SPF is a skin staple in summer, and should be used throughout the rest of the year too. If you’re looking for the best suncare to keep your skin protected, there are a number of options to choose from, all promising the ultimate sun protection with minimal skin irritation — but which is best for you?
At Face Dr, our Skin Experts recommend a handful of medical-grade skincare brands we trust, that have provided years of great results for our clients. We love to regularly compare some of our favourite brands with the most popular ones available in stores or online.
Here, we’re comparing ZO Skin Health and Australia-based brand Ultra Violette to see which has superior sun care products, and find out which brand is best for you based on the benefits, results, cost, reviews, and more.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:
- What is ZO Skin Health?
- What is Ultra Violette?
- Why do we need SPF?
- What benefits does ZO Skin Health offer?
- What benefits does Ultra Violette offer?
- What skin type is ZO Skin Health for and what products do they have?
- What skin type is Ultra Violette for and what products do they have?
- Where can I buy ZO Skin Health products?
- Where can I buy Ultra Violette products?
- How much are ZO Skin Health products?
- How much are Ultra Violette products?
- What do the reviews say about both products?
- Summary: Should I choose ZO Skin Health or Ultra Violette?
What is ZO Skin Health?
ZO Skin Health is a medical-grade skincare brand offering incredibly effective formulations containing the best active ingredients and the latest in skincare science to address troublesome skin concerns.
ZO’s ‘Get Skin Ready’ protocol focuses on a three-step routine of cleansing, exfoliating and toning for super healthy skin, but they place great emphasis on their SPF range too, as these essential products help to protect skin from long-term damage.
Our Skin Experts regularly recommend ZO Skin Health SPF products to our clients as they know how strong the protection is, and the benefits of wearing a sunscreen product every day.
What is Ultra Violette?
Ultra Violette is a popular skincare brand hailing from Australia, and all of their products contain SPF. They refer to their products as SKINSCREEN™; SPF that works alongside your other products and makeup, while being comfortable for daily wear.
They are all about future-proofing the face and body, and their brand was formed around the concept that most high street sunscreens — while offering protection — don’t always feel or look good on skin. They can also be difficult to wear alongside other products, and can exacerbate certain skin issues. Their range is designed to offer sunscreen for all preferences and skin types.
Why do we need SPF?
SPF is an important step in your skincare routine, and applying a high factor of sunscreen to the most exposed parts of your body (such as your face, neck and hands) is recommended by dermatologists and other professionals to prevent long-term sun damage and, in the worst cases, skin cancer.
A 2020 review of studies suggested sunscreen can lower the risk of developing melanoma or nonmelanoma skin cancers. You can read Dr Julia's tips on how to check your skin for cancer, here.
The same review found SPF also provides anti-ageing benefits such as slowing the appearance of fine lines. By using SPF every day you can limit the amount of sun damage your skin gets, which can help prevent age-related signs like wrinkles, sun spots, and more.
Both ZO Skin Health and Ultra Violette say daily sunscreen is a key anti-ageing product everyone should use to maintain healthy, youthful-looking skin.
If you are wondering what type of sunscreen could be for you, you can learn more by reading our article; Mineral, physical and chemical sunscreens — What’s the difference?
What benefits does ZO Skin Health offer?
ZO Skin Health features a whole range of products containing medical-grade ingredients, not just SPF, so the entire range offers benefits such as:
- Addressing troublesome acne
- Reducing and preventing lines, wrinkles and other signs of ageing
- Reducing hyperpigmentation
- Calming inflammation
- Helping with specific skin conditions such as rosacea
- Preventing sun damage
ZO Skin Health’s sunscreens contain Triple-Spectrum Protection®, a proprietary technology that offers superior skin protection. Many of their SPF products are also water and perspiration resistant.
What benefits does Ultra Violette offer?
Ultra Violette’s main benefit is their sun protection, as all of their products are centred around this feature. Some of the benefits of using their SPFs include:
- Reducing pigmentation
- Brightening skin
- Hydrating skin
- Leaving a subtle, glowy finish
They offer multiple products because they believe everyone has unique skin needs when it comes to their sun care products, and one size doesn’t fit all.
What skin type is ZO Skin Health for, and what kind of products do they have?
There are a few common skin types out there, but everyone’s skin has individual needs, which is why ZO provides a range of products that can be combined to offer superior results. Your Skin Expert can help you discover the best combination for you.
ZO Skin Health products have been formulated to help as many skin types as possible, so whether you have fussy combination skin, hypersensitive skin, super oily skin, parched skin or something else, you can always find a combination to suit you.
Their most popular SPF products are:
ZO Daily Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF 50: This highly effective mineral sunscreen helps protect skin from UVA and UVB rays, high energy visible (HEV) light, infrared (IR-A) rays, and more. Its DNA repair and protection complex helps prevent future skin damage, and our clients love it for its non-greasy formula and matte, tinted finish.
