It's been two years since I used European sunscreen and I have to admit, this year is surprising. I started with La Roche Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Oil Control Fluid SPF50+ which is one of the best sunscreens in Europe you can get at the moment, but Vichy released a new version of sunscreen I tried before. Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ is an alternative for oily and combination skin types.
What's UV?
UV stands for Ultraviolet, it's nothing else than the selected range of frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum. UV rays are not visible to humans but it doesn't mean that they don't exist. Each type of UV - UVA, UVB and UVC has different wavelengths and different properties.
UVA, UVB and UVC - what does each of them do and where you can meet them?
I'm sure you know about UVA and UVB but UVC or the difference between UVA2 and UVA1? Let's start from the shortest wavelengths - UVC (100nm - 280nm) exist in space and it's absorbed by the ozone layer, it can kill bacteria that's why on Earth you can find it in germicidal lamps - you might ask me, but these lamps are usually visible to a human - it's because they are made in a way that makes them safe for you and other people - you shouldn't enter the room when the UV lamp is on and make people aware that the lamp is on we add other substances so the lamp has a blue/purple colour when it's on. This technology is used for example at labs and hospitals. We all remember UVB (280nm –315nm) because it is said that B in UVB stands for BURN. Indeed, this UV length is responsible for sunburns, but it also helps with the synthesis of Vitamin D - a vitamin which we all need because lack of it can lead to osteoporosis. UVB is focused on the epidermis aka the outer layer of the skin while UVA (315nm –400nm) can penetrate through the epidermis and dermis so it penetrates your skin deeper. A in its name stands for Aging. The bad news is that UVA can penetrate glass, and both UVA and UVB cause lots of damage including skin cancer and oxidative stress.
Should I wear sunscreen at home?
We already know that UVA penetrates through the glass so do we need to use sunscreen at home? Yes, especially if you spend lots of time working near the window then it's better to put on a layer of sunscreen in the morning and have any type of protection at home as well. But you can also use window films to reduce the risk. The choice is left to you, what I do is keep my blinds on the window during the entire morning and when the sun is not that intense because my windows are situated on the Eastern side the light usually starts to fade afternoon - usually by afternoon I already have sunscreen on, few times reapplied.
What's the difference between mineral and chemical sunscreen?
It depends on which side we look at this topic. Mineral sunscreens are sunscreens that don't contain any carbon atoms - this automatically makes them inorganic sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens contain carbon atoms, which makes them organic substances. The main difference is that mineral sunscreen usually leaves a white cast, and it's better if we use both Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide for a broad spectrum of UV protection. Chemical sunscreens don't leave a white cast, and they have more sophisticated formulas. Both are amazing, in some cases, PIH (hyperpigmentation), mineral sunscreens, and natural pigments can make a good layer of protection from UV rays.
About Vichy
Vichy is a French dermo-cosmetics brand which I guess everyone knows about. Vichy was created in 1931 by Dr Prosper Haller. The name of the brand originates from the name of the city - Vichy in France. The main ingredient of Vichy products is water - Vichy volcano water. It's not your regular water, but thermal water enriched in minerals. Vichy is focusing on creating products based on research - Vichy tries its best to create hypoallergic products. Lately, Vichy has been trying to make formulas and products more environment-friendly.
Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ - Packaging
When I saw Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ I had to get it. Since I ordered it from Lyko (this post is not sponsored) and this shop is from Sweden, the entire packaging is in... English, Swedish, French and Finnish. There's also text in Danish & Norwegian. In this case, we don't have double packaging, but sometimes in Baltic countries, you can spot "double packaging" on fresh releases. Similar to La Roche Posay, Vichy has a typical bottle shape for the Capital Soleil line. What @kindofstephen noticed last time I posted about the 2021 UV-Clear version are stickers. You can easily remove them before throwing the product into the bin. L'Oréal Group, the owner of both Vichy and La Roche Posay, tries to make its brand greener, and if it comes to these stickers on the packaging - you can't see it well first, the sticker stays in place (I can't say that about Matrix, the other brand that belongs to L'Oréal Group), but it's easy to remove. It's not a greenwashing, but a real thing for L'Oréal Group to make the recycling process of their products easier.
Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ comes in a 40ml plastic bottle with a great pump, the same as in Vichy Capital Soleil UV-age Daily SPF50+ Pa++++ . This time I'm in the middle of using it so I do not know if it has the same issues once you're near ending the product. Vichy doesn't have any information in Braille - something that Vichy's sister brand, La Roche Posay has.
Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ - UVA&UVB protection
Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ is supposed to provide UVA & UVB protection. According to the brand, this sunscreen has SPF50+ protection, but UVA protection is more confusing. PPD above 16 is a substitute for PA ++++ so as you can see UVA protection scale is a bit confusing. The way the EU marks UVA protection is even more confusing - does Vichy sunscreen have a UVA mark in a circle? Yes! In general, every sunscreen needs PPD that is at least 1/3rd value of its UVB protection to get the circle mark. Vichy Capital Soleil UV-age Daily SPF50+ Pa++++ provided UVA protection PPD/UVA-PF 46. A few local pharmacies and articles on Vogue Poland suggest that UVA-PF/PPD of Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ is 46. The article was a sponsored material so I guess it's a legit source. The PPD system is better, because if the PPD value is near 50, the better protection the product provides, but in this case PPD value is high.
Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ - Scent & Texture
I love Vichy's latest sunscreens for its texture. Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ didn't disappoint me, it's the same good texture I know - satin-like finishing, fluid-like, but creamy texture. It's a delicate formula, but this time it looks more white and it doesn't show any white cast on my skin. Once again, Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ has perfume in the ingredients, it has a delicate scent. The smell isn't different than in Vichy Capital Soleil UV-age Daily SPF50+ Pa++++.
Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ - Ingredients
Aqua/Water, Alcohol Denat, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Silica, Isopropyl Myristate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glycerin, Ci 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Propanediol, C12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer, Niacinamide, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Perlite, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Ci 77492/Iron Oxides, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Ci 77491/Iron Oxides, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Silica Silylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Ci 77499/Iron Oxides, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Water hides in cosmetic products under names such as Aqua or Eau. It's a solvent, but it's not your regular drinking water. Water in skin care needs to fit some standards. It should be clean and free from minerals, microorganisms or other substances. Usually, water makes up the majority of the content of the product. Alcohol Denat is an immense topic in skincare. Alcohol can be good or bad for your skin, but sometimes the amount makes a poison. Alcohol, after all, is a prominent solvent. It makes active substances penetrate the skin deeper. This effect has its cost - the skin is getting a bit irritated. Some substances can be dissolved only in alcohol. This ingredient has antibacterial properties. It works as a preservative by preventing microorganisms from growing in the product. It has some awful sides too - it can dry your skin, mainly if we use it in large amounts. Sensitive skin is not a fan of this ingredient. Diisopropyl Sebacate is an emollient common in sunscreens since it helps create a nice formula, it's also common in lip products. Silica is a mineral-natural ingredient. It's popular in makeup and skincare. It can absorb sebum or thicken the texture. Isopropyl Myristate is a dry emollient. This ingredient makes your skin soft or even velvet in touch, it helps keep moisture inside the skin by creating a delicate film on the surface of the skin. It makes the product less sticky and in hair care products it adds shine to hair. Not every skin might like it, it can be comedogenic. Ethylhexyl Salicylate or Octisalate is a sun-protecting agent. It's a chemical sunscreen that protects the skin from UVB radiation (280-320nm), but it has its peak at 306nm which makes it a weak sunscreen. Ethylhexyl Triazone or Uvinul T 150 is a sun-protecting agent. It covers the UVB range (280-320nm). Its peak is at 314 nm. Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine is quite a hard name to remember, that's why you can find people talking about this ingredient by calling it Tinosorb S. It's one of the newer types of sunscreen agents and one of the strongest ones. It's a chemical sunscreen that protects skin from UVA (315-400 nm) & UVB (280-315 nm), and its peak is high. It's a stable sunscreen that works with other sun-protecting substances to protect their early photodegradation. Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane or Avobenzone is a sun-protecting agent. It protects skin from UVA I and UVA II wavelengths (310-400 nm) and its peak is 357nm. It's not a stable sunscreen that's why we use it with other chemical sunscreens. Glycerin or Glycerol is a humectant. Its origin can be natural or synthetic - depending on the product. It protects TEWL (transepidermal water loss) and naturally occurs in the skin. It's one of the NMFs - natural moisturizing factors. It's practical in hair care. Glycerin won't clog your skin or irritate it just the opposite - it protects your skin from irritation. Titanium Dioxide (Ci 778911) is a mineral (or physical) sunscreen agent. It protects your skin from UVB and UVA II radiation and might cover some lower waves in the UVA I spectrum. It has a typical white colour visible on the skin, unless it's a nano version then this white tint might not be visible at all. This ingredient has a second task - it works as a pigment. Titanium Dioxide works perfectly for skin that needs visible protection like skin with melasma, nice that white pigment works as a barrier or protective film on the skin. It has one additional task, it makes products stay fresh a bit longer. Propanediol is also known as natural glycol - an alternative to propylene glycol. Propanediol is a solvent with additional moisturizing properties. It makes the product smooth to the touch. It can even improve the effectiveness of active ingredients.
C12-22 Alkyl Acrylate/Hydroxyethylacrylate Copolymer is a thickener. Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 - a vitamin soluble in water. It helps with problems like wrinkles, acne, skin texture, and enlarged pores and promotes collagen synthesis. Niacinamide makes the skin barrier stronger. It might be handy in cellulite treatments. Do you want to fight pigmentation or uneven skin? Try to mix niacinamide with Kojic Acid, Arbutin, Vitamin C, Tranexamic Acid or Retinol. Drometrizole Trisiloxane or Mexoryl XL is a sun-protecting agent developed and patented by L'Oréal Group in 1989. It's a chemical, photostable sunscreen that protects the skin from the negative effects of UVA & UVB radiation. According to the brand, Mexoryl XL is safe for the environment. Perlite is a natural exfoliant. It's an absorbent derived from volcanic rock and a source of silica. This ingredient can gently exfoliate your skin and scalp. Tocopherol is an antioxidant known as Vitamin E. It's an oil-soluble vitamin that fights free radicals and makes UVB protection and natural lipid barrier stronger. It's good to mix it with vitamin C for better effects. Oily skin might react with pore-clogging to vitamin E. It is not true that vitamin E works as a preservative or helps with scars. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride is a combination of coconut oil and glycerin. It's a notable emollient, quite common in skincare. It leaves a protective film on the surface of the epidermis to save your cutis from dehydration. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride has a significant role in skin care products - it makes the application process effortless. Some people might experience pore-clogging after using Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride but pore-clogging and skin reactions to ingredients are individual. What works for you might not work for someone else. Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid is a long name, that's why you probably know this ingredient as Mexoryl SX or ecamsule. Mexoryl SX was patented in 1982 by L'oreal so when we talk about other brands we stick to the name Ecamsule. This sunscreen protects your skin from UVA radiation (315–400 nm) and it has its peak at 345nm. It's a chemical sunscreen with high stability. Ci 77492/Iron Oxides is a matte, yellow pigment. Caprylyl Glycol is an oily emollient and humectant. It leaves a moisturizing film on the surface of the skin. Pentylene Glycol is mostly a solvent and stabilizer, but it has great moisturizing properties. Triethanolamine regulates the pH of the product. Hydrolyzed Rice Protein is a humectant. This ingredient is useful in hair care since it can be anti-static. It makes hair condition better. In skincare, this ingredient creates a delicate film to prevent skin from TEWL. It makes detergents in the product less harsh.Ci 77491/Iron Oxides is a matte, red pigment. Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate neutralizes metal ions in the product. Silica Silylate prevents caking. Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer and quite a large molecule. It works as a thickener and emulsion stabiliser. Butylene Glycol is a common ingredient in products. It's not only a solvent. We use butylene glycol because it helps with the penetration of active ingredients, protects products from drying and moisturizes skin and hair. This ingredient can prevent hair loss and make your hair stronger. Ci 77499/Iron Oxides is a black pigment. It's used in many coloured products like foundations to get the colour - not always the black one. Hydroxyethylcellulose is a thickener and it creates a protective film on the skin. Vitreoscilla Ferment is an ingredient obtained during the fermentation process. It's a soothing ingredient recommended for sensitive skin. It has a positive meaning on the skin's microbiome. This ingredient is typical for L'oreal brands such as Vichy, Biotherm and La Roche Posay. Disodium EDTA neutralizes metal ions in the formula to keep products fresh. Fragrance (Parfum) is a scent composition. It can cause allergic reactions.
