A moisturizing matte.

When I was diagnosed with SLE back in 2009, one constant reminder my past and present doctors always told me was to always wear sunblock. The sun is somewhat a kryptonite of sorts for people with SLE so if we were to go out of the house, we're always bombarded with reminders to use sunblock. I'm not the best with following this rule because sunblocks are a love-hate thing for me, mostly leaning on hate. I hate the heavy, sticky feeling of sunblocks, especially on the face. I mean, I tried. I tried using different sunblocks from different brands and I hated them all because they're heavy and sticky and just very hot on the skin. For a bit of compromise, I'd use makeup products, like tinted moisturizers or mineral foundation, with SPF instead. They're not high in SPF but at least I have some sort of protection, though, right?

My sunblock rebellion's dwindling down little by little, I think, especially now that I'm 4 years away from leaving my 20s. I've read somewhere that wearing sunblock daily (starting in your 20s) can help reduce skin aging and while I personally don't mind looking my age, I'd also like to not speed up the process, thank you very much. So here I am, doing my best to give sunblock another chance.

I've been enjoying one recently and I thought I'd share it here, just in case someone out there's looking for a face cream with SPF to try. Here I have the Biotherm Creme Solaire Dry Touch.

Here's a product description from the Biotherm website:

"Discover Biotherm’s 1st face suncare cream that offers a dry touch sensation combined with the protection of boosted filters. Creme Solaire Dry Touch has an incredibly light, oil-free texture that is enriched with mineral silica and nylon to absorb the sweat and shine of the skin and to leave a dry and matte touch. Upon application, the formula penetrates rapidly, leaving no greasiness on the fingers and minimal residues on the skin. Its photostable filtering system includes MEXORYL XL for a broad-spectrum high protection against UVA and UVB, responsible for 80% of future signs of premature ageing. Delivering high protection and hydration, Creme Solaire Dry Touch leaves your face with a bar skin sensation in a velvety feeling. Available in SPF 30, SPF 50"

Its top three ingredients are mexoplex & boosters (protects the skin from UVA/UVB), mineral perlite (absorbs oil and humidity), and mineral silica (absorbs excess oil).

The Creme Solaire Dry Touch is paraben free, suitable for sensitive skin, and water resistant.

The product itself looks like a proper sunblock: an opaque white fluid. It starts off as a white fluid and it has that white cast look when freshly applied but I noticed that the white cast goes away after a few minutes. It also has an almost similar scent, though the Creme Solaire has a more forgivable and pleasant smell. Unlike your usual sunblocks, the Creme Solaire blends way better and easier. Its consistency is thin but not too runny and blends and sinks into the skin really quickly. I've noticed that the only time it becomes a bit harder to blend is when it's starting to dry, when you've fully worked it into the skin. True to its claim, it does feel dry to the touch. It doesn't feel tacky or greasy on the skin. It sort of feels like a cream to powder foundation for reference.

I personally like how it sits on my skin. It finishes off as a matte, making my skin look like I have a powder base on. But its matte-ness doesn't fully dull the skin. It still makes the skin look healthy and fresh, not greasy and oily. I also like that it even looks better once my natural oils kick in, about 2-3 hours after application. It holds up pretty well with oils and it doesn't get removed easily too. I also like how it made my skin look and feel more soft and hydrated. Although it's a matte, it still gives my skin the moisture it needs, thus making it looks supple and just all around fresh. Love it!

Don't get me wrong, this still feels a bit hot on the skin, especially on warm humid days. It does, however, feels great on cool places. I felt a huge difference between wearing it outdoors on a hot day and on a cool, cloudy day and indoors, in an air-conditioned place and in a non air-conditioned place. This product feels like nothing on cool environments but on warm ones? Oh you'll feel its presence on your skin.

On pairing it with a makeup base: well, I recommend you don't. This product is best used on its own but if you really must, I recommend only wearing it if you'll be stuck inside cool places like malls, offices, and the works; basically places where your makeup is less likely to slip and slide and shift. If you plan to use it for outdoor purposes, leave the makeup base behind (okay fine, I guess you could use powder foundation on top of it. But definitely skip the liquids and creams.)

Overall, this is an excellent everyday product. It's so easy to use and so lovely on the skin, plus it gives me the sun protection I need without it feeling too heavy on the skin. I absolutely love the formula of this product, I mean, the matte effect is just genius. I know SPF 30's low but hey, at least that's better than nothing! I'm so glad I took a chance on this product and I can't wait to wear the hell out of it. Yay for sunblocks like this!

(PS. Don't mind the "testeur" in the packaging. I didn't steal this tester, I swear haha! I got this in a beauty warehouse sale in Singapore, boxed sealed and all that. You can verify with my sister anytime. 😜 Check out my haul here.)