You might be
moisturizing your skin the right way, you might be applying anti-aging essences everyday, you might be drinking collagen supplements everyday, but if you're not wearing sunscreen every single day, you're as good as not doing anything for your skin. The list of the damages sun exposure can bring your skin is endless, and even deadly, which is why it is so important to protect our skin from the sun.
I've seen way too many people skipping out on sunscreen just because they won't be heading out (unless you've closed all the curtains in your house, UV rays can still penetrate your windows!), or their foundation has SPF (not enough!), or they are simply lazy. While sunscreen prevents skin problems such as aging, acne, redness, damaged skin, freckles, and many many more, sunscreen also promotes healing of the skin especially if you have skin discolouration or hyper-pigmentation such as acne marks.
Another common skincare mistake people make is not putting
enough sunscreen. As mentioned, some people thinks it's enough just because their foundation has sunscreen... Unless you pile on a 0.5mm thick layer of foundation on your skin... Your foundation isn't gonna provide sufficient protection for you. I've also seen many people applying just a pea sized of sunscreen on their skin which isn't enough too. You can cut back on the essences, the serums, the moisturizer, but when it comes to sunscreen, you have to be generous with your application!
Before you run out and buy yourself a random sunscreen with the highest SPF or start slapping layers and layers of sunscreen on your face, finish this blog post as unfortunately, like every single type of skincare product, not all sunscreen is good for your skin. For a product that you
need to use every single day without fail, it is important that the ingredients will not cause any damage or clogging. In addition, since sunscreen is the last step of my skincare routine, it is important that my sunscreen has a pleasant texture, and doesn't pill.
To help you pick the right sunscreen, today I will be delivering you my review of the 10 sunscreens I've been testing out.
1) Krave Beet The Sun
Ingredients: Water, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Dibutyl Adipate, Beta Vulgaris (Beet) Root Extract, Alcohol, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate, Polysilicone-15, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Methylpropanediol, Isohexadecane, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 80, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sorbitan Oleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Epigallocatechin Gallate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Resveratrol
If you've
read or
watched my Krave Beauty review, you'll already know how I feel about this sunscreen. My favourite thing about this sunscreen is definitely the texture of it. It is smooth, layer-able and lightweight. As it contains beetroot extract and alcohol, this sunscreen gives off a cooling and refreshing effect which feels good! It also contains moisture attracting ingredients such as glycerin and pentylene glycol to boost the moisture levels in my skin and lastly, I also love that it has a very slight green tint which can help cancel out any mild redness in my skin. Now as I've said, this sunscreen contains a huge amount of alcohol and while Krave has explained their reasons for incorporating alcohol in their formulation (basically it's to help improve the consistency and texture), you can't deny the fact that alcohol is drying and damaging. I get this question all the time,
since so many popular sunscreens out there contains a huge amount of alcohol, shouldn't it be okay to use? Maybe it is very necessary to have alcohol in them?
Just think about alcohol as sugar in our food. Lots of delicious and unhealthy food contains a large amount of sugar. Sugar brings out the flavours in a lot of dishes, my favourite brown sugar bubble tea is filled with sugar and it's super delicious, but is it good for my body? No. Yes the food with sugar is way more delicious than bland steamed veggies, but it doesn't change the fact that sugar is unnecessary and unhealthy as hell. Do you really think most businesses care about your health? Whether or not the health of your skin or your body? Obviously they don't because what they care about is profits and alcohol, like sugar, is a cheap ingredient that can easily improve the texture and flavour of a skincare product or a dish. You might not see the negative impacts of a high-sugar diet within a week or two, but we all know that having a long-term high-sugar diet will only cause accumulative damage to your body and that's the same with alcohol.
This sunscreen also contains macadamia oil and you know how I feel about oils. Oils are clogging and if you have acne-prone skin, keep all oils always from your face especially heavy oils like macadamia.
Pros: Lightweight texture and refreshing feel.
Cons: Contains alcohol and oil.
2) Etude House Sunprise Natural Corrector Spf 50+/Pa++++
Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide (Ci 77947), Hexyl Laurate, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)silylethyl Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Niacinamide, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Sodium Chloride, Silica, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Quaternium-18 Bentonite, Beeswax, Magnesium Stearate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Tilia Platyphyllos Flower Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Carex Humillis Root Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Adenosine, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Alcohol, Polyglyceryl -3 Polyricinoleate, Malpighia Punicifolia (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Maltodextrin, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Fragrance, Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499
Is this not the longest ingredient list ever...? I have a love and hate relationship with this sunscreen. Overall, I would say that the ingredients are fairly safe and good considering how the first couple of ingredients are good ingredients that provides sun protection, followed by a good amount of humectants for hydration. There is alcohol in this, but seeing how the alcohol is towards the end, you're probably only getting a few drops of it in the tube, moreover you're not gonna put the entire tube on your face right? Same goes for the fragrance and colouring at the end of the list.