How does Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ work?
I tried Vichy Capital Soleil UV-age Daily SPF50+ Pa++++ in 2021 and I enjoyed it. It was one of the best European sunscreens I've ever tried. I wasn't sure if I should try Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++, because even if I enjoyed the old version (it's still available), both products have niacinamide and my skin is not a big fan of it. Vichy is not a cheap sunscreen, the price of sunscreens went so high in Poland. Back then the price was about €20 (80 zł), nowadays it costs €33 (150 zł). I got it for €20 which is about 90 zł so this price is quite normal on sale/promotional offer. Let's start about the claims and the technology behind this sunscreen.
Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ is a lightweight formula with salicylic acid to help more with acne than the previous Capital Soleil formulas. It's supposed to reduce 66% of acne, 31% of sebum and 32% of pigmentation changes on the skin. These data are based on Vichy's test done on a group of people for almost two months. I've been using this sunscreen for a bit longer and I can't say if that's true for one reason - sunscreen is an additional product, I don't treat it as an active product - it's supposed to protect me from the sun, and yes Vichy does phenomenal work with sun protection. There's a bit of marketing because niacinamide can help with acne, but sunscreens themselves protect us from PIE. Usually sun + acne pimple is a good recipe for pigmentation on the skin, that's why sunscreen is so important in your routine - it protects your skin from burning, aging and other damages like pigmentation.
Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ doesn't leave any white cast, the formula is lightweight and it doesn't migrate! You can use it on your eyelids. It does contain alcohol, but honestly? I don't feel it as much as in LRP sunscreen. Similar to Vichy Capital Soleil UV-age Daily SPF 50+ Pa++++, Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ is based on the Netlock formula. The formula itself is lightweight thanks to netlock technology. What does Netlock technology stand for? It's an encapsulation technology patented by L'oreal, this allows L'oreal to create ultra-light formulas with high-protection sunscreen agents. Vichy Capital Soleil UV-age Daily SPF50+ Pa++++ is not the only sunscreen based on netlock technology, previously L'oreal used this technology in their other products such as famous La Roche Posay Anthelios, Garnier Ambre Solaire and Mixa Solaire products.
I do enjoy this sunscreen, but honestly, it doesn't work with my makeup as well as the UV-Age version, during the summer I need to add some mineral powder to my makeup to make sure it lasts long. I do need to wash my sponges more often since the sunscreen likes to stick to them.
What's the difference between Vichy Capital Soleil UV-age Daily SPF50+ Pa++++ and Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++?
The main difference between Vichy Capital Soleil UV-age Daily SPF50+ Pa++++ and Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ are ingredients. UV-age is more suitable for dry skin, while UV-Clear is better for acne-prone and oily skin types.
How much does Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ cost and where to get it?
Vichy Capital Soleil UV-Clear Anti-imperfections Water Fluid SPF 50+ PA++++ is available on Lookfantastic* at it costs 26.45€ for 40ml.
Have you ever tried Vichy sunscreen before?
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