There are three products that I really love from Kate Somerville skincare: IllumiKate® CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ PA+++ Sunscreen, ExfoliKate® Intensive Exfoliating Treatment and Daily Deflector® Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ PA+++. I especially like Daily Deflector® Moisturizer SPF 50+ as it works great for the weather here in WA in general.
Consistency & Scent
To be honest, the texture is nothing special really. It's basically a combination of emulsion and chemical sunscreen. You can actually smell the chemical sunscreen. I would say there's no other irritating scent, quite plain, but if you don't like the smell of the chemical sunscreen, you might hate it :P.
It goes on smooth and it absorbs and hydrates skin fast enough that you can skip your regular moisturiser if you fall into normal / combo skin types.
It gives skin an instant glow, but I've notice that the glow and hydration doesn't really last long :/. If you have dehydrated skin like I do, then I highly recommend you put on some hydrating serum or gel underneath.
Benefits
- A cutting-edge delivery system ensures that the Sunscreen stays in a reservoir on the skin’s surface, while Advanced Actives penetrate deeply
- Matrixyl™ 3000 helps reduce the visible depth and volume of wrinkles on the face caused by the contraction of muscles, especially on the forehead area and around the eyes
- Dynamic Moisture Complex maintains skin’s optimal moisture levels by restoring its natural capacity to retain moisture
- Natural Mineral Clay helps control excess sebum production
- A naturally derived Shitake Mushroom-based skin tightener improves the look of sagging skin and helps maintain elasticity and tone
- Natural Aloe Vera soothes skin
The Very Big BUT
Being a chemical sunscreen makes it very hard to reapply every 1-2 hours in very hot sweaty/humid summer weather. And it was especially difficult for me to maintain the routine when I visited Miami in summer for a few weeks. I was outside most of the time in the sun, sweating..
If you have been reading my posts, you all know that I'm very religious about applying suncare. So as I do all the time, I wiped off my sweat and reapplied Daily Deflector® Moisturizer SPF 50+, thinking that it would protect my skin how it has been in WA. Bummer! It didn't work at all. How do I know it? As soon as I got back from Miami.. I thoroughly checked my face and guess what.. sun spots all along my cheeks!O_O. Naw, you serious?
Now that I think about it as summer's here again, I can think of a few reasons why it couldn't possibly work in Miami. And I want to let you know as the vacance season is back again:).
No time? No Shade?
A chemical sunscreen normally requires 20-30 minutes to get absorbed into skin fully. Meaning, if you are out in the humid hot weather, sweating, then it will be very hard for the sunscreen to be absorbed into skin whenever you apply. Sweat will take everything away :(. In addition to that, it's really hard to find a shady place once an hour or two just to reapply the sunscreen and wait around inside for 20-30 minutes when you are with other people.
Hot & Cold
The Daily Deflector® Moisturizer SPF 50+ package gets hot and cold depending on whether I was inside with A/C or outside in boiling hot weather. Those dramatic changes in temperature and heat is very bad for any cosmetics...Clearly, whenever I reapply, the temperature of the actual product felt quite different on my skin, so I guess the packaging isn't very temperature / heat-proof :P. Meaning, my Daily Deflector® Moisturizer SPF 50+ could've gone off already sometime in Miami.
Verdict
Certainly Daily Deflector® Moisturizer SPF 50+ has a lovely texture and is very easy to apply. However, I wouldn't recommend the product for anyone who sweats a lot or working in an environment that requires heat and humidity. And if you don't get enough breaks in between working hours, then it might not be the best as you probably won't have time to reapply and let it be fully absorbed into skin. However, if you work in the office and stays inside most of the times, then it's perfect for you! As long as you don't live in a hot and humid weather, then Daily Deflector® Moisturizer SPF 50+ should work as long as you reapply :). Now that I'm back in WA, I'm happy with Daily Deflector® Moisturizer SPF 50+, but there's no way I would take it to Florida ever again. LOL. Lessons have been well learned :).
Further Reading
- More posts on Suncare, La Prairie, Sisley and Intensive Treatments
- Kerstin Florian Face Serum SPF 25
- Thesis Beauty DIY Raw Cacao Mask Chocolatier's Gift
- Bioeffect 30 Day Treatment & EGF Serum
- Roloxin Lift Instant Skin Smoothing Mask
- GLAMGLOW Mud Masks
- Chanel CC Cream SPF 50
- Sisley Face Masks
- My Favourite Autumn / Winter Suncare
- My favourite Suncare / Make-up products for Spring and Summer
- Luxury Skincare Brand Purchase Guide! La Mer VS La Prairie VS Swiss Perfection VS Sisley (Comparasion)
- High-end Hydrating Moisturiser Comparison (Guerlain vs La Mer vs La Prairie vs Sisley)