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Review: BeautyRx Solar Defense Sheer Sunscreen SPF 50

About a month ago, BeautyRx by Dr. Schultz sent me their Solar Defense Sheer Sunscreen SPF 50 to try out for honest review. I was really excited to give it a try because my current favorite (La Roche-Posay Antheliox XL Ultra-light 50+ Fluid) was almost out, and I can’t get that specific formulation in the U.S. (I originally had purchased it in Paris). So I have officially been on the hunt for a new sunscreen.
I had heard good things about this sunscreen from @beauty_unplugged so I was hopeful it would work for my oily/combo and acne-prone skin.
My criteria for a good sunscreen include:
  • works well under makeup
  • doesn’t make me greasy (or any more greasy/shiny than I would normally be)
  • needs to at ideally have 50 SPF (because this gives me a better shot at getting at least an SPF 30 as most sunscreens don’t actually provide the listed SPF)
  • doesn’t give me a white cast
  • doesn’t burn or irritate my skin (or break me out)
  • if the sunscreen contains other benefits (like mattifying skin, or including other beneficial ingredients) I consider that icing on the cake.

Ingredients

INCI:

10.5% Zinc

7.5% Octinoxate

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane [silicone/hydration], Cyclomethicone [emollient], Dimethicone Crosspolymer-3 [silicone/hydration], PEG-10 Dimethicone [texture enhancing], Pentylene Glycol [hydration], Stearyl Alcohol [emollient/texture-enhancing], PEG-40 Stearate [emulsifier], Phenyl Trimethicone [skin conditioning], Hydroxyethyl Acrylate / Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer [texture enhancer], Sodium Dihydroxycetyl Phosphate [surfactant/emulsifier], Citric Acid [pH adjuster], Squalane [emollient], Polysilicone-11, Ceteareth-20 [texture enhancer], Polysorbate 60 [emulsifier], Chlorphenesin [preservative], Cetearyl Alcohol [texture enhancing], Xanthan Gum [texture enhancing], Caprylyl Glycol [emollient/preservative], 1,2-Hexanediol [preservative/skin-conditioning], Sodium Benzoate [preservative], Potassium Sorbate [preservative], Disodium EDTA [stabilizer], Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate [vitamin C/antioxidant], Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides [antioxidant/emollient], Methylisothiazolinone [preservative], Tropolone [preservative], and Ubiquinone [antioxidant].

How it applied

This has a somewhat thick and creamy, yet somehow light, texture (it is COMPLETELY different from my runny La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL). It applies really easily and it actually feels quite nice as you rub it in.

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​Right when I started rubbing it in, I saw the bright white tint and I was immediately worried that this would leave a white cast. But as the product absorbs after 30 seconds or so, it left no white cast (which is probably because the zinc is micronized, which means the particle size has been made much smaller). Perhaps my favorite part is  its finish–which is a soft satin-matte. My skin looked hydrated but not dewy. It wasn’t tacky but it also wasn’t too flat or powdery.

Since I have fair skin (I am a NW20 at MAC), I was worried that I may not have a white cast, but someone with a darker skin tone might see one. So I mailed some to the gorgeous and super sweet @ashleyellebeauty and she also didn’t find a white cast (success!). (Keep an eye out on her Instagram because I believe she will be writing up her review of this sunscreen soon.)

It also works really well under makeup. Since I have been using it, it has never made me greasy and it might actually help to control some oil production. (My mom who has drier skin has used this and it wasn’t too drying on her. Somehow it manages to be creamy and hydrating but not greasy or dewy).

Importantly, after continued use it hasn’t caused me to breakout. I also find that I reach for this more so than my La Roche-Posay…I think this might actually be my new favorite!

Other Observations

I noticed that the website suggests putting this on under moisturizer instead of on top. I have always put it on top, but I might try it the other way.

Cost

This is the same price as the Dr. Dennis Gross sunscreen (listed below) that I was about to purchase before I received this product, and I get more for the price. (Yay!)

To help put this cost in perspective, here are some other popular sunscreens: