For years people have asked us for the Blissoma take on mineral facial sunscreen. It took us a while, but we finally arrived at our ideal recipe. It has super clean ingredients, spreads on like a dream, and leaves a flawless finish on skin while providing SPF 25 Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB protection. It's also suitable for sensitive skin, and the intensive botanicals it carries provide your skin a banquet of nourishment. We are extremely proud to call this beautiful concoction part of our line.
While many sunscreens focus on being just a barrier product this recipe is dense with antioxidants, vitamins, phytonutrients and skin supportive compounds. Oils like Argan and Tamanu hail from global environments where sun is intense, and have been used for centuries to protect skin from the elements. Raw, organic Sesame seed oil, Red Raspberry seed oil, and Blackberry seed oil add lightweight, allergy-conscious nutrition that supports the zinc oxide's sun protective benefits. Conditioning squalane in the emollient mix means we don't need any clogging silicones to suspend our mineral particles. That's great news for acne-prone skin, as silicones can cause congestion.
Niacinamide at 3% supports the appearance of even skin tone and helps provide all-day hydration retention to keep your skin plump and comfortable. Herbs like Black Tea, Gotu Kola, and Hydrangea support skin's resilience and healthy appearance. Wild harvested, organically cultivated violet leaf from our own garden tones and soothes skin with rutin, and mucilage.
Photonic has a lovely pink hue to it, but it's not just a tint, it's Astaxanthin. This red algae ingredient is grown in controlled tanks in Hawaii and produces a super pure CO2 oleoresin extract. Astaxanthin has a good deal of study behind it showing its antioxidant action and ability to support the body in stressful situations like sun exposure. The amount we have used will not noticeably stain the skin. The hue will disappear into their natural skin tone without changing it. That's the magic of colorful nutrients.
The Zinc Oxide that we have used is a micronized, non-nano, transparent zinc. It should apply invisibly to basically any skin tone. Due to the holistic construction of this recipe we were able to keep the percentage of zinc on the lower side while still achieving a very respectable SPF. The average particle size for the zinc we are using has been tested and found to be at least 2.5 micrometers. Mineral particles are always a range of sizes, and the lowest particle size was found to be 300 nm.
What is a nanoparticle anyway? A nanoparticle is a particle smaller than 100 nanometers or 100 billionths of a meter. Nano and non-nano are not currently defined by the FDA as official terms. Our zinc oxide particle size is well above the 100 nm cutoff for what would be considered "nano". Our research into the issue of nano mineral safety has indicated that concern over the possibility of nano minerals migrating through healthy skin is not well founded, but we were able to find a non-nano zinc that has excellent performance with a larger particle size.
Zinc oxide offers stable, broad spectrum protection that chemical sunscreens just cannot match. Many chemical sunscreens absorb only UVA or UVB light. UVA absorbent chemical sunscreens are notoriously unstable. They degrade when exposed to sunlight, right when you need them most! Minerals like zinc have no such problem, as they reflect both types of rays easily. That means you keep more of the deeply penetrating UVA rays off you.
UVA radiation is capable of bouncing through windows at all times of year, too, so simply being indoors is not protection from these damaging rays. We love getting healthy sun exposure, but it's nice to be in control of when you get it.
This recipe was tested by our volunteers everywhere from sunny, arid regions like California and Colorado to humid, sweaty places like St. Louis, MO. We got 100% enthusiastic feedback from the nearly 30 volunteers.
The below comment from Lisa Picker is typical of the feedback we received.
"Julie, I love the mineral sunscreen. First, it smells amazing. It goes on really smooth and dries quickly. I love the way it leaves my skin feeling, and maybe itÍs placebo effect, but I feel like my skin looks more even after I put it on „even without make up. I would buy this.... It rules. Well done."
DIRECTIONS
Use this as a complete replacement to daily moisturizer, or choose to layer with a serum or moisturizer underneath for extra nourishment. We do recommend that Photonic be applied as a final layer in the skincare routine so as not to disturb the distribution of the mineral on skin. Therefore oil serums should *not* be applied on top of this product as the oils could move the zinc around.
Drug facts for sunscreen SPF 25
Active Ingredient: 12.5% micronized (non nano), uncoated zinc oxide
Purpose: Sunscreen
Uses: Helps prevent sunburn
- If used as directed with other sun protection measures (see Directions), decreases the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by the sun.
Warnings: For external use only.
- Do not use on damaged or broken skin.
- When using this product keep out of eyes. Rinse with water to remove.
- Stop use and ask a doctor if rash occurs.
Directions:
- Apply liberally 15 minutes before sun exposure
- Reapply:
- immediately after swimming, sweating, or after towel drying.
- at least every 2 hours.
Sun Protection Measures:
Spending time in the sun increases your risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. To decrease this risk, regularly use a sunscreen with broad spectrum SPF of 15 or higher and other sun protection measures including:
Limit time in the sun, especially from 10 am - 2 pm
Wear long-sleeve shirts, pants, hats and UVA/UVB rated sunglasses
Children under 6 Months: Ask a doctor
Other Information:
- Protect product from excessive heat and direct sun.
INGREDIENTS
Aqueous Infusion of Camellia sinensis* (black tea) leaf, Euphrasia officinalis* (eyebright), Centella asiatica (gotu kola) leaf and stem*, Vinca minor (periwinkle) leaf*, Hydrangea arborescens root*, Viola tricolor (violet) leaf, and Silybum marianum (milk thistle) seed*, Aloe barbadensis Juice*, Micronized zinc oxide (12.5%), Leuconostoc/Radish root ferment filtrate, Sesamum indicum (sesame) Seed Oil*, Niacinamide, Argania spinosa (argan) Oil*, Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Wheat Straw Glycosides, Rubus ideaus (red raspberry) Seed Oil*, Squalane, Extracts of Olea europaea* (olive) leaf, Symphytum officinale* (comfrey) leaf and root, and Echinacea purpurea* root, Oenothera biennis (evening primrose) Oil*, Rubus fruticosus (blackberry) Seed Oil*, Calophyllum tacamahaca (tamanu) Oil*, Gluconolactone, Grain Alcohol*+, Xanthan Gum (and) Lecithin (and) Sclerotium Gum (and) Pullulan, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Populus tremuloides (aspen) bark extract, Astaxanthin, Bergamot FCF essential oil, Citric Acid