Is Avene cleanance sunscreen physical or chemical?

Having TriAsorB and iron oxides together in a sunscreen can be a powerful duo to protect our skin from visible light in addition to UV rays. Avene Cleanance tinted sunscreen SPF 50+ has such a combination. 

The Brand

Avene is a well known brand for their effective sensitive skin friendly products. Their orange sun care line is very impressive when it comes to solid sun protection.

They had several sunscreens with Tinosorb M which can provide excellent protection from UV rays. However, they left a strong white cast on my skin. They recently came out with multiple sunscreens in the range with their new filter, TriAsorB.

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Claims

What the brand says:

” Cleanance Solaire SPF 50+ offers ultra-broad spectrum sun protection. This sun cream is ideal for protecting oily skin with imperfections on a daily basis. With Monolaurin, a sebo-reducing active ingredient, it visibly reduces blemishes and helps prevent the appearance of marks due to sun exposure. Its natural shade allows it to be adapted to most skin tones and to even out the complexion on a daily basis, making it an excellent base for make-up. The formula is also water resistant.

This new sun care product incorporates TriAsorB ™, a new ultra-broad spectrum sun filter that protects against UV rays and beyond with protection from skin-ageing HEV blue light, up to 450 nm.
Benefits
• PHOTOPROTECTIVE: photostable UVB-UVA filters that combat the harmful effects of the sun’s rays.
• ANTIOXIDANT: helps provide overall cellular protection against oxidative stress.
• EVENS OUT THE COMPLEXION: evens skin tone and brightens, providing radiance. 
• SEBOREGULATOR: leads to a significant reduction in acne lesions.”

Ingredients

Avene Thermal Spring Water (Avene Aqua). C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate. Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate. Ethylhexyl Triazone. Phenylene Bis-Diphenyltriazine. Water (Aqua). Glycerin. Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine. Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891). Potassium Cetyl Phosphate. Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch (Oryza Sativa Starch). Isononyl Isononanoate. Glyceryl Laurate. Glyceryl Stearate. Stearyl Alcohol. Tapioca Starch. Vp/Eicosene Copolymer. Alumina. Benzoic Acid. Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride. Caprylyl Glycol. Fragrance (Parfum). Glyceryl Behenate. Glyceryl Dibehenate. Iron Oxides (Ci 77492) (Ci 77491) (Ci 77499). Isopropyl Myristate. Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate. Polyhydroxystearic Acid. Ppg-1-Peg-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether. Propylene Carbonate. Stearalkonium Hectorite. Tocopheryl Glucoside. Tribehenin. Xanthan Gum. Zinc Gluconate

Free Of

It is free of alcohol, dyes, silicones and essential oils.

Sunscreen/UV filters

1. Uvinul A Plus (DHHB, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate): It can protect from both UVA 1 and UVA 2 rays.
2. Uvinul T 150 (Octyltriazone, Ethylhexyl Triazone): It is a photostable UVB filter.
3. Tinosorb S (Bemotrizinol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine): This is a great broad spectrum sunscreen which can protect from UVB, UVA1 and UVA2 rays.
4. TriAsorB™ (Phenylene Bis-Diphenyltriazine): A new sunscreen filter which can protect from UVB, UVA1, UVA2 and high energy visible light (HEVL) upto 450 nm.

Visible light and its effect on the skin are well recognized now. There are several studies which have shown this. However, there are not a lot of ingredients which can protect our skin from its deleterious effects. Iron oxides, TriAsorB and topical antioxidants are few ingredients which can help us in protecting our skin from visible light.

If you look at the chart above, you can see the combination of these four sunscreen filters can provide a great coverage from UV rays and high energy visible light (HEVL).

However, Triasorb gives good protection from high energy visible light upto about 450 nm (HEVL extends from 400 to 500 nm), after that it decreases. This is where iron oxides can come into play.

If you are interested to read more about Triasorb, you can see this journal article.

Iron oxides

Most tinted sunscreens have a mixture of yellow, red and black iron oxides. All these iron oxides have different profiles in relation to protection from visible light. Yellow iron oxides can protect upto 500 nm, red upto 570-580 nm and black iron oxides through the whole visible light range.

However, we don’t have a lot of data as to what concentration of these iron oxides should be used and as of now there is no universal standard method to measure protection from visible light.

So, if you want to get good protection from high energy visible light, it may be a good idea to combine triasorb and iron oxides and this sunscreen has such a combination. Hopefully we see more data and research on this in future.

Other Notable Ingredients

• Avene thermal spring water: It is well known for its healing properties. 
• Oryza Sativa (Rice) Starch and (Oryza Sativa Starch) Tapioca Starch: These have absorbing properties so can provide a mattifying effect and soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 
• Glyceryl Laurate: There are some studies documenting its role as an antimicrobial. It can be helpful for acne. Also Avene’s official website mentions that it can reduce excess sebum production. 
• Zinc Gluconate: This is the last ingredient in the list. It may be beneficial for acne and healing skin. 
• Fragrance: This sunscreen has fragrance, so make sure to patch test if you have sensitive skin.

UV Protection

It is SPF 50+, which is the measure of protection from the UVB rays. It has a UVA circle seal which means that the product meets the European recommendation for sunscreen to offer a UVA protection factor equivalent to at least a third of their SPF. (For example here, 50/3 is 16.7 and since it is SPF 50+, UVA protection factor is more than 16.7, usually ~20)

Water Resistance

It is labeled as a water resistant formulation.

Packaging

It comes in a tube packaging of 50 ml. As per Avene “Its new eco-designed bottle is lighter in plastic, recyclable and contains 64% recycled plastic (excluding the cap)”.

Texture

This sunscreen comes out as a lotion. It is a little thicker than Avene Intense Protect SPF 50+ and Avene fluid sunscreen SPF 50+. It spreads easily on the skin.

Application

It can be tricky to use a tinted sunscreen especially when you have to apply the correct amount of 1/4 teaspoon. The first few days I used the correct amount and applied in two layers, half amount first, let it dry and then the rest.

The sunscreen is very pigmented and the tint is tiny bit too dark and orange for me (I am Fitzpatrick skin type 3).  It provides medium coverage. It covered my redness and dark circles pretty well. 

The finish is shiny and it transfers easily. However, even when I applied the full amount, the finish was not as shiny as Avene Intense Protect SPF 50+.  The fragrance is almost like baby products and it didn’t bother me.  

How I am using it right now

I apply one finger length of Avene fluid sunscreen SPF 50+, let it dry and then apply one finger length of Avene Cleanance Tinted Sunscreen on top. Both sunscreens have somewhat different textures so I will not mix them.

By using this way, I may benefit from both iron oxides and triasorb. 

• Does it feel heavy? You can feel the layer of sunscreen on your face and with reapplication it starts feeling heavy.  
• Does it feel sticky? The sunscreen can transfer to things your face comes in contact with.
• Universal Color? It was a little dark and orange for my skin when applied in full amount. It may not match every skin tone (but that’s with almost all tinted sunscreens).
• Eye stinging? It didn’t sting my eyes. I am always very careful about applying anything close to my eyes.
• Does it dry out my skin? Nope, no drying out of skin. It did not settle in my fine lines or cling to any dry patches on the face.

Reapplication

With reapplication, the color became even more dark and became very apparent (picture above). It almost looked as if I had a foundation on my face. So most days, I applied other chemical sunscreen for reapplication.

However, no pilling issues with this sunscreen.

Removal

As compared to Avene Intense protect SPF 50+, this comes off easily with my water based cleanser.

Performance

I have worn this sunscreen both indoors and outdoors. Outdoors in heat and humidity it can get very shiny and sticky but it protects my skin really well – no redness from walking in direct sunlight.

The fragrance in his didn’t bother my skin, though I try to avoid skincare products with fragrance. 

This sunscreen may be best for normal to dry skin type, however it may not match every skin tone. I think it’s best suited for medium to dark skin tones.

Value for Money

The price may vary widely depending where you buy the sunscreen from. It comes in 50 ml packaging and price varies from $15 and above.  

Video Review

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Pros and Cons

Pros

• New generation sunscreen filters
• Broad spectrum protection from UV rays
• Triasorb and iron oxides can protect from high energy visible light
• Water resistant formula

Cons

• Color is not universal so may not be suitable for every skin tone
• Finish is shiny
• Contains fragrance

Will I buy again

Probably no!! I like using it as a tinted product. I use it as a final layer over another sunscreen to get benefit of iron oxides and TriAsorb. However, I would not use it as a sole sunscreen since I find it hard to use it for reapplication.

Where to Buy

Check for price and availability:

Alternatives

If the tint doesn’t match your skin, and you are looking for protection from visible light, you can choose from the following:

1. Use a tinted sunscreen with iron oxides like Drmtlgy Physical sunscreen SPF 44 (read my review here), Drmtlgy Universal tinted Moisturizer SPF 46 (view on Amazon).
2. Use a non-tinted Avene sunscreen with Triasorb like Avene Intense Protect SPF 50+ (review) or Avene SPF 50+ Fluid (review). These can leave a white cast.
3. Add a layer of tinted product with iron oxides like foundation, CC cream over your sunscreen.

Summary and Score

Review Rating: 4.3/5

This Avene tinted sunscreen has a powerful duo – TriAsorb and iron oxides for protection from high energy visible light. In addition, it has all new generation sunscreen filters.

This sunscreen is a great option for anyone dealing with hyperpigmentation. It is best suited for normal to dry skin.

Disclaimer: The ingredient list/ price is subject to change over time, so make sure you check them before buying any product.