Neova DNA Damage Control Silc Sheer 2.0 with SPF 40 – Review
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Clinical grade sunscreen that does it all – prevents, camouflages, and repairs!
photos: we heart this
For years, I’ve had this love/hate thing going with sunscreen. When I was on Accutane a few years ago, you couldn’t catch me without at least two bottles of it in my purse. My skin was so sensitive that I wouldn’t dare go without sunscreen, even on a cloudy day.
But for most of my life, sunscreen and my face have not been able to play nice. While the products did protect my skin from sun damage, they caused other problems – my face would break out, and my makeup would slide off. Whether it was face or body sunscreen, oil-free or regular, high end or drugstore, it messed up with my skin.
While the formula have generally improved as time went on, they still weren’t good enough. I saw the negative effects of sunscreen lessen, but not disappear completely. When I was given the opportunity to review Neova’s DNA Damage Control Silc Sheer 2.0 with SPF 40, I was wary but excited at the same time.
Neova is owned by ProCyte Corporation, a medical skin care company whose products are found in the offices of dermatologists, cosmetic and plastic surgeons, and spas. Neova products are known for being effective, potent and gentle enough for the most sensitive skin – how would they contend against my face?
Neova Silc Sheer 2.0 ($45) delivers a triple threat. Firstly, it prevents damage with a broad spectrum, SPF 40 formula. UVA and UVB rays are deflected with micronized physical sunscreens (zinc and titanium dioxide). According to the Environmental Working Group, “zinc and titanium-based sunscreens are among the safest and most effective sunscreens on the market”. Additional UVB protection is delivered by octinoxate. Even on very sunny days, this protected my skin from getting sunburned.
Secondly, Silc Sheer camouflages the damage that was done in the past. The tinted formula (best for medium skin tones or lighter) has a slight amount of pearl, which hides minor flaws. It’s not heavy coverage, but it does improve the appearance of my skin in a subtle way.
To get an idea of the coverage, in this image, you see the Silc Sheer on the left half my face (viewer’s left) while the right side is bare. As you can see, the Silc Sheer does a nice job of hiding red, blotchy spots and slight imperfections.
While it initially feels and smells like regular sunscreen out of the bottle, after applying the product, it felt lighter than regular sunscreen, and dried down to a semi-matte finish. It stayed put all day. Thanks to the water-resistant formula, my foundation still looked flawless at the end of the day – even after a long, sweaty workout!
Finally, it repairs the skin damage at a cellular level. Endosomes, liposomes, work to reverse damage and visible aging. Extracts from marine microbes and plankton-derived phytolase gradually reduce photodamage (how cool does that sound?)
I feel that this product truly delivers in all three of those areas. While I don’t feel that I’ve been using this long enough to really see it totally reverse the minimal sun damage to my skin (and most of my splotches are acne-related), I am impressed at how well it works as a sunscreen, especially under makeup.
While it is more expensive than your average drugstore sunscreen, it’s lower priced per ounce than many department-store/Sephora brand sun products, and it’s one of the better sunscreens that I’ve tried.
we heartsters and Testers – are you impressed with the triple threat against sun damage offered by Neova’s DNA Damage Control Silc Sheer 2.0?
Click here to check out the Neova site – and click here to shop Neova at Drugstore.com
Marilyn is a makeup maniac and slow but stubborn runner. She loves color coding her day planner, reading celebrity gossip and drinking good wine. Marilyn blogs about makeup and fitness over at her blog, Lipgloss and Spandex.
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. It also contains an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I love this stuff! I’ve always had issues with the way spf feels on my face, especially wearing glasses where I either had to skip it on the bridge of my nose or keep pushing up my glasses all day. Neova’s Silc Sheer evens out my skin tone and protects against the sun without feeling greasy at all. I was shocked when I wore it the first time and touched my face later. It felt like I had nothing on, which is exactly how I like it. This has become a new essential in my kit! 5 Stars!
Great Review @lipglossandspandex
Neova is one of my favorite brands so Marilyn let me test some of this out. I was apprehensive at first because anything tinted generally does not work for me. My skin is picky and does not seem to care of SPF already mixed in. This is the first product I have ever used that my skin as loved.
I feel like I have hit the holy grail of skincare!
5 stars for me.
I would love to try this. How much does it cost and where do you order it?
It’s $45 and there’s a link to buy it from Drugstore.com at the end of the post.
Thanks for your inquiry!
Did you use the Silc Sheer over your usual moisturizer or alone? I LOVE the amount of coverage that it gave you (just enough without being too much- it still looks like your skin, but better!) but I wonder if using another moisturizer beneath it would dilute it at all.
@mandaleem –I tried it over moisturizer and on it’s own. I have oily skin, but it can get dry in some spots. I found that Silc Sheer was adequate on it’s own, but still performed well with moisturizer and/or primer and/or foundation. :) It is a subtle difference between the side of my face with Silc Sheer, and the side without, but the difference is there.
To answer your question, if your products are applied in the appropriate order, with enough time to dry, there shouldn’t be an issue with diluting the sunscreen. Mixing sunscreen and another product together (whether prior to application, or because the products haven’t had time to set) does reduce the SPF.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology and the Skin Cancer Foundation, the ideal order of application is: treatment/medication products on clean, bare skin, then moisturizer, then sunscreen, and lastly, makeup. Allow each each layer to dry before applying the next.
I like this sunscreen a lot! I’ve had a hard time finding a sunscreen that doesn’t turn my face into a shiny mess. I had two holy grail sunscreens–one was discontinued, and the other is twice the price of Neova. Silc sheer doesn’t break me out, doesn’t make me shiny, and doesn’t break the bank! It’s more expensive than drugstore stuff–but some of us have skin that just can’t tolerate much. While it doesn’t cover a lot of my hyperpigmentation, I love having a high SPF sunscreen under my foundation. And if I had to pick one tinted moisturizing sunscreen, it would be Neova. Like a good foundation, I tend to take a good sunscreen for granted until I don’t have it. Five stars :)
What a great product! I like to use a higher spf to help fade my dark spots, and Neova is perfect! Not only does the high spf protect my skin, but the subtle tint masks my existing dark spots and gives me overall light coverage.
I considered mixing it with my foundation to create my own tinted moisturizer!
Fab product! 5 enthusiastic stars!!
Please don’t mix sunscreen with other products :) I know it’s been a popular suggestion in many magazines, but it dilutes the SPF. Layering the products works best for maintaining the high SPF. :)