SUNKILLER
September 19, 2015 4:54 PM Subscribe
Could you recommend a high-octane Japanese sunscreen for sensitive skin?
I'm curious about Japanese sunscreens and I'm looking for recommendations of ones you have used and liked. I have fair, sensitive, combination skin, and I'm on prescription retinoids. I'd like a sunscreen without alcohol (my skin does not like alcohol) and SPF 45+ and ideally PA++++. I work in an office but I usually spend about a hour in a sunny park a middday.
I've used Kiehl's Super Fluid UV Defense SPF 50 and Anthelios 60 - both of which made me shiny/greasy. For under makeup currently I use Elta MD UV Clear SPF 45, but it can leave a whitish cast and also collects into these weird little pills on my face by the end of the day. I'm looking for a sunscreen that melts in and isn't shiny.
I've read about some of the Japanese sunscreens on Ratzilla Cosme and r/asianbeauty, and I hear that you can get a sunburn while wearing some of them, even the high SPF/PA++++ ones. What is happening there? Has this happened to you?
I have heard that the Japanese sunscreens are reformulated annually. (I am one of those people who finds a product I like and hangs onto it until it is discontinued or I die.) Have you run into problems with new formulations of products you have liked in the past?
If you have gotten into Japanese sunscreens, where do you buy them? Are there any you especially like? Do you worry about counterfeits at all?
I should also add that I am also open to Korean and other non-US sunscreens, as long as I can order them from a reputable source.
I'm curious about Japanese sunscreens and I'm looking for recommendations of ones you have used and liked. I have fair, sensitive, combination skin, and I'm on prescription retinoids. I'd like a sunscreen without alcohol (my skin does not like alcohol) and SPF 45+ and ideally PA++++. I work in an office but I usually spend about a hour in a sunny park a middday.
I've used Kiehl's Super Fluid UV Defense SPF 50 and Anthelios 60 - both of which made me shiny/greasy. For under makeup currently I use Elta MD UV Clear SPF 45, but it can leave a whitish cast and also collects into these weird little pills on my face by the end of the day. I'm looking for a sunscreen that melts in and isn't shiny.
I've read about some of the Japanese sunscreens on Ratzilla Cosme and r/asianbeauty, and I hear that you can get a sunburn while wearing some of them, even the high SPF/PA++++ ones. What is happening there? Has this happened to you?
I have heard that the Japanese sunscreens are reformulated annually. (I am one of those people who finds a product I like and hangs onto it until it is discontinued or I die.) Have you run into problems with new formulations of products you have liked in the past?
If you have gotten into Japanese sunscreens, where do you buy them? Are there any you especially like? Do you worry about counterfeits at all?
I should also add that I am also open to Korean and other non-US sunscreens, as long as I can order them from a reputable source.
The skin board at makeup alley is a good place to go for advice on that sort of topic, I've found.
posted by R a c h e l at 5:25 PM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by R a c h e l at 5:25 PM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
You should look at the Asian Beauty subreddit, and their sunscreen advice posts, for better advice. I don't have super-sensitive skin and personally like Biore Sarasara UV Perfect Milk Waterproof Sunscreen, but there are lots of others.
Amazon is expensive. Use Rakuten Global Market. Even with international shipping, the prices are better than Amazon's.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 5:30 PM on September 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
Amazon is expensive. Use Rakuten Global Market. Even with international shipping, the prices are better than Amazon's.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 5:30 PM on September 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'm loving Biore Watery Essence, which I heard about here, but I don't have sensitive skin, and my understanding is that the secret ingredient is alcohol. I don't know that it's going to work for the OP.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:11 PM on September 19, 2015
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:11 PM on September 19, 2015
I am completing a summer-long trial of three: the Biore Watery Essence, Biore Perfect Milk, and Shiseido Senka Aging Care UV. All are SPF 50 and all are PA++++. I have rosacea.
The Shiseido won (and it was recommended to me by user 26.2, who has always been right about skincare stuff for the 15 years I've known her, and is also a long-distance outdoor athlete in Southern California with no tan whatsoever, and so I should have gone straight to it). It's allllmost not there. Like, I put some just over the really bad parts of my rosacea 2 hours ago to run out into the yard to do 15 minutes of garden chores, and touching it now feels like I maybe put moisturizer on those spots 2 hours ago. There's nothing coming off on my fingers. It never burns my eyes.
