other thought here is that France and other European countries just care more about their population. Based on recent events, I highly doubt the U.S. FDA cares about the U.S. population at all.
Hi! PLEASE can u do a review on VICHY, EUCERIN, URIAGE and other european water based/dry oil sunscreen. I have read that dry oil is mich better the the normal sunscreen? How true is that?
@@mariusforn You see every market in different depends on which country it is…I love English skin care brands for example but we simply do not have any of them and now you have to pay taxes if you order from UK…it’s sad.
Im in Asia and heard that Bondi Sands Sunscreen is soo goood? What variants would you recommend that has a strongest protection, planning to order online😁Tia
Dear Susan and Beibei, The Intense Protect SPF 50 plus (ie 60 plus) 150 ml is excellent product. It has oily fluid to lotion texture to provide anti drying effect and better stability and dispersion of filters. It contains their very new filter, TriAsorB (trade name), chemical name is listed on the bottle, which covers UVB, UVA as well as blue light up to 450 nm. However, given that is all organic product and because of the yellow color of TriAsorB it stains cotton and paper in yellow in the same way as tinted sunscreen. The product contains color Red 33 to mask that yellow color on skin. I use that product often, but only on face and ears because of staining property. I believe that Avene made it for beach, although I have been using it in the city with no problem. Avene in Europe also has two excellent mineral sunscreens. The first one is all titanium (mix of small particles for UVB and larger particles for UVA ) and iron oxides and white pigmentary titanium to minimize white color of titanium filter and to provide (theoretically) some protection beyond 400 nm. Essentially, this is a light and modern version of the classic all titanium mineral sunscreen which used to be very white and thick. The second one is with zinc for UVA and titanium for UVB, both tinted and non tinted. However, they are not very oily, so they need to be gently applied on moisturized skin (not dry) and in small dots. You cannot distribute mineral products in the same was as organic ones. Overall, on face and ears I use mineral or chemical sunscreens, while on body areas like neck (full circle), chest, palms and wrists , I use only mineral ones to avoid staining, provided it has been formulated in that way. In Europe Nivea also has excellent mineral sunscreen: 50 ml for face as well as kids version for face and body 50 and 150 ml. All are fragrance free and easily removed by oily cleansing oil or gel (Avene XeraCalm oil, A derma Exomega gel etc.)
Does the European version of Cetaphil leave a white cast? The US version (Cetaphil Mineral Lotion SPF 50) leaves a white cast and dries powdery. Not a fan.
Care to beauty is a website that offers some of these options, the shipping is expensive but when you spend more than 100 dollars you get free shipping.
This was so insanely helpful. I’m Canadian so I’m used to the broad spectrum system. Then I lived in the UK and now I’m living in Germany…. Navigating the sunscreen world and the language used for UVA etc., as well as the filters is so weird and difficult. Thank you so much!! Now I have more accessible options (EltaMD is hard to get in Germany) in the EU too!!!
Living in the EU, I never tried a US sunscreen so I can't compare. But I can say the European sunscreens I have used throughout the years have been great. Especially for me the UltraSun sunscreen that I've been using the last 3 years or so. Haven't tried the tinted one, but the regular one. Love it! Really moisturizing, sinks in beautifully, leaves a nice velvety finish, doesn't sting my eyes. Also Eucerin has some lovely sunscreens. Heliocare is great, but def on the pricier side. Def agree that it's hard to find all mineral sunscreens here, but with the options we have it doesn't really matter.
@@veronicaivanova I love Eucerin in general, so I expected their sunscreens to be great as well. Haven't tried the tinted one. I'm always hesitant to try them so I just stick to sunscreen+tinted moisturizer. But I was looking at trying it. Maybe I could give it a shot. Also saw that LRP has a new tinted sunscreen
@@doraj7917, the only reason I haven't tried the LRP tinted one is because it has fragrance but they do have great products. I use their moisturiser, cleanser, retinols, eye creams and not tinted SPF 😊
@@doraj7917, it says "fair" on it. I think it will suit people with light olive skin (that's my skin shade). I would say neutral. It reminds of a much lighter version of my Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation Ivory Beige. Obviously, the coverage of Eucerin isn't like a foundation but the shade is very similar in my view.
I wonder if mineral sunscreens are more prevalent in the US because the chemical filters available are more irritating. I know I personally can't use a lot of chemical facial sunscreens because whatever they use gives me periorificial dermatitis but I've had no issue using Korean chemical sunscreens.
Thank you for another great episode, very informative❤🌞I live in the EU and I know our legislation is different and often more strict here but I have no idea it was the other way around with sunscreen. Many of our sunscreens are also excellent affordable skin care. Last year I clumsily enough got a sun burn while in Italy. I went to the pharmacy and got an Avène after sun product for sun burn and I tell you - instant effect and the next morning I had a beautiful tan instead of looking puffy and red like a lobster.
I was wondering how you feel about a foundation that has SPF in it? Can it be just affective for my face as my sunscreen if I'm out and about, in terms of protecting from sun-related skin aging?
I'm no professional but I'm thinking no? Only because you need to apply a whole lot of sunscreen for a really good protection from the sun and we definitely do not apply as much foundation. Plus, your foundation can be patchy/uneven thus not protecting your entire face.
You can use it, no problemo. But! You have to use half a teaspoon of SPF for to be fully protected. Would you use so much foundation? Prob not. You I would recommend just use a normal spf! :)