Fallene Cotz SPF 58 Water Resistant UVB/UVA Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin, 2.5-Ounce Tube
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Customer Reviews of Fallene Cotz SPF 58 Water Resistant UVB/UVA Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin, 2.5-Ounce Tube
Customer Review: Good quality physical sun screen.
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
A excellent sunscreen, but I did find it stained clothing if not carefully applied. This product creates a physical barrier to the sunlight and I found it performed well while I did some gardening (removing an old tree stump) as well as when I went swimming.
My family have not evolved for sunny climes (Irish and Russian heritages) and we have had family members who have had skin cancer. As we live in CA I am always on the look out for good sunscreen products. This product was very good and will be buying more. It has more staying power than the Coppertone Waterbabies SPF#45 Spray Lotion 8 oz.(type 1) product we have been using. It is pricier, but seems to require less reapplications and requires less to cover the same area. It does take a bit longer to apply, but as we are doing this about half as much I think we are about breaking even on time and money.
For those of you who are interested I have provided description of how sunscreens work (i'm an ex-physicist who specialized in the photo-active properties of materials).
1) Contain a UV-absorbing ingredients.
To get broad UV coverage a cocktail of chemicals has to be used. Para-amino-benzoic-acid (PABA) was commonly used, but due to concerns about a possible link to cancer it is no longer used (hence the reference to being PABA free on the packaging).
Pros:
The benefit of this type are that they are naturally translucent to visible wavelengths of light so don't have a "visible" color. This means that they generally won't stain clothes in the visible spectrum (if you go to night clubs where they have "black lights" you might see marks on clothes though).
Cons:
Chemicals may trigger reactions on very sensitive skins. The photo-active action turns the damaging UV to IR so you may still redden due to heat generation in strong sunlight. These types of chemicals are often biosynthetic precursors for simple life forms like algae and bacteria so can worsen acne and you may need to increase chlorination in your swimming pool if you are using this type of product. Sweat can have have a degenerative effect on the efficacy, therefore requiring more frequent reapplications.
2) Physically reflect the rays harmful rays.
Zn and/or Ti Oxides are the compounds that are the active ingredients in this type of product (both are used in the manufacture of white paints). They physically reflect the light away and are made invisible by making the particle size smaller than visible wavelengths but larger than the UV (non-visible wavelength).
Pros:
These are very inert low toxicity compounds so skin reactions are unlikely. A Smaller amount protects a larger area. Acts by reflecting light so you don't get IR heating side effect as with type 1.
Cons:
Can take more time to apply to get translucent application (ideally trying to get a coverage 1-3 monolayers thick.) More prone to clothe staining as clumping of particles on cloth fibers can occur particularly on contact with areas with uneven application.
Customer Review: Updating my original review.... More favorable opinion with time.
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have to say that I was a bit dismayed when I first opened the tube and saw that the product looked like liquid makeup. It is a pale beige-pink color right out of the tube. However, the label cheerfully reassured me that the product "dries clear." I was a bit doubtful about that claim, as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and iron oxide are all quite distinctly opaque substances, but whatever... To paraphrase Bill Clinton, I guess it depends on what your definition of "clear" is." Just the appearance alone was immediately making me think of negative things to say in a review.
Sure enough, when applied, it does leave a very slightly chalky-looking film on the skin. On light-skinned people, it's probably not going to be too obvious. On people with darker skin, well, I think it will be pretty noticeable. My skin is definitely on the light pink side. When I applied it to my face and then looked in the mirror, my first reaction was to grab the blush and lipstick, because I sure looked washed out. (Might be good for convincing someone that you don't feel too well....)
So, just in terms of appearance, it might be great for kids that are too young to care about looking good, and adults who are so adverse to getting burned, or to using a sunscreen with chemicals in it, that they also don't care that much about looking good either. If you are trying to be a gorgeous gleaming beach god or goddess, look elsewhere for skin protection.
I used the product when working in the yard for several hours on more than one sunny day. It does work! My skin burns very easily, and Cotz protected it quite well. I also liked the fact that it was not greasy, dried rapidly, did not sting my eyes, and did not feel slick or unpleasant at all. I gave it four stars because it protects quite well, and is PABA-free. If it hadn't been for the slightly chalky look, I would have given it five stars. I would not hesitate to recommend this to others.
Update: March 1, 2010
Having tried too many sunscreens that burned my eyes, either by way of an inadvertent splash of lotion on the eyelid, or by way of sweat running down my face and into my eyes, I am re-evaluating my view of Cotz. I have not been able to find another sunscreen that works as well, and that does not sting my eyes.
I am switching back to the Cotz for my full-time sun protection, as I am so tired of the eye irritation that comes with the use of other sunscreens. Cotz does not sting the eyes, and I am finding that fact to be of more importance that I realized when I wrote the original review.
Five stars.
