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4.0/5
87 reviews
Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Water-Light Daily Face Sunscreen SPF 45 Reviews

    Reviews and Ratings

    92% OF CHICKS DIG IT

    3.7/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    July 15, 2010

    I received this product via Chick Advisor's Product Review Club to review.

    I have combination skin leaning towards dry much of the time and I tested Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer Water-Light SPF 45 after first applying my daily facial moisturizer, as this sunscreen is not marketed as a combination sunscreen-moisturizer or having a moisturizing formula and I was concerned that wearing it alone would be drying for my skin.

    Echoing other reviewers' comments, this sunscreen's formula is indeed "runny" and quite light, though it's not the lightest sunscreen I've tried. Generally, I found it easy to apply to my face and it absorbed well when I tried it. My face was left matte but not too dry, though considering that I applied moisturizer beforehand I would imagine that this sunscreen's formula could possibly be a little more drying without the prior application of moisturizer, especially for drier skin types.

    The sunscreen has a slight scent, like a generic lotion/sunscreen chemical smell. It's a noticeable scent but I'm okay with it since it's not overbearing.

    The Neutrogena bottle is small and can be easily carried in a purse or bag, which I like and is something useful since sunscreen should be reapplied throughout the day. I usually use non-face specific sunscreens that come in much larger bottles, and which usually require the hassle of decanting the product into a smaller bottle if I want something small and portable to carry with me. The lid of the Neutrogena bottle is a screw on/off type that locks securely so there's little chance that the lid could accidentally become loose and have product spill while inside your bag (compared to for example, the "flip top" type lids).

    Overall I like this sunscreen but I don't see myself committing to it in the future, mostly due to price. 40mL really isn't much, and if you're wearing sunscreen almost everyday (and possibly reapplying throughout the day), then it seems like you'll go through a bottle fairly fast. At best I've seen this priced on sale for $10 CAN, which comes to $0.25/mL pre-tax. At the moment I'm quite happy with my current sunscreen from a different brand, which suits my slightly drier skin better and has an even lighter formula but with a less noticeable scent and only comes to about $0.12/mL pre-tax and can be used for both face and body. But I'd still recommend this Neutrogena product to anyone looking for an effective lightweight and mattifying facial sunscreen, if price is not too much of a concern.

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    3.3/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    July 15, 2010

    I recieved this product to review for the product review club (so i can't effectively rate price as i got it free) and was quite excited when I heard I was getting the chance to review it because I was about to go out and look for a new sunscreen for my face. I use daily moisturizers with spf in them but with my fair skin and freckles I always need that much more protection or a few too many minutes out in the sun and I turn lobster.

    Despite it saying it's "water-light" I was still surprised at how light it actually is. the product comes out like a liquid foundation would but i found it thinner than actual liquid foundation. this was both a good and a bad thing for me. it was so thin i thought it should almost belong in a spray bottle but then that doesnt really work so well for face use. I guess i'm just so use to sunscreen being in cream form for the face so it was a tad awkward to apply at first being that it was so runny.

    the smell is decent...very light and barely there but still has a hint of that you're wearing sunscreen smell. I liked it once it was on and it kept me from burning but although it didnt really feel greasy on, i found that my face looked too shiny for my liking and i did experience a small breakout (but im not certain it was from this yet...will update the review if i discover otherwise after more testing).

    so review....
    Pros: light weight so it can easily be layered with makeup without feeling like you've got tons on, high spf rating, light smell, did it's job as i didnt burn, i got it free to try

    Cons: it's so thin i was thrown off at first, made me look a little shiney, had a small breakout but still unsure if it was from this product or not

    I'm still not sure I would go out and purchase this item myself yet or not but it's a possibility as there are only so many face specific products out there and i did like the higher spf factor this Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Water-Light had to offer. I will continue to use and test and update the review if I change my opinion.

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    3.7/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    July 15, 2010

    I decided to test out this product out on a week-long camping trip to Killbear Provincial Park - figured THIS would be the true test to see how well it will actually work. Immediately, I loved the way the product felt on - it was truly lightweight and easy to absorb into the skin. I did not have any issues as I would normally with sunscreen leaving behind streaky white marks. I did find myself reapplying more frequently as I couldn't feel the product "on" my face as I normally do with regular sunscreen. After a week long test, it fared well against regular sunscreens (which I used on my body) and I found myself picking it up to use on my face because of its ability to absorb into the skin. After the Killbear experience, I decided to use it in conjunction with my makeup to test out if the product would be able to withstand daily use. Sure enough, it wasn't oily or greasy and felt like a fantastic base to apply make up. I was so happy that it didn't diminish the longevity of my makeup that by the end of the first day, I was convinced that I should be using it daily.

