Obagi Sunscreens 2 - my personal opinion (I've tried them all)
Posted on Tue, Oct 11, 2011
By Bayardo Aviles
This is part two of my blog post on Obagi sunscreens where I continue my review of Obagi sunscreen products. As I said in the first part of the blog post, I have had the opportunity to use all of the Obagi sunscreens since I started using Obagi products 13 years ago, so I am speaking from my own personal experience. As promised, I will also answer the second most frequently asked question about Obagi sunscreen products that I get from my regular Obagi patients, "Why is my friend using a different Obagi sunscreen than me?"
Sun Shield SPF 50
Obagi Nu-Derm Sun Shield SPF 50. A sunscreen that
combines high UVB absorption 
and dynamic UVA blockage in an elegant, matte finish with 10.5% zinc oxide and 7.5% octinoxate. Non-whitening, PABA-free, and fragrance-free for all skin types.
This is Obagi’s newest sunscreen. I actually used it today for my drive home. I was able to get out of the office early and the sun was still shining so I ran into my office and applied this sunscreen. It goes on very light and although it has a substantial amount of zinc oxide (10.5%) it goes on clear. What I liked about it is that it has a matt finish and so my face does not look oily. I think this will be a great option for patients with oily skin. The matte finish hides the oily shine. I would not recommend it to patients that are looking for a moisturizing sunscreen. I will keep trying this one and it may become a favorite since I have oily skin.
Obagi Rosaclear Skin Balancing Sun Protection SPF 30
This sunscreen was formulated for patients with rosacea and facial redness. It is very similar in composition to the Physical SPF 32 in the Nu-Derm line. It contains 15.5% zinc oxide and 2% titanium dioxide.
Both of these ingredients are very gentle and do not irritate the skin. To camouflage some of the redness associated with rosacea, a tint was added to this sunscreen. However, the tint does not look good on brown Hispanic, Hawaiian and Filipino skin. It makes the skin look reddish white. Not a good look on dark tanned skin, but it is great for patients with fair skin. This sunscreen is very dear to me since it was my chosen sunscreen when I hiked Mt. Killimanjaro and on an African safari last March. You can go to our Facebook page for Cosmetic Centers of Hawaii to see some of my pictures and see what I mean about the white/reddish face. The best thing is that it kept me protected and I did not get a sunburn.
C-Sunguard SPF 30
Contains 9% micronized zinc oxide and 7.5% octinoxate.
Prevents premature aging
from UVA/UVB radiation. Protects skin radiance.
This sunscreen was introduced as part of the Obagi C Rx line. This line was introduced a few years back to target patients that were looking for a product line that was better than the over the counter products they were using but not as aggressive as the Obagi Nu-Derm, Obagi’s corrective skincare system. This product line is simple to use and the products contain hydroquinone for skin lightening, alpha- hydroxy acids for exfoliation and Vitamin C for protection. The sunscreen in this skincare line looks and feels exactly like the Healthy Skin SPF 35, except you can smell the Vitamin C. This product is moisturizing and it goes on the skin very nicely. However, your skin may look a bit shiny for the first 5 minutes while the products are penetrating. I recommend this sunscreen a lot for people that are outside a lot because of the added protection of the Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant that protects the skin from free radicals formed as a result of sun exposure.
Why is my friend using a different Obagi sunscreen than me?
When I perform a skincare consultation I try to find out as much as possible about the lifestyle of the patient as I can. This helps me determine which sunscreens to recommend. When a patient starts the Obagi Nu-Derm system, pretty much everyone starts with the Sunfader, since most patients are trying to improve some type of discoloration. Or for patients that are in the sun a lot, I then recommend an additional sunscreen. Which sunscreen I select, mainly depends on the skin type and skin color of the patients. Typically, the Healthy Skin SPF 35 and the C-Sunguard SPF 30 are the most popular. For patients that are very sensitive to the sun and are trying to remove discoloration caused mainly by hormonal influences (Melasma) I recommend the SPF 32. For patients with oily skin, I now recommend the Sun Shield SPF 50.
I hope this document clarifies some of questions you may have had about the different Obagi sunscreens that we carry in our practice. You may also want to visit the new Sunscreen Bar in our Kamuela office. There you can feel, smell and test about 20 of the best sunscreens in the market.
