My next few reviews are going to be on Clarins products. Clarins is a brand I haven’t tried before because of the price; I do believe that you can get decent products for any skin condition at a reasonable price; especially if they are more locally made and produced. Clarins is unfortunately a bit on the pricey side. However you could make the point that an expensive (but quality) product that you actually use is better value than four jars of cheaper stuff that you only use once and never again, so I wanted to see if the Clarins products justify this thinking. Also, since I recently had an overseas holiday I took the chance to purchase a few Clarins items duty free and I’m going to start by reviewing my favorite, their UV Plus High Protection Day Screen.
I used this for the duration of my holiday in a tropical climate (about three weeks) and it was the first thing I used on clean fresh skin. Unlike other sunscreens that are only tolerable if applied after a base moisturizer, this absorbed into my clean skin with out so much as a tingle. Not only that, it retained its gentle qualities throughout the day never causing any irritation at all. I would say this is actually more tolerable than Avene’s sunscreens and those are still pretty good. It is more like a lotion than a cream so I used quite a lot on each application which is a down side, for a tiny 30ml bottle it is nearly 3 quarters gone after only 3 weeks use. That aside, wearing it was worth it. Not only does it protect your skin from the sun it also seems to provide a protective barrier from other environmental irritants like smoke and pollution. Another thing I really liked about it is that it didn’t leave a greasy residue like other sunscreens can which is quite a feat. For this reason it is great under make-up too. It has a light texture that absorbs really well so layering another product on top was not a problem for me. I am yet to try it out in a dryer, colder environment but I suspect that it will be just as good. I will be sure to update this post if it isn’t. Other than that, I do recommend this for sensitive skin. If you can afford it, give it a go. If not, save up for it as it’s that good. The best price for Clarins UV plus I’ve found online is on Amazon for around $37.04 which is not too bad actually: Clarins UV Plus Day Screen High Protection SPF40 30ml / 1oz I paid $34 Australian dollars duty free. As far as being economical, I’m not sure. The 30ml container is small but if you are only using it on your face it may last longer than my three weeks (keeping in mind I reapplied twice a day which you would not need if you used it under an SPF containing make up). Oh and lastly, it has the same active sunblock ingredient in mineral make-up, titanium dioxide, which is probably why it is so tolerable. This is definitely a must have if you have difficulty finding a tolerable sunscreen for sensitive skin. This goes into my sensitive skin *must-have* pile, although I haven’t tried it on active eczema yet, I will update when I do.
 

Related posts:

1. Avene: Very High Protection SPF 50 Cream
2. Clarins: Multi-active day cream
3. Clarins: Hydraquench cooling cream-gel
4. Clarins: Beauty Flash Balm
5. Clarins: Extra Comfort Cleansing Cream