Lush products with SPF: any good?

July 16, 2015 7:10 AM

I really want to splash out on one of the Lush facecreams with SPF - Million Dollar Moisturiser or British Nanny (possibly also sold as Lifesaver?). If you have bought/used either of these, are they worth the price?

Specifically, do they leave any shiny/zinc-y residue on, and do you get the impression they provide sun protection?
Also, what is the rest of the range like: how does the Sesame Sun Lotion go on, how easy are the powder/solid sun blocks to use effectively? Online reviews seem to be mixed/shills.
Would be grateful for any thoughts if you've used any of these!

posted by runincircles to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (4 answers total)

Best answer: There are some reviews for the Million Dollar Moisturiser on MakeupAlley if you google "Lush million dollar moisturiser". It is one of the first search results. I would link you except that then I think it would prompt you to sign up/sign in. If you go through Google, you can read at least the first page of reviews without an account. There are no reviews for Lifesaver or British Nanny, but there are some for something called Skin Nanny, which may be a discontinued product. The reviews for Million Dollar Moisturiser are not great, though.

I would be pretty hesitant about buying these products. There are plenty more affordable, more effective, better tested sunscreens out there that definitely conform to EU standards. Sun protection is something that you want to be doing properly, and I'm not entirely convinced that these creams provide adequate broad spectrum protection (SPF refers only to the protection provided against UVB rays). You also have to consider how much of the cream you will realistically use on your face. If you're using less than a quarter of a teaspoon, you're not actually getting the level of sun protection that you think you are.

It's Summer, so I'd recommend investing in a decent broad spectrum sunscreen instead. You could always layer it over a nice, non-SPF* moisturiser if you have particularly dry skin. The Lush creams would probably be fine for Winter when the sun has calmed down, though.

*because SPF products can interact poorly with each other and cancel each other out it's not a good idea to layer them.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 8:52 AM on July 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

AFAIK lush's SPF range *does* comply with EU law (though the SPF only refers to UVB), unless the non-EU franchises make the products in a different way, which I doubt. i wouldn't worry about them being any less rigorous in terms of protection than anything else you might be able to buy.

That said...I've used British Nanny - there's no zinc residue but the moisturiser was very heavy and thick. I have fairly dry skin and sometimes use night creams as day creams, but I found the texture too much for even me and it is now relegated to 'emergency suncream' for the SO's nose and ears! I think you can get better for cheaper using pretty much any regular drugstore moisturiser with SPF.
posted by AFII at 9:17 AM on July 16, 2015

All LUSH products are expensive for what they are. For me personally, chemical sunscreen plus synthetic fragrances are things I avoid on my face. If you love the scent and the texture, it might be worth it to you personally to purchase these, but keep in mind that to achieve the desired SPF for chemical sunscreens one has to put on a much heavier layer than pretty much any human ever does.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:46 AM on July 16, 2015 [1 favorite]

There are very very few things were "splashing out" on Lush is worth it. SPF face creams are definitely not one of them, sorry.
posted by barnone at 11:45 AM on July 16, 2015 [2 favorites]