Trilogy Vital Moisturising Cream SPF 15

I needed a gentle and relatively inert moisturiser with sun protection to wear over the Perricone MD Face Firming Activator I've been using for the last couple of months, and this is the one I bought.

100% mineral sunscreens all feel a bit like rubbing cake batter on your face when you first apply them, and Trilogy Vital Moisturising Cream is no exception. For a good five to ten minutes after application my face feels slightly tacky to the touch and I couldn't apply foundation straight away (this would be rubbish under the Suqqu Frame Fix Cream Foundation).

This doesn't leave a white cast on my skin though and when it's fully absorbed my skin feels perfectly normal. I also believe that a mineral sunscreen gives the best protection if you can't reapply a sunscreen during the day (and most days, who can reapply at lunchtime?)

The texture is a thick white cream, and it has a neutral, herbal/citrus scent. I wouldn't recommend this to an oily or combination skin, but when it sinks in on my normal skin it does leave a matte finish with no oiliness through the day. It's been excellent for use over the Perricone MD Face Firming Activator; I first tried using this with my Sarah Chapman Dynamic Defence which has too many actives in it for use over the Perricone serum (my skin became quite irritated at this combination) and I didn't like the feel of the Jo Malone Vitamin E Day Creme over the Perricone either (the Jo Malone is too silicone-y for my taste.)  The Trilogy doesn't cause any reaction with the Perricone, it is silicone-free and provides good sun protection (important as the Perricone contains glycolic acid.)

If you like a moisturiser that you can apply quickly and instantly get on with the rest of your routine, this isn't the one for you. If chemical sunscreens bother your skin, or if you just prefer to avoid them, and you have normal to dry skin then this is worth a try. Very dry skins tend not to get on so well with mineral sunscreens as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are inherently slightly drying, so if you have very dry skin I'd recommend a chemical or combination spf moisturiser. If you are set on using a physical screen this is probably one of the best ones you'll find for a very dry skin, but you will need to layer an oil or oil-serum underneath on drier areas. (Trilogy pure rosehip oil would be a good choice.)

Trilogy Vital Moisturising Cream SPF 15 costs £27.50 for 50ml and I bought mine from Boots.

Ingredients:

I was pleased and slightly surprised to find three physical sunscreens in Boots that I could have bought; as well as the Trilogy I also found these two:

This Works Perfect Skin Defence SPF 30 - very light fluid texture with a tint, would be good for oilier skins and the tint wasn't too dark for my skin, although skin lighter than mine would likely find it too dark. £30 for 30ml.

Super Daylight Savings SPF 25 Moisturise - somewhere in the middle of the Trilogy and This Works in terms of texture, a more traditional fluid/moisturiser texture. £28.50 for 30ml, this is the one that I wanted to buy but the big Boots on Oxford Street near Bond Street tube doesn't stock Super so I bought the Trilogy instead. (The other Boots on Oxford Street near Oxford Street tube does stock Super.)  This is a diffusion line by Dr Perricone, based on the idea of using superfoods in skincare. It's not inexpensive, but it is a good deal less expensive than the main Perricone MD range. (The Perricone More than Moisture spf 30 is £50 for 30ml.) I intend to buy this one after I finish the Trilogy.