There has been a surge in tinted sunscreen protection products on the market seeking to replace the need for using both sunscreen and foundation. The Heliocare 360 Color Gel Oil-Free SPF 50 offers a 2-in-1 solution, but does it live up to the expectation? Scroll down for a Dr Skincare overview of the Heliocare 360 Bronze Gel Oil-Free SPF product.
The Heliocare 360 Sunscreen Product range
Heliocare 360° protection is a pharmacy brand and is part of Cantabria Labs. The products have been recommended by dermatologists across the world and the brand was recognised as having the topical skin range of the year in 2021.
Heliocare 360° offers products to protect individual skin types (dry, oily, normal, combination), options for mineral sunscreen, sport-ready sunscreen (featuring Rafael Nadal), and has recently introduced oral supplements to its product link. The unique ingredient featured in all products is called Fernblock, which is an antioxidant of the natural plant.
Heloicare 360° has sustainable credentials and is taking strides towards reducing single-use plastic by removing all cellophane from outer packaging.
Color Gel Oil-Free Description and Claims
The Heliocare 360° foundation product offers an oil-free broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen that is especially well suited for normal, combination, and oily skin types. In addition to protecting, balancing tone, and hiding flaws, it also gives skin a matte, natural-looking finish without any shine. The end results is a smooth, dry feel on the skin.
Heliocare 360 Color Gel Oil-Free Sunscreen Ingredients
| Sunscreen Filter | Type | Spectrum | Remarks |
| Titanium Dioxide | physical | UVB & UVA II – less good at UVA I | possible white cast |
| Disodium Phenyl Dibenzimidazole Tetrasulfonate / Neo Heliopan AP | chemical | UVA II | water-soluble |
| Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine / Tinosorb S | chemical | broad-spectrum (UVB & UVA 280-400 nm) | not available USA |
| Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate / Uvinul A Plus | chemical | high UVA protection | not available USA |
| Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid / Ensulizole | chemical | strong UVB protection | fairly photostable, water soluble. |
| Ethylhexyl Triazone / Uvinul T | chemical | photostable UVB filter | oil soluble, odorless & colorless powder |
| Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone | chemical | UVB and UVA II (but not UVA I) | Super photostable, very oil soluble |
Ingredients on Packaging
Formula and Consistency
The foundation texture of Heliocare 360° Color Gel Oil-Free Formula is almost watery in its fluidity. It spreads readily on the skin thanks to the recipe before drying to a dry-touch texture. Everything is true to the claim.
The recipe is for normal, combined, and oily skin, according to the package. On their website, it is suggested that you apply a hydrator to your skin if it is dry. It may highlight the dry areas of your skin, as is the case with most creams that make this promise and offer this feature.
This product is not fragrance-free.
Colour
The colour of Heliocare 360° is fairly light and can therefore look pale after developing a natural tan.
Still, despite that, it still blends well and can be enhanced with bronzer if your natural colour enhances in the sun. Some reviews online confirm people being happy with the shade bronze intensity because it made them look tanned. Overall, if you are a medium dark skin tone, you can still get away with this color.
The pigments aren’t that intense but it intensifies the more you put it on. At a quarter teaspoon, it looks like a full coverage foundation. Now, there are two problems with this. One, full coverage foundation isn’t really my aesthetic, and two, it should be a perfect color match.
Application
It is recommended to apply over a moisturizer. Or using a powder to even it out. Reviews suggest there are no issues with adding it to a regular skincare routine. In terms of quantity, wearing a full quarter teaspoon is still relatively doable in how it feels on the skin.
Reviews also suggest that even if you put water on it (even eating and drinking), it will shift.
Comparison with Other Tinted Sunscreens
Dr Skincare recommends Heliocare 360° Color Gel Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 50 for all skin types. We recently wrote a blog that identifies alternatives depending on your specific skin type. However, this product beats them all in terms of quality and price.
Final Remarks: Heliocare 360 Bronze Gel Oil-Free
The texture is super nice compared to alternatives. It feels smooth, and it makes the skin glows. it works as foundation/sunscreen combo. If you’re going on a beach holiday combined with some fancy stuff, this is great. Or going somewhere where it’s hot and humid and you want to a put minimum product on your skin but still look put together, it’s perfect.
Image Credit: Canva
