Question:
I used to use Cetaphil SPF 15 (with Parsol 1789). I would wash my face, put on
a topical antibiotic (for acne), then the sunscreen, then a layer of milk of
magnesia to combat shine. But then I thought that maybe I was diluting the
sunscreen by using the milk of magnesia afterwards, so I tried using it before.
But then I read in an alt.fashion post awhile ago that using anything
(including milk of magnesia) underneath a chemical sunscreen (not zinc oxide or
titanium dioxide) would make it not work, because a chemical sunscreen soaks
into the skin, and if it can't do that because there's something preventing it,
then it won't work.
Okay, so I thought I would buy a sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide
in it. So I bought Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock Lotion SPF 30. I also
bought the Eucerin SPF 30. But the Neutrogena (I haven't tried the Eucerin yet)
gives me a whitish cast to my skin...which seems to be common with these
physical sunscreens.
So what am I supposed to do? I can't use a chemical sunscreen because I have to
wear stuff under it (if I don't use the milk of magnesia, I at least have to
use the antibiotic -- would just the antibiotic keep it from being
absorbed?)...and I can't use a physical sunscreen because it makes me look like
a ghost. And I probably can't afford the expensive sunscreens that I hear about
around here that don't leave a whitish cast (like Peter Thomas Roth or DDF).
Answer:
I think there are a couple of tinted physical sunscreens on the market. My
favorite is Clinique Super City Sunblock. More expensive than the
Neutrogena, but less so than the PTR. I know that Neutrogena makes some
tinted sunscreens; not sure if they are physical or chemical. The other
option is mixing a drop of foundation with your sunscreen before applying
it. HTH,
