PRODUCT REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - SmartShield Serious Sun Protection [CLOSED!]

Hiya Lovelies!

I can't overemphasize the importance of using sun-protection DAILY. There are so many myths surrounding sunscreen/sunblock around these parts and I'm just gonna start this post by addressing a few:

• It makes you dark(er) - FALSE
• You don't need to use it if you're not going to be exposed to direct sunlight - FALSE
• Only ladies need sunscreen - FALSE
• (and the craziest of them all): Only caucasians or light-skinned people need to use sunscreen -FALSE FALSE FALSE!!! 

Sunscreen is necessary for EVERYBODY regardless of your race, skin tone, gender etc. and even if you aren't going to be exposed to direct sunlight, still wear some sunscreen, even if its just on your face. Most makeup products/foundations have got SPF in them, especially MAC products. All my foundations from MAC have got SPF, these include MatchMaster, Pro Longwear and StudioFix Liquid foundations, to name a few.

Skin Cancers are caused by damage from the sun's Ultra Violet (UV) rays and protecting your skin from the sun can help prevent these cancers. It is true that people with dark/black skin are less likely to get skin cancer as darker skin has some protection against UV rays, BUT skin cancer can STILL occur, so sunscreen is still necessary.

SmartShield Serious Sun Protection* is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the official sunscreen for the US Army and Navy, it was specially formulated for harsh weather conditions like in Afghanistan, Iran etc. So it is very well suited for our Nigerian climate.

SmartShield sunscreen is honestly unlike any other sun-protection I have used. When I see sunscreen all I think of is this HEAVY moisturizer that just sits on my skin making me hot and sweaty. This product is nothing like your regular sunscreen.

The main thing that stood out for me is that it's oil-free, rendering it perfect as a base for your makeup. It's got Vitamins A,C & E and also Aloe Vera, non-greasy, water-proof and absorbs into the skin fairly quickly.

I also decanted it into a little pot for my Mum to try as well, just so I could see how it worked with mature skin. My mum's got sensitive skin and she did not react to it at all. She used this on her neck, shoulders and arms, basically her upper-body that is usually exposed. She said it did not make her hot, sweaty and felt very natural on, just like her regular moisturizer. She used SmartShield in place of her moisturizer on that area of her body, just because she did not feel she needed the extra layer, sunscreen was enough.

It's got a nice 'clean' smell, hasn't got any perfume in it, feels very light-weight and non-greasy. I used mine slightly different from my Mum, I wanted to test this product as much as I could so I used it on my face under my makeup for a week straight. My skin is dry/sensitive so I was VERY nervous about having an adverse reaction to this product (the things I go through for you guys.. honestly), but thank God I didn't. My makeup stayed put all day, not sure if this will be the case for girls with a different skin-type from mine, e.g. Oily Skin

I only use a tiny amount on my face and then a bit more down my neck, across my shoulders and arms then on my legs. And I used it like this everyday, for the past two weeks. The picture on the left is roughly the amount of product I use on my face (I use like half of that) and the one on the right is the product worked into my skin. You can see, no white streaks! :)

SmartShield has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30+, I did ask if it came any higher. It doesn't, but the percentage of coverage between SPFs isn't much. I found this information very interesting and wanted to share it with you guys :

SPF 15 = 92% protection

SPF 30 = 97% protection

SPF 40 = 97.5% protection

SPF 50 = 98% protection**

Yup, the sun-protection difference between SPF30 & 50 is just 1%

Details
SmartShield can be purchased from the following places: Konga.com, Jumia.com, Prince Ebeano Supermarket, Mophet Pharmacy and Medplus with many other locations still in the pipeline
Price: N2500 - N2800 depending on the store

I for one will definitely repurchase this, I am very happy with the product and it shall become my new daily sunscreen.

GIVEAWAY!

Sun-damage is irreversible and we need to start taking it seriously! The lovely people over at DermBrand ,who are the official distributors of SmartShield in Nigeria, are extremely passionate about this and have kindly donated FIVE (5) FREE bottles of  SPF30+ for a Giveaway to BiL readers! Five lucky people will win one each.

The Rules

• There will be one given away everyday from tomorrow (28th of February) till Saturday (2nd of March) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
• You must be following BiL to be able to win on any of the above mentioned Social Media Platforms
• You can only win once
• The final two (2) will be won by leaving a comment on this post of your GoogleFriendConnect (GFC) Username. You must be following BiL using GoogleFriendConnect (click 'Join This Site' in sidebar). 
• The winners will be chosen at random using random.org
• The winners from the BiL Social Media platforms giveaway will be announced same day. The blog giveaway stays open for a week from today and closes 6th March, 2013
• Giveaway open to readers in Lagos only

Giveaway Schedule:
Blog Giveaway: From 27th Feb (today!) - 6th March
Facebook: 28th February (Tomorrow)
Twitter: 1st March (Friday)
Instagram: 2nd March (Saturday)

Sheesh! What a mouthful, just trying to make it as fair as possible! Goodluck!

What Sunscreen/Protection are you currently using?

Laters,

Ez xxX


*This product was sent to me for review purposes. I do not accept compensation for positive reviews, my opinion is always honest, whether items are purchased or gifted
**Information provided by DermBrand