So while I do like this sunscreen because of it's brightening effects and the fact that it's one of the few sunscreens in the sunprise collection that has decent ingredients, I'm also not that fond of the texture as it is rather thick making it difficult to blend out. And as you know, I love being generous when it comes to my sunscreen application but being generous with this product just means looking like a pale ghost.
Pros: Brightens and evens out skin tone.
Cons: Contains alcohol and fragrance, thick consistency making it difficult to blend.
3) Cosrx Aloe Soothing Sun Cream
Ingredients: Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Titanium Dioxide, C14-22 Alcohols, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Peg-100 Stearate, Silica, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Triethanolamine, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium Edta
Because I have acne, my skin tends to feel irritated at times which was why I was attracted to this sunscreen that claims to have aloe vera in it which can provide soothing effects to irritated skin. Taking a look at the ingredients, it has glycerin as its third ingredient which is a good start, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, and Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid are all ingredients that provides sun protection benefits which is good... And then... We have alcohol. You should know by now that alcohol is drying and it irritates our skin, so it's ironic how this sunscreen is supposed to be "soothing" because it has "aloe" but the aloe, Aloe Arborescens Leaf Extract, and soothing ingredient Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, comes after the irritating alcohol.
Pros: Affordable and lightweight texture
Cons: Alcohol!
4) Bioderma Photoderm SPOT SPF50+
Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Octocrylene, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol (Nano), Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-100 Stearate, Ectoin, Fructooligosaccharides, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, C20-22 Alcohols, Decyl Glucoside, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium Edta, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
After a few problematic and disappointing sunscreens, I thought this would be the perfect time to finally slot in a less problematic sunscreen. In terms of the ingredients, this sunscreen 100% unproblematic especially for people with acne prone skin, because it doesn't contain any drying alcohols, essential oils and of course, oils. I also love how this sunscreen is made specifically to shield and protect damaged skin and scars because if you want your acne marks to heal and fade away quicker, you really need to ensure that it is receiving sufficient protection from the UV rays. This was my go-to sunscreen for a couple of weeks due to the safe ingredients but what bothered me was how it pills as the day goes by. This means that throughout the day, the product will form little white chunks on my skin. Even though this can be solved if you put just a super thin layer of sunscreen, I tend to ensure my skin is well-protected with sufficient product.
Pros: Safe ingredients for sensitive and oily skin.
Cons: Pills...
5) Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40
Ingredients: Avobenzone (3%), Homosalate (8%), Octinoxate (4.5%), Octisalate (5%)
Inactive Ingredients: Isododecane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl Ppg-20 Crosspolymer, Isohexadecane, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Meadowfoam Estolide, Polyester-8, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Jojoba Esters, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Mannitol, Olibanum, Lecithin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Diatomaceous Earth, Zinc Sulfate, Silica, Tocopherol
Speaking of the texture of sunscreens, this next sunscreen is probably the best one you can get if you're someone to puts makeup on everyday. This sunscreen is called unseen sunscreen because it doesn't have any colour to it, and it feels exactly like a primer in a sense that it smooths out uneven texture, and even mattifies your skin. This product is also has safe ingredients even though I know some people are not fond of silicone, silicone is actually not harmful for your skin if you read up about it. Moreover, the silicone in this product is the second last ingredient so it really isn't justifiable to overlook all its good points just because of silicone.
Pros: No white cast, safe ingredients and works exactly like a primer (2-in-1)!
Cons: Expensive! Or unless you hate the texture of primers.
6) Purito Comfy Water Sunblock
Ingredients: Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Zinc Oxide, Silica, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Stearic Acid, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lauroyl Lysine, Disodium EDTA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Adenosine, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
This product was sent to me to review and I was very excited since I love the brand Purito. I do like how this sunscreen contains a very good amount of hydrating ingredients such as butylene glycol, glycerin, niacinamide and madecassoside which is great for people with dry skin. It's good to know that even your sunscreen is boosting your moisture levels. The texture of this product is very lightweight and comfortable, but unfortunately, straight up you can see that this product contains 3 types of perfuming ingredient a.k.a essential oils. Like I said, K-beauty loves essential oils so it's not surprising to see essential oils in this sunscreen.
Pros: Hydrating, suitable for dry skin.
Cons: Contains a ton of essential oils/fragrance.
7) Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sun SPF 50++ PA+++
Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dibutyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Silica, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin
I was also sent this sunscreen, so the first ingredient that caught my attention is tocopherol, this is vitamin E which is an antioxidant, which provides sun protection. At the same time, this also acts as an emollient so it helps smooth out the texture of your skin while providing occlusive properties. This also contains centella asiatica which has anti-inflammatory benefits hence it aids in the healing of the skin, and then it also contains hyaluronic acid, glycerin, butylene glycol, niacinamide, to attract moisture.
