Review: Liz Earle Mineral Sun Cream SPF20

Disclosure: this was a PR sample.


Liz Earle's newest sun product is a mineral based sun cream which claims to be light and non-greasy, and works by reflecting UVA and UVB rays away from the skin.  So far, so standard, right? The unique selling point of this product that it contains titanium dioxide, which is the part of mineral makeup which makes it such an effective physical sunblock - this is the ingredient behind the cream's "mineral" moniker.  As with all of Liz Earle's products, you also get natural ingredients, and the inclusion of skincare ingredients such as shea butter to condition the skin.

Being a pale skinned person, I am no stranger to sun cream, and regularly slather myself with anything up to an SPF 50 during the summer.  Over the years I've been through a variety of brands, some of which manage to be very light despite high SPFs, and some of which have been thick and gloopy.  Unfortunately, the Liz Earle Mineral Sun Cream falls into the latter category.  Firstly - this is very thick cream.  As you can see, dispensing the product onto your hand results in a blob which holds its shape, indicating that this isn't the lightest and thinnest of creams.  It also has an unfortunate mushroom-y colour, which makes it look a bit unappealing to use.

I found that as I tried to rub it in, it didn't really sink in particularly quickly.  Instead, it felt more like I was just moving the cream around on top of my skin instead of spreading it evenly over (and into) the skin.  After a good five minutes of rubbing, I finally felt that it had absorbed into the skin enough for me to get dressed.

On the upside, I found that there was no white cast left behind where I had applied it.  On the downside, I felt sticky.  The sticky feeling did eventually dissipate, but it took far too long - a couple of hours, by which time you'd need to reapply.  I also tried it on my face, and found that the cream is far too heavy for facial use - it doesn't sink in properly, and the sticky feeling is still there, which doesn't exactly make for a good makeup application on top.

For me, this level of heaviness and stickiness is pretty much unacceptable in a cream with SPF 20 - I've used SPF 50 creams which are smoother and left my skin feeling uncoated.  For that reason, this is not something I'd be prepared to use again.  Perhaps if your skin is drier, or if you have a problem with conventional sun creams and need a more natural block thanks to the titanium dioxide, this will serve you better. For me, though, this gets a thumbs down.

If you'd like to try it for yourself, you can get it from Liz Earle's website, where it will cost you £18.50 for a 150ml tube - a smaller, handbag sized 30ml tube is also available for £6.50, which would be a great way of trying this product out.