Reddit Found a "Dupe" for Glossier's Sunscreen Serum
By Sarah Kinonen. Photos: Getty Images, Courtesy of Brand, Hannah Choi/Allure.
It hasn't even been a full week since Glossier launched its first-ever sunscreen serum, aptly named Invisible Shield, and the people of Reddit are already crying "copycat!"
In a PSA post in the SkincareAddiction subreddit forum, users started sounding off on what they believe is an "exact dupe" to Glossier's new sunscreen. The "dupe" in question: a gel-serum sunscreen by Korean beauty brand Make P.rem.
"I haven't used this sunscreen at all, but I chanced upon it on [Twitter] when someone mentioned it and compared it to the Glossier SS as a better alternative," wrote hindustanza. "This is a [clear-ish gel-serum just like the Glossier one](http://www.allure.com/story/reddit-found-glossier-sunscreen-serum-dupe). It's the MAKE P:REM Capsule Sun Gel from Korea. I've decided to purchase it and might write a review once I've used it for a while."
"Note that it's $2 cheaper than the Glossier for 250% MORE product (edit: $12 cheaper for Americans on this site), and the active ingredients (Homosalate, Octisalate, Avobenzone, Octocrylene) are suspiciously similar to Glossier's (Homosalate, Octisalate, Avobenzone), but the MAKE P:REM obviously and sensibly contains Octocrylene for the stability of the Avo."
On paper, the formulas seem similar in that they're both clear and provide sun protection. Still, a lot of work goes into formulating a product — from the concept to the packaging — and we highly doubt Glossier would have an identical product to another brand's. To suss it all out, we reached out to cosmetic chemist Ginger King for the lowdown.
According to King, while both products are gel-serum sunscreens, which is certainly a rarity in the market, the two formulations aren't as similar as one might suspect. "The products are not the same," King tells Allure. "Both are gel sunscreens, but the Glossier formulation, based on its ingredient list, is better for its mildness to skin because it doesn't have polyethylene glycol (PEGs)." (FYI: PEGs are carcinogenic petroleum ingredients that are known to reduce the skin's natural moisture and cause irritation.)
So not only did we discover the two products are not dupes, but we've also learned that the Glossier Invisible Shield is actually formulated to be slightly gentler on skin, making it great for sensitive skin types. As if you needed one more reason to hop aboard the Glossier Invisible Shield bandwagon...
This story originally appeared on Allure.
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