Lately (meaning for about a month or so), I’m on this French beauty trip in my mind because I always seem to turn to French skin care since their philosophy of combining natural ingredients and science is appealing to me.

Well, when I saw that there is a product that is a mix between a foundation and a sunscreen, I was like yes, please, sign me up, shut up and take my money!

Bioderma is one of the most popular dermatological skin care brand and they’re mostly known for that popular micellar water that they have. And I plan to get my hands on it, rather sooner than later. So, I wanted to give it a shot and get a foundation from a French skin care brand and the Photoderm Cover Touch does have the highest SPF from what I could find, so that’s how I made my choice.

Packaging:

The packaging is nothing special, just a 40 gr plastic beige tube. I didn’t expect much, because I know most French skin care uses a simple a practical design. I mean the pharmacy brands, not the luxury brands, of course.

Texture:

This is where I have my biggest problem. The foundation has a very thick texture and it’s hard to work with. I prefer to use my fingers usually, but even if I wanted to use something else, I don’t think that I could because it’s so thick. Also, the shade range is…disappointing. I have the Light shade of this foundation and it’s fine for me, but I don’t think there is something suitable for dark skin tones, which is a shame.

Ingredients:

• ZINC OXIDE [NANO]
• AQUA/WATER/EAU
• ISODODECANE
• TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891)
• CORN STARCH MODIFIED
• DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE
• TITANIUM DIOXIDE [NANO]
• POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYRICINOLEATE
• IRON OXIDES (CI 77492)
• SILICA
• POLYGLYCERYL-3 DIISOSTEARATE
• TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE
• MAGNESIUM SULFATE
• PENTYLENE GLYCOL
• PROPANEDIOL
• STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE
• IRON OXIDES (CI 77491)
• HYDROGENATED LECITHIN
• DIMETHICONE
• SODIUM CITRATE
• IRON OXIDES (CI 77499)
• PROPYLENE CARBONATE
• ECTOIN
• MANNITOL
• PROPYL GALLATE
• XYLITOL
• RHAMNOSE
• CITRIC ACID
• LAUROYL LYSINE
• TOCOPHEROL
• FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES
• CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE
• LAMINARIA OCHROLEUCA EXTRACT. [BI 2004]

Of course, we have the Zinc Oxide (Nano) which is the sunscreen, but also the Titanium Dioxide (Nano), Ectoin (soothing ingredient) and antioxidants like Propyl Gallate and Tocopherol.

There is no alcohol, fragrance or essential oils in the formula. The formula is also water resistant and it’s safe for the environment, which is very important because I don’t want my sunscreen to damage coral reefs or other forms of aquatic life.

Price and accessibilty:

Bioderma products are available in most pharmacies and in several online stores. I got mine from a pharmacy called Dr. Max and I think there was a sale or something and it was sold for about 7 euros. Which is really not a bad price for a good foundation that has an SPF of 50.

My overall opinion:

I want to love this product, I really do. I will start with the good things. I got a good shade for my skin because I do have light skin, even during summer, it does have a matte effect and it’s high coverage (which is something that I want sometimes, you know?). Also, it’ doesn’t clog the pores and my skin seems to tolerate it well.

Now, the bad things: it’s so thick that it looks like a mask on the face no matter how sparingly I use it. It looks nice at first, but after a while it doesn’t oxidize but it does look like it emphasize every tiny pore on my face. So it doesn’t have that skin-like appearance that I all want from a good foundation.

I will continue to use it how I can, but not on day when I know I want too look really good, simply because it can’t work like that. I don’t want to give up on Bioderma, so I will try the Nude Touch version of the Photoderm foundation, which is supposed to have a light coverage. If it weren’t for the mask-like effect it has on the skin, I would have liked it because it does a good job at mattifying the skin and it doesn’t transfer easily on clothes.