Dermatologist Sunscreen SPF 50 – Superior 5-star UVA protection by Dr Andrew Birnie, suitable for sensitive skin - 2 Count ( Pack of 1)

I have used Altruist for around 7 years now, since getting pretty bad acne in my late teens, and going on a big skincare journey from there. It has never aggravated my acne, or eczema, it sits well under makeup, it's not greasy, and it has a neutral smell. I appreciate that their products have remained affordable, and that they stay true to their cause - protecting skin! Their facial fluid formula had to change for a while a few years back (because of ingredient shortages, great customer service btw), and it kept pilling, so I opted for this particular spf 50 instead, and I have stuck to it since! So even their body sunscreens are great on your face, even if you're acne-prone! Thank you Altruist :)

This is my second time purchasing the normal SPF 50 because it’s such a great daily product that is affordable, looks great under my daily makeup, and is super moisturising too. I’ve had no issues with white cast when using this product, as a person with a light brown skin colour, and I haven’t find it to be too oily, which is something I usually hate about most sunscreens. I’ve also managed to get my mother and sister, both of whom suffer with dry skin, to absolutely love this product as they find it non-irritable, moisturising, and effective for preventing sun burn.

I seldom write product reviews, but I was very pleased with this sun cream, and with the transparent (and altruistic) nature of the company/founders. I am very thankful that Altruist was able to offer this product at a very affordable price, so everyone can access sun protection and apply it at the correct densities every day to achieve the UV protection stated on the bottle (and re-apply throughout the day). The sun cream is a bit shiny, especially with re-application, but I enjoy wearing it at home, and while exercising. It is water-resistant which means it is great while exercising - and because it is very affordable, it can be used appropriately without guilt (e.g. adults need ~ 6 g per leg, ~ 3 g per arm + hand, ~ 6 g on torso, ~ 6 g on back, ~ 1,4 g on face + neck, to reach the SPF on the bottle). It is also great in the winter, especially where I live, when it can get down to -30 Celsius. It is also very friendly for sensitive skin - it is fragrance-free, uses a very gentle preservative system (although I must say using parabens would have been even more effective and gentle - contrary to media, there is no evidence of harm to human health at all, unless you have a confirmed allergy to parabens, as demonstrated by a confirmed patch test conducted by a certified allergist). There can be a slight flash-type cast due to the TiO2 for those with Fitzpatrick types III and beyond, but it is very minimal in my opinion. It does not sting the eyes (since octocrylene is only present at 5%), but could be different for extremely sensitive eyes. I just wanted to share a bit about UVA protection in hopes those not familiar with this find it helpful: UVA is immunosuppressive, causes premature aging, contributes to persistent hyperpigmentation, and exacerbates many skin diseases. The SPF only describes the UVB protection (which is only 5% of the UV dose - the rest is UVA), therefore not every SPF 50 offers the same UVA protection. The UVA 5-star of this cream only says that the sun cream UVA protection is at least 90% of the UVB protection (i.e. 90% of 98%, since it is SPF 50). However, it also has the UVA seal (which states that the UVA protection factor is at least 1/3 of the SPF), meaning this product offers a PPD of at least 17 (which is already quite effective). Although I do not know the exact PPD rating of this sun cream, I am pleased that Altruist decided to divulge the extinction profile of the cream, which shows it remains effective even in the very broad UVA1 range (beyond 380 nm). This is very important because not every broad-spectrum filter covers this area effectively. I appreciate that Altruist SPF 50 contains 8 UV filters: octocrylene (UVB+UVA2), octisalate (UVB), avobenzone (entire UVA1+UVA2), TiO2 (UVB+UVA2+someUVA1), ensulizole (UVB+slightUVA2), Uvinul T 150 (UVB+UVA2), Tinosorb S (UVB+UVA2+UVA1), and Tinosorb A2B (UVB+UVA2+UVA1) for truly comprehensive UV protection. Avobenzone offers most of the protection beyond 380 nm in this sunscreen, but Tinosorb A2B is also effective in this area (because it has a substantial tail after its second peak absorbance at ~ 340 nm) - and the avobenzone is very stable in the formulation because of the Tinosorbs and octocrylene (plus the other filters) so I am very confident in the UVA protection of this sun cream. Overall, a fantastic product. I tried it for the first time earlier this year and was immediately impressed. I now re-ordered 8 bottles.

As another reviewer has said, it's not quite there yet but still a FANTASTIC sunscreen. I've been using this every day for just over a week now. The first day I put it on my arms, hands, neck and face. Face: I'm aware that Altruist does do a facial sunscreen which I'm yet to try but I think this product still deserves scrutiny for use on face for all the parents out there who just need to slather their impatient kids in sunscreen before they run off to make sand castles. I digress...anyway my initial impression is that it really doesn't get on well with stubble. It tends to pill around facial stubble which immediately makes it a bit of a nuisance for men unless you are super clean shaven every single day. Having seen another reviewer's picture of the product pilling on their clothing, this seems to partially prove my point. I also noticed some build up in my neck creases. I have also experienced mild stinging in my eyes resulting from using the sunscreen around my eyes and eyelids, I'm guessing this indicates that the product slides/migrates a little (this might be unavoidable with most sunscreens to be fair.) There is also a strong chemically taste that seeps into my mouth throughout the day. However, I want to add that the eye stinging and the taste is nowhere near as bad as I've experienced from other sunscreens like Jason or Malibu...and don't let this put you off trying this product since we all have different sensitivities. It's worth mentioning that I now use La Roche Posay Anthelios invisible fluid SPF 50 on my face (around my eyes and on my lips) and I don't get the same issues that I get with this Altruist sunscreen. La Roche Posay is quite expensive though so I look forward to trying the facial sunscreen from Altruist which I'm hoping will be more comfortable! As for the rest of my body I still happily use this product...it is a little on the greasy side but not enough for me to want to stop using it. It's safe to say I have definitely found a body sunscreen that ticks all the boxes for me including being very affordable and fragrance free (sadly the latter seems to be something that's hard to come by in affordable sun care products.) I'd happily recommend this product for the body and would encourage you to try it on the face and see what you think.

Love it. Doesn't give me breakouts. Best sunscreen I've tried for the money spent.