Does Mimitika Make the Chicest Sunscreen Around?

Main Image – Live That Glow

As someone whose grasp of French is *so poor* that despite attempting to learn the language at least three times I still can’t reserve a hotel room by phone without inadvertently causing a diplomatic incident, you could be forgiven for thinking I’d be far too shamefaced to fully embrace French culture (and its many culinary/artistic/fashion delights).

Not so, however; since my love for all things French far surpasses my embarrassment at my woeful language skills.  Because you see I’m still of the school of thought that believes anything French automatically = chic (surely I’m not alone there?).

That applies to even the most run-down and abandoned of farmhouses- you know the ones you pass as you drive through the back country roads through France- and which I wistfully imagine buying and lovingly restoring former glory (while conveniently ignoring the total lack of roof/crumbling foundations and rising damp as well as my own sadly absent building skills).

I’m also the sort of Francophile that spends any trip to the country browsing the shelves of every pharmacy I come across in a sort of slow-motion daze as if I’ve found the affordable Harrods of skincare and am about to unearth some sort of magical elixir of youth as yet undiscovered by the rest of the world.

So you can imagine how excited I get when I come across a brand that ticks all my French beauty boxes… natural ingredients, chic, packaging, and prices that don’t require some sort of complex remortgaging negotiations.

And that’s pretty much what I’ve found in Mimitika, A French brand founded by beauty expert Audrey Delort-Laval (see, even the creator’s name is chic).

Mimitika

Specialising in vegan, cruelty-free and nanoparticle-free suncare, Mimitika is all French summer vibes- from their warm scents to the primary colours on their packaging- and conjures up visions of waterskiing off the back of an oligarch’s speedboat somewhere near Cannes (these visions are of course of someone else entirely since I can’t waterski and I don’t know any oligarchs).

You might be wondering what nanoparticles are, well, they are “microscopic particles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide,” says Healthline, and “Recent research suggests that these nanoparticles may also be harmful to coral reefs.” Not great for the environment!

Of Mimitika’s line-up of sunscreens (all lovely by the way), the product I use the most is their SPF oil, the Sun Oil SPF 50.

Mimitika Sun Oil SPF 50

As a major SPF addict, although it’s very rare that I actually sit out in the sun I still like soaking up the atmosphere on the beach- and always use a high factor on my vampire skin, even in the shade. And while I prefer a cream formula for my face when by the pool/on the beach, for my body I prefer the texture and hydration of an oil.

Gorgeous-smelling with a light frangipani scent, thanks to the addition of apricot kernel oil and hibiscus oil (for antioxidant protection), Mimitika’s oil offers a high level of skin-nourishing and natural ingredients like luffa seed oil (an anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory).

In addition, it boasts a high level of sun protection from chemical filters like Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate and Diethylhexly Butamido Triazone, while vitamin E adds antioxidant protection.

The Full List of Ingredients

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dibutyl Adipate, Coco Caprylate/Caprate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Diethylhexly Butamido Triazone, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Bis-Etthylhexyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Parfum (Fragrance), Oleoyl Tyrosine, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Seed Oil, Luffa Cylindrica Seed Oil Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid/Glycerin Crosspolymer, Oleic Acid, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil

On the Skin

Reasonably well absorbing, this sun protection bridges a dry oil and a traditional one- leaving skin with a moisturised feel and slight sheen but little greasiness.

High protection, and with UVA and UVB broad spectrum protection, it means I can lounge about poolside all day without sizzling. And as an added plus, the luffa seed oil here is meant to increase melanin production, making it a useful tanning aid for anyone who wants to up their tan this year (although I have to say I haven’t noticed any particular increase in my own tanning abilities using this).

Best still though is the fact that, unlike quite a few tanning oils I’ve used, this doesn’t render me so pore-blocked that I turn into a sweaty mess within minutes of applying.  Instead, my skin is just comfortable and protected and yummy smelling- another definite plus).

The Takeaway

Definitely one for oil sunscreen lovers, as well as anyone who likes their products with a side of continental chic, Mimitika is now pretty much my new favourite SPF line.

Cheaper than Sol de Janeiro’s Bum Bum Sol Oil SPF 30, but just as fun to use, Mimitika makes sunscreen enjoyable to apply and wear- making this a winner in my book, given just how much sun protection plays a part in skin health.

The brand also wins serious praise from me for adding antioxidant protection into their sunscreen here (via vitamin E), helping to prevent free radical damage to the skin, and making it stand out from so many other sunscreens which don’t pack in the antioxidants.

For those who like their SPF on the slightly lower protection side too, Mimitika also offers a Sun Oil SPF 30.

Great for: Non-greasy, high factor protection, as well as a moisturising (and seriously yummy-smelling-body product. It’s also alcohol-free, making it suitable for most skin types.

Not-so-great for: Very sensitive skin types, which may be better suited to a mineral sunscreen formula. Equally, the addition of artificial fragrance here could irritate more sensitive types.