Sunscreen comparison: Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 vs. ULTA Sun Faces Dry Touch Liquid Daily Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 70

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I've been on a quest to find the best daily sunscreen for my face, ever since my favorite was unceremoniously discontinued. I've tried a few so far, but I still haven't found anything quite as perfect as the one I lost. In the last month or so, I've been trying out a couple of new ones, both of which are chemical formulas (i.e. not mineral/physical sunblocks containing zinc or titanium), since mineraal sunscreens make me break out, without fail. They both have a thin, liquid formula. One of these products will be my main sunscreen for the next few months, and the other one is going to be returned. Which is which, and why?


Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($21):
(Click the link above for product information, including ingredients and package photo.)

PROS:

• Dries completely matte. About a minute after you apply it, it's invisible, and you can't feel anything on your skin.
• Leaves no film/greasiness behind.
• Completely unscented (other than the usual chemical sunscreen smell, which I don't notice after a short time).
• Thin, liquid formula that is easy to apply, and you don't have to use as much to get full coverage as you would with a cream or thicker lotion.
• Sets in place quickly and doesn't smear into eyes etc. as the day goes on.
• Includes "antioxidants and cell-communicating ingredients to help skin look and act younger".

CONS:

• This is the big one for me: It has a scratchy/gritty feeling on application. It's like rubbing liquid sandpaper or fiberglass on my face (if such things existed). I find it really unpleasant. It doesn't leave any grit behind or actually abrade my skin, but the sensation is definitely there.
• Some flaking/balling up if you try to rub in in too much. You can end up with little whitish bits that you have to sort of dust off your face after you finish.
• Only SPF 30. The usual reason for not raising SPF is to allow for a better feeling on the skin, so I assume if they had raised the SPF, it would have had to be more greasy. But since it feels unpleasant to apply anyway, I'd rather have the higher SPF.
• Burns around eyes immediately after applying. This is normal for me with chemical sunscreens. The sensation fades after 10-15 minutes.
• Poor packaging. It's in a soft, squeezable tube like most sunscreens. The difference is that because this is a liquid formula, rather than a thicker lotion, it is hard to control the amount dispensed from the tube. You have to be really careful not to squeeze out too much.
• Really fucking expensive. A 2 oz/59 ml tube costs $21, which is 36 cents per ml. Compare that to a tube of the popular Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen: 3 oz/88 ml for $10, or 11 cents per ml. Remember: it's usually not a good idea to spend too much money on sunscreen. That just encourages you to use it sparingly, so that you don't run out and have to replace it right away.

ULTA Sun Faces Dry Touch Liquid Daily Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 70 ($10):
(Click the link above for product information, including ingredients.)

PROS:

• It leaves very little film/greasiness on my skin when compared with other sunscreens, though more than the Paula's Choice.
• Almost invisible on the skin, other than a slight sheen.
• Completely unscented (other than the usual chemical sunscreen smell, which I don't notice after a short time).
• Thin liquid formula that is easy to apply, and you don't have to use as much to get full coverage as you would with a cream/thicker lotion.
• Excellent packaging (see photo at the top of the post). It comes in a plastic bottle with a very narrow spout, so you can dispense it one drop at a time if you want to, though it's easy to get as much as you need out. This type of packaging is ideal for a liquid formula. It also has a bead inside the bottle to help with mixing.
• SPF 70. Even though once you get above 45, the improvements in protection become increasingly small, I'd still rather have higher than 30, since that tends to only provide SPF 10 protection in actual practice.
• Doesn't smear into eyes etc. as the day goes on.
• Water/sweat resistant for up to 80 minutes.
• More affordable. For $10 you get 1.4 oz/41 ml. That's 24 cents per ml. (Though I got it with another product when ULTA had a BOGO deal, which they continually do for their store band products, so it actually cost me less than that.)

CONS:

• Takes longer to dry/set, so my skin looks a bit greasy for a while.
• Shine never completely goes away, and so I find that I have put powder over it. It's not a really awful shine, but it's more than my bare skin, so I like to get rid of it.
• Can feel a slight film on my skin throughout the day that never completely goes away, either. It doesn't get worse, though, and it doesn't cause my makeup to smear or my skin to get oily. It's just kind of there.
• Burns around eyes immediately after applying. This is normal for me with chemical sunscreens. The sensation fades after 10-15 minutes.
• Small bottle.

Note: The ULTA sunscreen is apparently a "dupe" of sorts for the Neutrogena sunscreen. I haven't tried the latter, but if you don't have access to an ULTA in your area and don't want to buy online, that might be a good alternative. It's slightly more expensive.

Verdict

Maybe you have already guessed, but I'm returning the Paula's Choice sunscreen. For that amount of money, I don't want something that is so unpleasant to use. I really liked the way it looked and felt after it was already on my skin, but I found the application so awful that I would actually avoid using it. That kind of defeats the purpose. I tried this stuff despite the price, because I am usually a huge fan of Paula's Choice products, and it had good reviews. (Incidentally, I tried to submit a review to their website, and it never appeared. I hope that was just a technical glitch, and it wasn't rejected for being negative. I promise I didn't say "fuck" in my review.) Luckily, Paula's Choice has a fantastic return policy.

In the end, since I wear makeup most days anyway, I prefer to contend with the slight greasiness of the ULTA sunscreen. It's less greasy than most other types I've tried, and it doesn't cause my makeup to slide around or smear into my eyes and burn. Even if these two products cost the same amount, I would still choose the ULTA - the fact that it's significantly cheaper and has a higher SPF is a great bonus. 

If a completely matte, non-greasy finish is vital to you, and you won't use its cost as an excuse not to use as much as you should, you might want to try the PC sunscreen. If you can stand just slightly being able to tell that there's something on your face, the ULTA one is a better buy. 

In the end, I still haven't found my perfect, dream sunscreen, but this ULTA stuff will do in the meantime.

Have you tried either of these products? What did you think? Would you choose a matte finish or a comfortable application? What's your favorite sunscreen?