November 2008 

I believe I was recently lied to at the Urban Decay counter at Macy’s.  The sales reps/makeup artists there told me that the Liquid Foundation (the one in the genie bottle) had an SPF of 19.  However, when I asked to see the box to check to see what the active sunscreen ingredient was (I wanted to make sure it was suitable for sensitive skin) there was no SPF rating on the box.  The makeup artist told me that titanium dioxide was the active ingredient.  However, there was no official SPF rating listed.  Then they tried to tell me that mineral sunscreens can't be rated.  I told them I knew for a fact that was absolutely not true, and that I had plenty of sunscreens at home that were titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that definitely had ratings.  I got very annoyed with one of the sales reps who kept trying to lie to me, and I walked away without buying the product.

I looked up the product on Beautypedia and didn't notice a SPF rating.  Please let me know if I made a mistake.

Stacey, via email

Dear Stacey,

You did not make a mistake, and in fact were being lied to by the staff at the Urban Decay counter. Unless a foundation (or any product claiming sun protection) provides an SPF rating and singles out the active ingredient, it cannot be relied on for sun protection (Source: www.fda.gov). Urban Decay’s Surreal Skin Liquid Makeup does not list an SPF rating or active ingredients, and as such does not qualify as an effective sunscreen. Many foundations contain titanium dioxide (often listed under the header “may contain”) because it also functions as a pigment and enhances opaque coverage. However, unless it is listed as an active ingredient, you absolutely should not rely on it for sun protection.

The Urban Decay staff also lied (or were pathetically misinformed) when they stated that mineral sunscreens cannot be rated. As you said, there are plenty of mineral sunscreens that carry SPF ratings and contain only mineral actives (mineral actives refers to titanium dioxide and zinc oxide). I don’t know where the staff got such misinformation, but hopefully it is not being dispensed by Urban Decay’s training department. I checked the company’s Web site and their complete ingredient list for Surreal Skin Liquid Makeup doesn’t indicate any active ingredients. Moreover, the claims for this foundation state nothing about sun protection, mineral or otherwise.

Stacey, I wish experiences like yours were isolated incidents but unfortunately they’re not. Almost without exception, when I engage a cosmetic salesperson in conversation about products, I am given at least one bit of incorrect or partially true information and more often then not just insane explanations that make no sense and are utter lies (either intentionally or unintentionally). It’s no wonder so many consumers walk away confused or, in your case, dispute what they’re being told (good for you!). There are many well-informed cosmetics salespeople out there, as well as many that have the best intentions of providing accurate information. The problems occur when cosmetics salespeople are given wrong or incomplete information from the company or store. Unless they know better or question the logic or lack of facts (though they could just read my books or web site), experiences like yours will continue every day.