There are a handful of brands I would blindly accept as products being good from, based on my previous experience with their items. And those brands would be Youth to the People, Tatcha, and Summer Fridays to name a few. They each have some bangers, but they aren’t all winners (because no brand is perfect).
Youth to the People has an extremely strong track record in my eyes. The Superfood Cleanser is one of my favorite gel cleansers for its effectiveness, gentleness, and light scent. Even their Superfood Body Cleanser was perfection from the lather to the fragrance. Their Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Serum is so hydrating without any stickiness, as well as one of my favorite dip pump packagings. Their biggest flub was the Superberry Cleansing Balm. It definitely melted makeup, but it left the thickest residue behind that even their Superfood Cleanser could not get off. An oil-based cleanser is only as good as it washes off.
They’ve always been missing a sunscreen though. So imagine my surprise when they came out with Youthscreen SPF60 ($30 at Sephora) this year. I was ecstatic. Until I wasn’t.
Read on to see what I love and don’t love about the Youth to the People Youthscreen SPF60.
What Youthscreen Does Well
You know Youth to the People poured a lot of money into this formulation because they’re so intentional with all of their products. I trust them to get the job done. And on paper, this SPF does get it done, completely.
High amount of sun protection
There are way too many brands in Sephora launching SPF30 products, expecting it to be praised as the best thing ever. But in the context of SPF scandals (where the sun protection actually ends up being less than the advertised SPF), I think many people are erring on the side of higher sun protection.
The YTTP one has a high enough SPF factor (SPF60) to mitigate those concerns.
And because it has a pretty loose formula (it’s liquidy, but not as fluid-like as the Summer Fridays or Paula’s Choice ones), it’s easy to apply an adequate amount of SPF. It’s also easy to dispense it onto your fingers to “measure” out, since it isn’t fully a liquid. It still holds its structure without running everywhere.
No eye sting or sunscreen smell
The amount of times I have spent a full day in the office fighting back tears solely because of my sunscreen is insane. And I’m always hesitant to try new organic/chemical UV filter-based sunscreen for that reason.
But thankfully, this one has not caused any eye sting for me. And I’ve applied it onto my eyelids and worn it all day. Still no issues.
And on the note of organic UV filters, a lot of them have a typical “smell” associated with them. Thankfully, this did not have any of those sunscreen-y smells to it! It’s always a turn off when you smell your skincare or suncare products throughout the day.
Absolutely no white cast
While I am not the darkest creator in any way, shape, or form, I am happy to report there is no white cast using this product on my face. It takes approximately 30 seconds to rub the product in completely to get rid of the initial white cast (due to the lotion-nature of the product). But after a few strokes and slaps, your skin should be left with a dewy, clear finish.
And it works well under makeup too with no pilling! Yes, you’ll probably want to use makeup over this because the finish of the SPF is not that amenable to a no-makeup day. More on that later…
How Youthscreen Can Improve
When launching a sun protection product, you have to hit the non-negotiables of no white cast and solid SPF. But there are small nuances in formulation that would take this product from good choice to my must-have-on-a-desert-island staple.
Lighter texture and residue
My biggest complaint on a daily basis with this product is that I can feel it on my skin. As I just sit around and move the skin on my face, I can feel the sunscreen on top of my skin. Its presence is known. And it doesn’t go away either, hours later or even by the end of the night.
Related to feeling it on your skin, you can actually touch your face/skin and feel the sunscreen. My partner even kissed my neck the other day and immediately wiped his lips because he could feel the sunscreen come off onto his lips. (Quite embarrassing if you ask me.)
In YTTP’s defense, it does wash off really easily though. I use an oil cleanser (Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm, $39 at Sephora), followed by a cream cleanser right now (also Farmacy, $32 at Sephora, read my review). And I would expect that this SPF actually comes off with just a single cleanse from the Superfoods Cleanser because the residue just sits on your skin, meaning it’ll be easier to just wash off.
Reduced dewiness to make a satin or natural finish
If you don’t like a shiny, dewy face, this product is not for you. I put this on top of a mattifying morning cream (from Peach Slices, $17 at Ulta). So my skin is already pretty matte prior to applying this SPF on top. Yet it does not matter. After 3 finger lengths of the YTTP SPF, my skin is looking dewy as ever. And my forehead is shining to the moon and back.
I wish that Youth to the People had formulated it with some powders or something to help reduce the dewiness and make it more into a satin or natural finish.
Paired with the sensation of the sunscreen being there on your face, it makes you very conscious of the fact that you have this sunscreen on your face.
Water and sweat resistance
If I had to estimate, I would say that 90% of the sunscreens at Sephora do not have water and sweat resistance. But that does not mean we should not expect that from our products we purchase! Since this product is relatively pricey and leaves a film behind on your face, it would not be out of the realm of possibilities to see water and sweat resistance.
Alas, there’s none of that resistance. So you’re stuck buying another product if you need to hop in the water or if you’re in a hot, humid environment.
Luckily for me, I live in San Francisco and don’t have to deal with sticky summers or outdoor excursions through the water. So this would just be a nice (yet unnecessary) cherry on top.
What Skin Types Will Love Youthscreen
Youth to the People made this sunscreen to work for as many people as possible. It’s an inclusive launch with its no-white-cast finish. And its high sun protection means people can use it throughout the year with fewer concerns than a product with SPF30.
But the core audience (in my eyes) are people with dry skin who like a minimal skincare routine. I’ve tried scaling back my morning skincare routine in hopes that it would reduce the dewiness (but no success). If you’re the type who likes to skip a moisturizer in the morning, this will be perfect for you. It’s a rich, but breathable, formula.
If you have oily skin like I do, this product might feel too heavy for you. It leaves a little film behind. And while all sunscreens do, this one feels like it sits on top of the skin instead of being absorbed. Imagine something like the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen, just a very thin layer of that. You feel it on your skin (both when you touch it and when you just move your face around).
Final Thoughts on YTTP’s Sunscreen
If you’re looking for a new holy grail SPF, this Youthscreen could be that for you, but more than likely, it won’t be. I hate to say that I don’t like this. But I don’t love it.
From the perspective of a formulator meeting the brief, they did it: no white cast, no eye sting, high sun protection. But from the perspective of a consumer, they did not do it: too dewy of a finish to be used alone without makeup, persistent residue hours later, and no extra resistance for water/sweat.
For my purposes, I have my daily sunscreen of choice that has slight blurring of the skin, adequate sun protection (it’s San Francisco, after all), and no residue or white cast. It’s the Summer Fridays ShadeDrops SPF30 (read my review), and the Youth to the People Youthscreen SPF60 did not dethrone it for me.
And don’t say it is because I am a mineral sunscreen lover. I have favorites of organic sunscreens too. They just happen to be French (La Roche Posay UVMune 400, $22 at Stylevana) or Korean (Skin1004 Centella SPF, read my review).
But if you’d like to try the Youth to the People Youthscreen SPF60, here’s where to pick it up:
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