ZO Gel Sunscreen Broad-Spectrum SPF 50: This gel-based formula protects against UVA, UVB, HEV blue light and IR-A rays, just as the ZO Daily Sheer does. However the difference is its antioxidant and plant stem cell complex that provides protection against environmental pollutants, while also soothing and hydrating skin. Its clear formula means it blends perfectly with all skin tones, and does not leave a white residue as some SPF products do.
ZO Smart Tone Broad-Spectrum SPF 50: This sunscreen product provides similar, high strength protection to the above ZO products, but also helps to combat the appearance of redness, and uses a unique 12-hour time-release antioxidant complex to guard against the signs of photodamage.
If you want to learn more about the above products, read; Find out more about ZO Skin Health’s New SPF 50 Sunscreens.
What skin type is Ultra Violette for, and what kind of products do they have?
Ultra Violette offers the option to shop on their website by skin type, and this includes sensitive skin — they have plenty of products that cater to this.
Their best-selling products include:
Lean Screen SPF 50+ Mattifying Zinc SKINSCREEN™: This zinc oxide sunscreen promises not to look or feel uncomfortable or heavy on skin, and instead, leaves a subtle matte finish.
Queen Screen SPF 50+ Luminising Serum SKINSCREEN™: This product has a serum-like, silky texture perfect for use under makeup, and is ideal for normal to dry skin, offering a luminous finish.
Extreme Screen SPF 50+ Hydrating Body & Hand SKINSCREEN™: This full body sunscreen is designed to be hydrating and leave behind a lovely glow and a soft coconut scent. Its super light consistency and hydration properties make it a good replacement for your regular moisturiser if you’re in a hurry.
Where can I buy ZO Skin Health products?
ZO Skin Health products contain medical-grade active ingredients, which means they are not available to buy in physical shops or online without first having a consultation. If you do come across ZO products for sale online, these are likely counterfeit or out-of-date products, and probably won’t provide the results you had hoped for.
To purchase real, effective ZO Skin Health products, you will need to have a consultation with an approved stockist first. This might be a dermatologist, aesthetic practitioner or an online skincare clinic like us here at Face Dr.
Where can I buy Ultra Violette products?
Ultra Violette products are not medical-grade, which means they do not contain ingredients strong enough to require a prescription from a professional, like ZO Skin Health does. Their products can be ordered on their website, and can also be found in various shops around Australia and the UK, including the likes of Sephora.
How much are ZO Skin Health SPF products?
Because ZO Skin Health is a medical-grade brand that requires a consultation, product prices cannot be displayed online. As a rough guide, products start at around £30, while some of the more targeted treatments are around £160.
How much are Ultra Violette products?
Ultra Violette products are available to buy on their website, and their prices are displayed there. As a rough guide, their Extreme Screen SPF 50+ Hydrating Body & Hand SKINSCREEN™ is £27 for 150ml, while their body sunscreens are £52 for 500ml.
They also offer smaller 30ml bottles of some of their products if you want to try them first, and their sample pack is £6.
What do the reviews say about both products?
Both ZO Skin Health and Ultra Violette are excellently reviewed. Ultra Violette’s Queen Screen has 800+ reviews, and 93% of reviewers would recommend the product to a friend.
“I have dry skin and this helps to seal the deal on top of my fave moisturiser. It absorbs well and leaves a subtle sparkly glow. I adore the rose scent. This is a repurchase!”
- Janelle K, Ultra Violette customer using Queen Screen Luminising Serum SKINSCREEN™
ZO Skin Health’s Smart Tone Broad-Spectrum has 33 reviews on the Face Dr website, of which, 31 are 5*, and our average star rating is 4.87*.
“This SPF is fab! … I have greasy skin and this isn’t greasy at all. Best of all, it lasts all day from 8am in the morning and is still on my face at 8pm after I’ve had my evening workout!”
- Kate L, Face Dr client using ZO Smart Tone Broad-Spectrum SPF 50
Summary: Should I choose ZO Skin Health or Ultra Violette?
It can be difficult to decide what the best products are for you, and in the case of sunscreen, the skin feel can be a big factor, as well as skin sensitivities, and knowing how they will blend under makeup.
Both ZO Skin Health and Ultra Violette provide well-reviewed, effective SPF products to help protect your skin from sun damage and the signs of ageing. Depending on what you are looking for, Ultra Violette may provide the convenience of being able to purchase your SPF products online or in a local store.
Or if you think ZO Skin Health could be the range for you, their medical-grade ingredients offer peace-of-mind when it comes to skin protection.
Our Skin Experts have seen great results in preventing the long-term signs of skin ageing. They can help you decide which products are best for you by offering recommendations based on skin type, ingredients and formulations, reviews, results, cost, and more.
If you’re thinking of trying either Ultra Violette or ZO Skin Health products, we recommend booking a free video consultation:
Want to read more from our blog? Here are some articles that may interest you:
- How to tackle ageing skin with your skincare routine
- Dr Julia's tips on how to check your skin for cancer
- Which brand is better: ZO Skin Health vs. Medik8 (Updated 2024)
