Ego SunSense Ultra SPF 50+

Gave me a photosensitive rash – Went to the beach on Saturday and put some of this on. This is a different brand from what I normally use when I play cricket over the weekends. After the day in the sun I thought I had burnt my neck but it turns out it was a photosensitive rash (Dr diagnosed). Same rash developed on both of my upper thighs and have been driving me mad. Cost me a bunch of money in Drs appointments and meds. No thanks. Won't use again.

Product barcode for reference: 9314839018428

Ingredient in this sunscreen triggered phototoxic dermatitis – Price: Standard for what you usually pay for sunscreen. Texture: Slightly oily, milky emulsion. I have dry skin, so this sunscreen feels very pleasant on my skin at least. Effectiveness: This is where the bad news comes in. I always wear sunscreen on my face and neck, even if I'm not spending the day outside. I popped this on my face and neck and spent the day mostly indoors, only heading out to the shops for some groceries. Overall, I probably was exposed to the sun for less than 10 minutes.

That evening, I noticed my neck and face was RED - as though I had slathered my skin in tanning oil and sat outside for a few hours. Only the parts of my skin that I put on sunscreen were red - my bare arms were completely normal. I have never had a reaction like this before (especially to sunscreen) so I googled for some information. Turns out some products can trigger what's called 'phototoxic dermatitis' - an allergic reaction where UV light triggers a chemical reaction on the skin and can make your skin more susceptible to UV exposure.

I did try this sunscreen once before, on a weekend where I spent most of the time in the shade outside but I still got sunburned. I figured I simply didn't reapply enough - now I'm second guessing. I've noticed that others have had a similar reaction to other SunSense products, such as SunSense Sport SPF+50.

I don't discount others that have a good experience with this product, but I do find it unusual that plenty of customers have had bad experiences with SunSense and that it seems to do the complete opposite of its purpose - protecting your skin from the sun.