Customer Review: Pleasant Cosmetic Grade Sunscreen
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Pros:
1. High SPF (to UVB) of 58
2. Includes "Full" UVA protection
3. Thick and smooth cosmetic quality sunscreen
4. Slight flesh tone tint
5. Apparently compatible with most makeup
6. Contains "No chemical sunscreen filters"
7. Generally thought to be safe for sensitive skin
Cons:
1. The iron oxide based tint may stain and the tint may not match all skin tones.
2. High price ($17.98 for 2.5 oz)
3. Not explicitly described as non-comedogenic:
i.e. "not tending to clog pores (as by the formation of blackheads"
Background and General Comments
This appears to be a good product for those who need full sun protection due to high sensitivity to sunlight. Old style suncreens and the SPF factor used to rate them are based on the burning (UVB) light only. However UVA light is also believed to contribute to both skin cancer and skin aging. For this reason, over the last year the FDA has proposed new guidelines for "UVA" sunscreen protection. A 0-4 Stars "****" ranking system for UVA protection is planned but has not been implemented yet. So yes you should use a sunscreen with UVA protection. Overall, this product is a high cost cosmetic grade product, apparently safe for sensitive skin, in a pleasant smooth tinted base. It evidently contains "nanoparticles" of zinc, iron and titanium oxide. These are generally believed to be safe however. There are of course other chemicals in this stuff as well but only those generally used in skin creams. As a pale Caucasian male I enjoyed using this product but won't purchase it regularly more due to its high cost than the twinge of self conciousness at using a cosmetic.
There is a questionable to ridiculous suggestion in the product description and on the package that everyone requires daily year-round UVA protection. As I live in an upstate NY city that is as cloudy as Seattle but with the bonus of significant winter snows I'm not that worried. Another confusing suggestion is that "SPF 30 is not enough". This might be refering to the added UVA protection. However, on a practical basis a SPF 58 sunscreen actually provides little advantage compared to SPF 30; most important is early application and regular reapplication to fully protect your skin.
Customer Review: Daily, year round protection? Give me a break! Dracula would not need this.
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Our doctor told us when our second child was born... to put him in the sun for a bit, with no sunscreen! He needed the sun for vitamin D!
On the side of this box I am reading that I may get harmful rays through my window glass and need "Year round protection". Year round protection from the sun? Do these people think I am an idiot? It's comments like these that make me want to throw a product in the trash, no matter what it's benefits. The people that make this, the marketing people, the company executives, they all signed off on that mumbo jumbo. They want me to be scared into putting this on my body year round. I can only imagine the effects of putting Zinc and titanium lotion on my skin all year long.
If you have sensitive skin this is supposed to be good for you. Seriously though, if your skin is so sensitive that you will burn in the winter through window glass, get a hat, put on a shirt, pull down your blinds, and for gods sake be careful. I'm sure a bit of this will help too but the company should re-think the whole scare tactic approach.
So I used the stuff on myself and my son. It works fine. It goes on looking like makeup coverup. It has very little smell to speak of. Sunscreen keeps me from getting burned. No big revelation. Most sunscreens with a SPF of 30 and above will do you fine as long as you re-apply as you go. Like I said earlier, we are all unique so we need to be our own best judge as to what works and what does not.
This sunscreen seems good. I just got annoyed by the garbage info on the box. After all, what a product says and claims, in a market with a million choices, is all that distinguishes one product from another. This product is trying to scare you. Do not be afraid of the sun. As a matter of fact, go outside, get away from your computer and get some.
*****
It seems from the number of people who could care less for my review that no one cares what is printed on the side of a box. It seems no one cares what claims a product makes. I am also assuming everyone is diligently applying this lotion, like the box says, every day of the year.
Customer Review: The Benchmark of Screening the Sun!
Summary: 5 Stars
So you are looking for a way to protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun? Most people turn to many of the leading products on the market today by Neutrogena, Hawaiian Tropics, Banana Boat, Coppertone, and the list goes on and on.
Most of these I have tried in recent years and must say for the most part, Neutrogena was always my favorite. However, being fair skin and sensitive, there were times when even the Neutrogena products irritated my skin.
Several weeks ago as I was getting ready for an upcoming week at the beach, I took advantage of Amazon's great prices and purchased the Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch sunblock as I have done in the past.
Came across the Fallene products and after reading many of the reviews, thought I would give the Fallene Cotz SPF 58 Water Resistant UVB/UVA Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin a try.
Well, all I can say is I have FINALLY found what I have been looking for years and years now; not a sunscreen, but something to actually screen the sun...Welcome Fallene Cotz SPF 58 Water Resistant UVB/UVA Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin.
After using it for 7 days in a row, WOW is all I can say. Sure wish I would had discovered this sooner, but it is the BEST product for screening the sun I have come across, particularly having fair skin and being sensitive to the sun.
Applied the product as the label suggested each morning before heading out to the beach for the day and each evening when I came in, it was like being under an umbrella all day long. None of the problems I have experienced with many of the other sunscreens: strong product odor, product running in your eyes when you sweat, skin irritates...those of us that have had these type of problems know exactly what I am referring to as it makes being at the beach anything but a fun experience.
I am sold on Fallene Cotz SPF 58 Water Resistant UVB/UVA Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin. You might pay a little more for this product than some of the typical sunscreens, but now you see why, Fallene Cotz SPF 58 Water Resistant UVB/UVA Sunscreen for Sensitive Skin is anything but your typical sunscreen.
Thank you Fallene!