L’Oreal Paris UV Perfect Super Aqua Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ Long UVA - Chia Sẻ Kiến Thức Điện Máy Việt Nam

I recently reviewed L’Oreal Paris’ Even Complexion SPF 50 product (click LINK here). Despite having formidably excellent UVA and UVB filter, it also contained BHT. This prevented me from wholeheartedly recommending that product.

I have no such problem with this product. This is an excellent sunscreen, as it:

Provides bona fide protection against both UVA and UVB radiation
Is extremely affordable at Rs 515 for 30ml. This puts it in the same pricing bracket as Lotus Herbals, Lakme and Neutrogena
It is water-based and therefore, is more likely to be non-comedogenic than other oil-based sunscreens, although I do note it contains shea butter…

Understandably this product is a bestselling sunscreen on Nykaa.

****OFFICIAL GEEK ALERT: this review is about to get detailed. You have been warned*****

Mục Lục

What damages should sunscreen be trying to prevent?

Sunscreens should contain both UVA and UVB filters that protect against the following damages:

What filters does this product have?

This is the complete ingredient list that appears on Nykaa:

Filters are:

Ethylhexyl Triazone (2nd ingredient)
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine (“BEMT“) (3rd ingredient)
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (“DHHB“) (5th ingredient)
Titanium Dioxide (6th ingredient)
Drometrizole Trisiloxane (“Mexoryl XL“) (9th ingredient)

Given the order of the ingredients in the product – all are in the first 6 listed ingredients except Mexoryl XL – there is no doubt that the product contains sufficient quantities of these filters to justify its high SPF and PA rating.

High SPF comes from UVB filter and broadspectrum filters…

The high SPF comes from Ethylhexyl Triazone. This is a very photostable UVB filter that does not need to be present in large quantities to be effective. It has a large molecular weight (823 Daltons) meaning it won’t be absorbed by the skin.

The SPF rating is supported by all other filters (which are broadspectrum) but not Mexoryl XL, which is a UVA filter.

Broadspectrum, photostable and efficient filters

i) BEMT

BEMT is the 3rd ingredient on the list, indicating a lot of it is in the product. BEMT is an excellent broadspectrum filter as:

It provides superior UVB as well as UVA protection. The UVAI protection it offers begins to taper off at about 360nm, indicating it provides inferior protection to Avobenzone. Nevertheless, it’s still an excellent UVA filter.
It’s very photostable, so does not immediately start to breakdown as soon as the product comes out of the tube
It has a large molecular weight (629 Dalton) meaning it won’t be absorbed into the skin.
It does not have to be present in large quantities to give significant UVA protection. Even 1.7% BEMT without any other ingredients, provides PA++ rating, which is much more than the PA protection offered by many Indian sunscreens.

ii) Drometrizole Trisiloxane

Mexoryl XL is a L’Oreal patent filter. It provides pretty excellent coverage over the entire UVB region and UVA II region and it peaks at about 350nm and then begins to taper off in absorbance post 350nm. Finally, it is very photostable.

UVA protection and the high PA++++ rating

The only UVA filter is DHHB, which:

Is a superior, photostable UVA filter.
Like BEMT, DHHB is a new style filter that does not need to be present in high percentage quantities to give effective protection. Even 1.5% DHHB gives PA++ rating, assuming no other filters are present. It provides superior UVAII / UVA I protection, peaking between 350nm-360nm.

Given that DHHB is the 5th ingredient in this product, its very likely that sufficient quantities of this and in combination with all the other filters, especially BEMT, that this is a PA++++ rated product.