A lipbalm with SPF50, but is it worth the price? Comparisons, dupes, ingredient lowdown and our handy checklist included. Read on for my Paula’s Choice Lipscreen review.
Why?
Unsurprisingly, dermatologists agree that you should wear SPF on your lips, while lips are apparently the one area that most people don’t use sunscreen on. Consequently, lips are a common place for skin cancers (Prevention.com), and, on top of that, are susceptible to sun damage just as every other part of your body: in fact, even more so. The skin on your face is about five times as thick as the skin covering your lips. UV light damages collagen, which leads to wrinkly and thin lips. The thin skin on your lips is also very quick to be damaged by sunburn. So it rather makes sense to wear a lipbalm or gloss with added SPF.
The Brand
Paula’s Choice, the old war ship of science-backed skincare. There can’t be enough stress on the fact that PC’s Beautypedia platform was a heaven-sent resource for people interested in skincare back in the day. I firmly believe that it helped cutting through the woo-woo of ‘algae broth made potent by music’, and helped educating people.
Still, it’s helpful to keep in mind that all of PC’s resources are a marketing instrument – of course her own products scored best in Beautypedia rankings! And when it comes to sunscreen, keep also in mind that PC is a US brand, and all sunscreen filters she uses are FDA-approved. So no new awesome filters that’re used in Europe and Asia.
Paula’s Choice Lipscreen review: Description
The very slim tube houses the yellowish balm. The screw mechanism can be a bit hit-and-miss: Sometimes it works, but then sometimes I wouldn’t be able to screw the balm down again. It’s colourless, scentless and tasteless. It also doesn’t leave an overly shiny finish, so the manly men out there shouldn’t have to be afraid to use it.
“LIPSCREEN SPF 50 restores moisture to rough dry lips while protecting them from the damaging rays of the sun. This velvety-soft, long-lasting formula feels rich yet never greasy and doesn’t impart an unpleasant taste.”
Paula’s Choice
Ingredients
It’s a lip balm, so there’re unsurprisingly a lot of oils and butters (shea, olive, soybean, jojoba, cocoa seed), plus a bit of Tocopherol (Vitamin E, a great antioxidant). (All ingredients here.)
Sunscreen Filters
| Sunscreen Filter | Type | Spectrum | Remarks |
| Octocrylene (2.5%) | chemical / organic | UVB & UVA II with peak at 304 nm | quite photostable (loses 10% protection in 95 mins), used to stabilize other filters (eg Avobenzone), often used to improve water resistance of products. |
| Homosalate (5.00%) | chemical / organic | UVB with peak at 306nm | Not a strong filter (SPF 4.3 at 10% concentration), not photostable (loses 10% protection in 45 mins), used with other filters to solubilize. |
| Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane / Avobenzone (3.00%) | chemical / organic | full UVA protection | not photostable |
| Octyl Salicylate (5.00%) / Octisalate | chemical / organic | UVB (280-320 nm) with peak at 306 nm | not a strong filter, used with other filters to solubilize. |
Extra Features
It’s as basic as it gets, but that’s a good thing! (more below)
Sustainability
The tube is tiny, and still it contains a goodish amount (4,4g) of balm. I like the non-bulky packaging. (Although it’s plastic.)
Application
It’s a balm, and that’s the beauty of it – you can basically apply it everywhere, anytime. You can even apply it OVER your lipstick! And, of course, you can also apply it UNDER lipstick and be protected from the sun if you’re wearing lipstick or not. WIN. It’s not overly slippery or sticky, but also not matte. Speaking with Goldilocks, it’s exactly right. And it truly does moisturize.
Finish
PC’s Lipscreen has an uncomplicated finish. It’s not shiny, it doesn’t feel greasy. It works. It’s not weightless, though. There’s only one thing: I’m always hesitant to carry it around with me in the heat because of melting issues. It’s made of waxes, oils and butters, and those unfortunately do melt in the heat.
Comparison & Dupes
Ok, two things I don’t like about PC’s Lipscreen: the OOOOOOOOOOOOLD and boring filters (sure, sure, FDA-approved), and the price. Because here’s the thing: German drugstore dm’s own brand Sundance carries a similar lip balm called Lippenpflege Sensitiv SPF50 / lip balm sensitive SPF50 with 4,8g for 1,95€. It has rather modern filters (Uvinul A Plus, Tinosorb S, Avobenzone, Iscotrizinol, and Uvinul T150 – Incidecoder). Its finish is a bit shinier, but still has a great texture: non-sticky, non-oily, but nicely moisturizing without a colour, scent or taste. It doesn’t use the fancy oils and butters, but also has Tocopherol.
I tend to throw this one into my handbag when I’m going out, because if it melts, I didn’t waste 12€.
Paula’s Choice Lipscreen review: Checklist
Paula’s Choice Lipscreen review: Rating
I like a lot of things about PC’s Lipscreen, and would definitely repurchase when they do have 20% off. I also like the sleek packaging and the somewhat unique finish. For daily wear and re-applying on the go, Sundance beats it easily. Keep in mind that both don’t have a terribly long staying power. Some drinks and definitely a meal will finish them off and it’s reapplication time.
Availability & Price
Paula’ Choice is available at Sephora, Niche Beauty and Douglas. The Lipscreen is available only at her own site right now (0.15 oz for $10), and out of stock at the German site at the time of writing.
Please note that this review is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods, or money, for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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