Total Defense + Repair Broad Spectrum Sunscreen by SkinMedica®

Application:

• Morning, and every 2 hours thereafter.
• Face, neck, chest & exposed skin.

Best for:

• UV and infrared rays (IR-A rays).
• Antioxidant rejuvenation.
• All skin types.

SkinMedica® top-quality sunscreens are perfect for the face, since they don’t go on greasy, and don’t leave residue behind. But they’re more than your basic, broad spectrum sunscreens: they protect against infrared rays (IR-A rays) in addition to Ultraviolet light (UVA and UVB rays). All of these light rays can come from the sun, in dangerous forms.

In a clinical study:

• 100% of subjects said Total Defense + Repair SPF 34 absorbs easily and quickly, does not leave white residue, spreads evenly (without lumps), and does not feel greasy (at week 4)*.
• 91% of subjects said Total Defense + Repair SPF 34 improves skin’s overall health and overall appearance (at week 8)*.
• 90% of subjects said that with Total Defense + Repair SPF 34 they saw improvement in skin firmness, tightness, and elasticity (at week 8)*.

It gets better: these sunscreens also help to rejuvenate the skin, and fight wrinkles. They use a patented formula called the SOL-IR® Advanced Antioxidant Complex. Antioxidants infused into these products help fight free radical damage, which gives them their anti-aging effect.

SkinMedica® also makes an all-mineral-based lotion sunscreen called Daily Physical Defense® Sunscreen (Broad Spectrum SPF 34). It contains green tea leaf extract and caffeine to act as antioxidants.

See all our sunscreens, here.

A few helpful things to know about these face sunscreens:

Important: true sun protection requires the reapplication of sunscreen every 2 hours. If you wear makeup, and if reapplying a wet lotion isn’t an option for you, you may be interested in the award-winning, Colorescience® powder-based sunscreen. It’s part of the Sunforgettable® Total Protection™ line. We also carry this at our clinic.

Use at least a nickel-sized amount and spread liberally on your face, neck and chest.

You can use these sunscreens in the pool (they’re water resistant for up to 80 minutes), and on top of your skin care routine. The SPF 34 comes in a tinted option, if you’re looking for a bit of colour to ‘perk up’ dull skin.

These are not just mineral, and not just chemical-based sunscreens. They are combination sunscreens, giving you the best of both types of sun protection. Instead of only including zinc oxide (the most common mineral sunscreen ingredient), they contain chemical-based UV filters and absorbers. The tinted version includes titanium dioxide and iron oxides, the latter of which are helpful for protection from blue light as well.

Why use a combination sunscreen? This comes down to how easily the formula spreads into the skin during its application. Zinc oxide is a great sun protector against both UVA and UVB rays, but it can give off a white cast, and feel heavy. Chemical sunscreens are ‘invisible’ once they sink into your skin. They feel lighter, too.