This sunscreen is my favourite, new, discovery of this year so far. It is very pleasing to use, and I’m sure many of you will appreciate it. It’s from the higher price shelf, one of the priciest sunscreens I have used in a while, but it feels luxurious on the skin. 

This product is quite impressive; it is supposed to hydrate, mattify and protect from pollution by preventing particles from adhering to skin. And I agree that it does the first two; I am not sure about the last one as I have no way of testing it. It prevents skin hyperpigmentation and sun-induced damage as it fights against UVB and long & short waves of UVA. It’s non-greasy &-sticky. Also, it was developed and tested on Asian skin, and it’s suitable for sensitive skin. That’s all the information available on the box.

Looking at the ingredients list, it includes a few interesting ones. Like most of L’Oreal sunscreens, this one also contains the patented Mexoryls XL & SX, which are great both at filtering UVA and UVB rays. There are also other chemical filters and titanium dioxide. It has one of the highest sunscreen ratings SPF 50 and PA++++ in Japan (it is made in Japan). The old version with PA+++ (one + less) had the encircled UVA logo. The new version is even better as the UVAPF is even higher, so for sure you get decent UVA coverage. 

There’s also RNA (ribonucleic acid), it’s an interesting ingredient, not that much used in skincare products, especially sunscreens. It aids healing and calming the skin; for example, eczema patients find it very helpful. Also, it’s used a lot in anti-ageing skincare, for example by SK-II. Moreover, there are yeast extract and vitamin E quite high in the ingredients list. From worrying ingredients, it’s the fragrance as there seems to be a lot of it. However, while using the product, I didn’t find the fragrance disturbing. The sunscreen smells like any other Lancôme product (maybe even less than usual Lancôme products, I don’t use them often, to be honest), and the smell dissipates quickly. There’s also peppermint leaf extract, which may be irritating for some. 

The product itself is superb; it hydrates and mattifies at the same time. It is so weird for me, to be honest. Because the sunscreen will hydrate your skin while you have it on, you can feel it. But, if you have a bit of dry skin, it will show up as the mattifying agents will gather around your dead skin. Though the product will not dry out your skin further, just a white patch will only be visible on your face. The mattifying effect is pretty good, as it lasts for a few hours. You may want to blot in-between applications, but when you reapply, it continues being mat. However, if you sweat, you may get a bit shiny. It is quite sweat resistant. The sunscreen doesn’t drip down with sweat, but it makes your skin shiny as if you overproduced sebum. 

For me, it’s crucial that a sunscreen doesn’t make me look greasy as soon as I apply it. This product keeps me matt for a few hours, and it protects from the sun very well. It is easy to blend, and it doesn’t leave a white cast per se. It acts more like a brightening primer – if that makes sense. I think it’s what the name Milky Bright stands for. The sunscreen will brighten your skin. You can treat it as a brightening primer if you wish. I would say that darker complexions may consider using a BB cream on top of this product. You can reapply the sunscreen, and it won’t show up, but you need to make sure that you blend it in well because you will get a white residue if you don’t spread it nicely. Just take your time and rub it in slowly, by applying a couple of small layers.

I honestly think it’s suitable for all skin types. Perhaps people with dry skin wouldn’t like it during cold months, but in the summer it will be fine. People with active acne may prefer a lighter product in the summer, but during cold months this sunscreen will be excellent. I also think people with sensitive skin would like this product. The amount of fragrance is not excessive, and if you tolerate all the ingredients, you should be alright. There’s alcohol, and it’s needed to make the sunscreen work and light-weight. I mean the amount is negligible, so don’t worry about it. 

Overall, it’s a great sunscreen, and I am sure many of you will like it. I wish it were available in more countries. The Lancôme UV Expert Youth Shield is exclusive to the Far East and Turkey. The line used to be available in other regions as well, but this has changed – what a shame. 

Ingredients: WATER, ETHYLHEXYL METHOXYCINNAMATE, DIMETHICONE, GLYCERIN, DROMETRIZOLE TRISILOXANE, TEREPHTHALYLIDENE DICAMPHOR SULFONIC ACID, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, ALCOHOL DENAT., TRIETHANOLAMINE, STEARIC ACID, POTASSIUM CETYL PHOSPHATE, NYLON-12, RNA, ZEA MAYS EXTRACT / CORN KERNEL EXTRACT, TOCOPHEROL, SODIUM COCOYL SARCOSINATE, HYDROXYCITRONELLAL, HYDROXYSOHEXYL 3-CYCLOHEXENE CARBOXALDEHYDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, DIETHYLAMINO HYDROXYBENZOYL HEXYL BENZOATE, ADENOSINE, PHENYLALANINE, FAEX EXTRACT / YEAST EXTRACT, PEG-100 STEARATE, ARGININE, EUGENOL, ETHYLPARABEN, PALMITIC ACID, POLYSORBATE 80, LIMONENE, XANTHAN GUM, MANNITOL, LINALOOL, BENZYL BENZOATE, BENZYL ALCOHOL, MENTHA PIPERITA EXTRACT / PEPPERMINT LEAF EXTRACT, TROMETHAMINE, ISOHEXADECANE, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE, CARBOMER, ACRYLAMIDE/ SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE COPOLYMER, PYRIDOXINE HCI, TYROSINE, GERANIOL, BIS-ETHYLHEXYLOXYPHENOL METHOXYPHENYL TRIAZINE, DISODIUM EDTA, DISODIUM ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE, HISTIDINE HCL, ROSA GALLICA EXTRACT / ROSA GALLICA FLOWER EXTRACT, CETYL ALCOHOL, METHYLPARABEN, CITRONELLOL, ALUMINIUM HYDROXIDE, HEXYL CINNAMAL, GLYCERYL STEARATE, AMYL CINNAMAL, PARFUM / FRAGRANCE (lancome.com.tr)

The Lancôme UV Expert Youth Shield Milky Bright SPF 50 PA++++ is on its way to being replaced with a new formula, but there are still few countries in which you can get this product.