An expert judge in matters of taste
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REVIEW: Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 30
There are so many things we love about summer! Hot sunny days, cocktails at the pool, and of course our chic summer attire.
However, these long hot days in the great outdoors means extra damage to our skin, and so we have teamed up with Dr Lauren Knight, a dermatology resident at Groote Schuur hospital in Cape Town, to shed some light on sun protection, an essential key player in the prevention of not only skin cancer, but photo ageing, wrinkles, and pigmentation caused by the sun.
Invest in your skin, it’s going to represent you for a long time
“I like to advise my patients about the concept of prevent and treat, repair and protect and then with this in mind build your regimen around your skincare concerns” says Dr Lauren.
“Prevent and treat is where you focus on your skincare concerns for example, acne, oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin or rosacea. Repair and protect is where we add proven active ingredients to undo the damage that lifestyle and environment has sprung upon us. Such ingredients include Vitamin C, Niacinamide and retinols.”
The skincare universe can often be daunting, and prioritizing what we need for our skin type can be tricky. What do we invest in? How do we protect our skin while still treating skin care concerns? And how do we do all of this without a lengthily multi-step regimen?
Dr Lauren advises her patients to build a skincare regimen that combines the concepts of prevent, treat, repair and protect, but this still sounds like you need a number of different products, right?!
Well imagine you could combine at least your repair and protect, by using a product that contains useful antioxidants, barrier repairing factors and of course the all-important sunscreen.
Not your average tinted moisturizer, the Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF30 is so much more than that. Silicone-free, fragrance-free, chemical sunscreen-free, oil-free, non-comedogenic and safe for sensitive skin, Dr Lauren is going to tell us why it’s a summer skincare must-have…
Shade Range
There are 18 shades of the Super Serum Skin Tint, as opposed to the “light, medium & dark” tinted sunscreen offering, and provides enough coverage to even your skin tone without the use of foundation!
Mineral Sunscreen
Mineral sunscreens are the so-called physical blockers of UV rays usually comprising of zinc or titanium oxide. These work by reflecting the sun’s rays but have the added benefit of being less irritating and less prone to degradation as compared to their chemical counterparts. Furthermore they offer broad-spectrum protection against, UVA, UVA and infrared rays. The majority of tinted moisturizers or sunscreens are chemical based, so if mineral is your preference, you are out of luck.
Active Ingredient Serum
The serum formulation contains niacinamide, squalene and hyaluronic acid. So while you are protecting your skin, your Super Serum Skin Tint is also working on the repair element - evening out fine lines & wrinkles, lightening pigmentation, reducing pore size, and improving hydration of your overall skin barrier. Dr Lauren explains the details:
- Niacinamide is an important precursor to molecules needed for important chemical reactions at a cellular level to repair, propagate and allow for the optimal functioning of cells. Applied topically it serves as an anti-inflammatory, stabilizer of epidermal barrier function, prevents trans epidermal water loss, speeds up cell turnover, and decreases sebum production and prevents melanin transfer.
- Squalene is a natural lipid produced by the skin cells acting as a natural moisturizer to preserve barrier function. However the amount in our cells declines with age. Studies have shown topically applied squalene to have benefits as a free radical scavenger as well as a moisturizer optimizing barrier function.
- Hyaluronic acid is known as the sponge of the skin, it is able to bind up to 1000x its weight in water keeping the skin nourished and hydrated.
Dr Lauren Loves:
- The extensive shade range made it super easy to find one that matched my skin tone.
- Ease of application
- Despite being a tint it gives a fair coverage and gives your skin a lovely dewy glow, perfect for a summer makeup offering.
- It is an ideal base for those who do want to add makeup on top of the tint.
- It is a serum, a moisturizer and a tint. Although more pricey than other offerings it is hard to actually compare based on this last simple fact alone.
How to use:
- Shake well before use. Product may have separated due to the silicon-free formula but reconstitutes with shaking & when applied to the skin.
- Dispense a quarter of a dropper into palms of hand and apply like a serum.
- On application shade may appear lighter. After 30-60 seconds the shade will adjust to its true color. Give it some time before applying additional makeup you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Discover and shop the full Super Serum Skin Tint range here.
The Ilia Beauty universe is available online and in store, exclusive to Skins Cosmetics.
Check out Dr. Lauren’s full review on our IGTV post for all the details