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    4.3/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    July 14, 2010

    I love this sunscreen!! I have oily, acne-prone skin and I am always afraid to wear sunscreen on my face because I am afraid that it will cause more breakouts. But this sunscreen didn't at all! It absorbs quickly, and doesn't leave a greasy feeling whatsoever. It works great under makeup. Couldn't ask for anything more! Thank you Chick Advisor for providing me with this great product to review :)

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    3.7/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    July 14, 2010

    I recently started using moisturizers with sunscreen built in to protect the face from premature aging and I must say that this product does the trick. I liked that it was sheer, absorbed quickly and has SPF 45. I apply it after my regular moisturizer and feel protected all day long. Would definitely recommend trying it.

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    4.7/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    July 14, 2010

    Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Water-Light Daily Face Sunscreen is my new favourite sunscreen. After using it daily for the past two weeks as part of the Product Review Club, I swear by this product. It is very light and sheer, and absorbs quickly and easily without leaving a mask on your face. I quickly forgot that I was wearing sunscreen on my face!

    The sunscreen worked under make-up. I applied it after moisturizer each morning before applying my make-up (eyeliner, powder or foundation, and blush). Unlike other facial sunscreens, this did not cause my skin to break out. Thank goodness!

    I also let my sister try it during the test period, and she also loved the product so much that she has now purchased her own bottle of Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Water-Light Facial Sunscreen. She claims it is even better than the MAC sunscreen that she has been using, and considering she is a dedicated MAC user, that is quite an endorsement.

    Would I buy this when I finish my bottle? Yes, definitely. Until recently, I did not apply sunscreen religiously to my face every day, but I am certainly now a convert. Thanks, ChickAdvisor, for helping me find my favourite new face product!

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    5.0/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    July 14, 2010

    I reviewed this product as a panel member and was impressed after using it for a week.

    I had in fact been looking for a face sunscreen and had looked into Clarins (way more expensive), Kiehls Super Fluid UV Defense 50 SPF (~$35). But this Neutrogena product is less expensive and likely provides the same benefits. It's similar in that these are all not moisturizers, but sun protectant only. For the summer, this works for me since using a moisturizer with SPF included sometimes makes me too oily (I have a bunch of those too). And I'm one of those people who would never use body sunscreen on my face.

    Specifically, this product did what it promised. It's very sheer and light-weight. The texture is liquidy, not like a cream. I didn't need much product to spread it over my face. During the day I didn't feel too oily... only on the most humid of days (and we're talking about 40 degrees with humidity) did I feel oily but I don't think any product would have prevented that.

    I would recommend this product for those looking for summer protection for their face.

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    3.5/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    July 14, 2010

    I was pretty happy with this product I guess, though I wish it had more staying power and lasted a little longer! It was easy to sweat off, which then unfortunately led to a sunburn on my cheeks the day I wore it.

    I do like that it is easy to apply and absorbs pretty well.

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    3.5/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    July 14, 2010

    I would recommend this product as a great face sunscreen. I have very sensitive skin, and sometimes some sunscreens can really irritate it. This one went on cleanly with out leaving me with that greasyness that most sunscreens do. Althouh it comes in a small bottle (I was a little surprised it was so small) it is still a great buy because you really only need a little to cover your face. It is also great under makeup - mine never looked smudgy or oily! The only thing i was not a fan of was the scent. Usually Neutrogena products have a fresh, clean scent ,but this one was a little chemically. I wouldnt say it was really horrible, I couldn't smell it for very long after I had applied it - but its not great either. As a sunscreen it was really good. Even if i was outside all day and had only put it on first thing in the morning, i noticed my skin never got burnt! Because it was a great sunscreen I would buy it and recommend it to others, but I think it really would be better if it had a better scent.

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    4.5/5
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    Recommended? You Betcha!
    July 14, 2010

    Well about 2 weeks ago to my surprise I was chosen to test try and review neutrogena's ultra sheer water-light daily face sunscreen ( spf 45 ). I must say that I was quite impressed with the product overall and after using it for almost 2 weeks consecutivaly I can say that this product does all that it claims. First, the statement of being ultra light and sheer so true, so much so that I always managed to forget I had some on. Secondly as for being great even under makeup , well that also is true, I broke out the old makeup bag and tested it and not just with a bit of mascara and some lipstick but the whole 9 yards and true again to it's word the makeup didin't smear smudge or leak in fact it was a great base coat to my face for the makeup to adhere to. As for the scent well it is barely noticable which is great, I did not , even after almost two week breakout anywhere on my face do to this product so I can say that it is not oily in the least and I am not sure if this is because of the product or not but my tan seems to be a bit more even on my face ( no sunspots ).Ok now for what everybody wants to know, is it worth buying? well myself not being a daily face cream user at all except for the last 2 week would give it a big fat YES, I would definately buy and recommend this product after using it, it is great overall and altough I got to test mine for free is a decent price for the quantity and quality also it is a great size to be portable.I cannot say with all certainty if it will keep my skin looking young but it does have a high spf rating so chances are that it will. I hope this little review was helpfull to all who read it and I hope to be able to review another product real soon.

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    These reviews are the subjective opinions of ChickAdvisor members and not of ChickAdvisor Inc.

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