I actually love this sunscreen. The texture is so smooth and silky, non-tacky at all, and it also feels cooling on my skin. Since this contains lavender oil, it does smell like heaven. Unfortunately, good-smelling stuff are usually bad for our skin, i.e. essential oils. Therefore, I still use this sunscreen because I'm a rebel, but only on weekends when I head to the gym in the mornings and need sun protection for a few hours before I shower.
Pros: Hydrating, smells good and has a pleasant texture. Also contains cica for healing and calming.
Cons: Contains essential oils.
8) Some By Mi True Cica Mineral 100 Calming Sunscreen
Ingredients: Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Zinc Oxide, Silica, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Water, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Stearic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Lauroyl Lysine, Disodium EDTA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Adenosine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid
This is another sunscreen that was sent to me from Some By Mi, actually a long time ago now, before I even went to Korea. So if you simply look at the name of this product, it's obvious that the highlight of this sunscreen is supposed to be centella asiatica a.k.a cica. But if you look at the ingredients, centella asiatica is no where to be found until the last 7th ingredient. The first impression this sunscreen gave me was that it smells totally like tea tea so that is probably because this does contains both tea tree leaf water and also tea tree oil, yes, again, essential oil. Other than that there is also orange peel oil and lavender oil which are both fragrance and the funny thing is you get more fragrance when the centella asiatica which also means you get more irritating than calming. This does contains similar humectants as the previous two sunscreens but honestly I didn't enjoy using this sunscreen. I used it for approximately 2 weeks and I didn't even bring it along with me to Korea.
I think at that point, my skin was actually very sensitive and irritated as I was using the Drunk Elephant T.L.C Glycolic Night Serum. So using this sunscreen really made the irritations worse. My skin was itchy, and it definitely did not sit well or blend in well with the rest of my skincare products too. I also didn't like how strong the tea tree scent is.
Pros: Probably none.
Cons: Contains essential oils and smells just like tea tree.
9) Avene Fluid Fragrance-Free SPF 50+
Ingredients: Avene Thermal Spring Water (Avene Aqua), C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol [Nano], Water (Aqua), Diisopropyl Adipate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Silica, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Decyl Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, C10-18 Triglycerides, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Benzoic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Glyceryl Stearate, Oxothiazolidine, PEG-100 Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Glucoside, Tribehenin, Xanthan Gum
The last sunscreen is my current go-to one. To keep things short and sweet, this sunscreen doesn't contain any harmful or drying ingredients. Even though as compared to the Korean beauty sunscreens, this do seem like it's lacking in the hydrating department, I think it's important to remember that this isn't a moisturizer. This is a sunscreen, and what matters more is that it does it's job as a sunscreen without damaging your skin. This product is also made to provide very high protection for damaged skin and acne scars, so again it is perfect for me because I do have a bunch of acne scars that really appreciate a good shield. On top of all that good stuff, since this is in a fluid texture, it is very suitable for people with oily skin who doesn't like thick and heavy sun creams. So yes, texture is perfect, sits well under makeup as well as with the rest of my skincare products! Also love love love how this comes with a pump!
Pros: Provides high protection, safe ingredients and lightweight texture.
Cons: It's quite expensive if you want to compare it to K-beauty.
10) Bioderma Photoderm MAX SPF50+
Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Octocrylene, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol [Nano], Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Cyclopentasiloxane, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ectoin, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Fructooligosaccharides, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, C20-22 Alcohols, Decyl Glucoside, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
The final sunscreen is another one from one of my favourite brands, Bioderma. This one also provides very high protection which is good if you have damaged skin, scars and hyperpigmentation. In comparison to the Bioderma Photoderm SPOT, this one is formulated to be suitable for people with sensitive skin. That said, this has very safe ingredients with no drying alcohols, essential oils, fragrance, oils, and if you're concerned, this doesn't contain silicones. In terms of the consistency, this is more watery and pills lesser than the Bioderma Photoderm SPOT. Similar to it though, you can solve the pilling issue by rationing the amount of product you put on your face.
Pros: Safe ingredients, suitable for people with sensitive, oily, normal.. All skin types basically.
Cons: Pills when applied too much.
And there you have it! My review and thoughts on 10 sunscreens. My favourite ones are definitely the ones from Bioderma and Avene and as mentioned, I sneakily still use the Purito Centella Green Level Safe Sunscreen during the weekends morning. If I have to pick one that I highly recommend, it will definitely be the one from Avene. I love the packaging of it, the texture of it, and not to mention it's safe for all skin types. Before I go, if you haven't check out
my review of 10 cleansers, go ahead and have a read because, being the very first step to your skincare routine, your cleanser can seriously make, or break your entire routine. Fact.
Labels: beauty, face, health, korean, review, skincare, skincare talk, tips
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