Product Review: Murad Essential C Day Moisture SPF 30

By Amanda Pendolino on October 26th, 2009

murad-essential-day

I admit that I rarely use SPF products…I like being tan, and I guess the prospect of skin cancer hasn’t scared me into changing my ways. Plus, so many of them are thick and greasy and make you break out. But after living in sunny LA for almost 3 years, I’ve started to notice these horrible things on my face…freckles! I know they’re caused by sun exposure…so maybe it’s time to surrender to the ‘ol SPF.

Murad’s Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 30 is a pretty good option. It has a light, silky texture that makes your skin feel smooth instead of sticky, and you don’t get the sense that your pores are being suffocated. However, you may go through this product quickly; I felt that to achieve adequate moisture, I needed to apply a much larger amount of it than the amount of non-SPF Garnier moisturizer I normally use.

Of course, the real test of SPF products is how you look hours later. While I did look a bit shiny (and keep in mind I have combination skin), I was impressed with the results compared to other SPF products. So here’s the verdict: It’s a good lotion, but the sun protection does still make you a bit more shine-prone than non-SPF products. I also admit I did not put on the recommended Environmental Shield treatment first, so that could improve its performance, though also add to the regimen’s cost.