The Perfect Milk has a great powdery texture...and a mime-worthy chalky white color on me, which is exacerbated by my tendency to turn pink/red when I get warm in any way. I've put it in the bathroom to use under makeup, but I haven't tried it yet because I rarely wear makeup in the summer.
The Watery Essence has a great texture (and a very lovely light watery essence) but has a slightly silicone-y greasy feel. This one is the worst for my rosacea if I do not completely wash it off with a real cleanser after a couple of hours. I tend to just use it on my chest in the opening of my shirt, where it never irritates and looks dewy.
My husband, who cannot tolerate a sunscreen that "feels like stuff", prefers the Shiseido as well.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:12 PM on September 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
The Shiseido won (and it was recommended to me by user 26.2, who has always been right about skincare stuff for the 15 years I've known her, and is also a long-distance outdoor athlete in Southern California with no tan whatsoever, and so I should have gone straight to it). It's allllmost not there. Like, I put some just over the really bad parts of my rosacea 2 hours ago to run out into the yard to do 15 minutes of garden chores, and touching it now feels like I maybe put moisturizer on those spots 2 hours ago. There's nothing coming off on my fingers. It never burns my eyes.
The Perfect Milk has a great powdery texture...and a mime-worthy chalky white color on me, which is exacerbated by my tendency to turn pink/red when I get warm in any way. I've put it in the bathroom to use under makeup, but I haven't tried it yet because I rarely wear makeup in the summer.
The Watery Essence has a great texture (and a very lovely light watery essence) but has a slightly silicone-y greasy feel. This one is the worst for my rosacea if I do not completely wash it off with a real cleanser after a couple of hours. I tend to just use it on my chest in the opening of my shirt, where it never irritates and looks dewy.
My husband, who cannot tolerate a sunscreen that "feels like stuff", prefers the Shiseido as well.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:12 PM on September 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
The Biore Watery Essence is chock-full of alcohol; it's why it absorbs so well. You can actually smell the alcohol pretty strongly.
posted by holborne at 7:24 PM on September 19, 2015
posted by holborne at 7:24 PM on September 19, 2015
Just as a precaution - I tried a biore sunscreen recommended on mefi and it gave me chemical burns on my face. If you have really sensitive skin I suggest you test it somewhere not facial first. It is 100% possible that I got a bad batch or a counterfeit product or whatever (amazon resellers, who even knows) but still: arm test is best.
posted by poffin boffin at 7:39 PM on September 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 7:39 PM on September 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
My wife is from Japan. We live in Canada and she refuses to use sunscreen from North America. She makes her own instead. Memail me if you want to know how she does it.
posted by Nevin at 8:45 PM on September 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Nevin at 8:45 PM on September 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think some people get sunburns from the sunscreen they use because they use a sunscreen not meant for outdoor use or sweating. For example, the Biore Watery Essence formulation is for people going quickly to and from the office and not sweating much. If you start sweating it comes right off and you're back to where you started.
The Perfect Milks are a good choice, but there is a subtle white cast.
posted by Anonymous at 9:03 PM on September 19, 2015
The Perfect Milks are a good choice, but there is a subtle white cast.
posted by Anonymous at 9:03 PM on September 19, 2015
Nevin, dear, your inbox is going to get slammed and I am hesitant to engage in the pile-on. Would you please post it here, as I expect it would be of wide interest and of interest to the OP?
(If it is a semi-secret and that's why you didn't post it here and will not be posting it here, please MeMail it to me...)
...anyway: I have very fussy, Retin-A-addled, sensitive skin, and I never noticed the alcohol in Biore Watery Essence and it's been great on my face. I would heartily recommend it...
For sources, I like: smallish eBay sellers in the country the product is from, and, sasa.com even though it can be buggy.
posted by kmennie at 9:15 PM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
(If it is a semi-secret and that's why you didn't post it here and will not be posting it here, please MeMail it to me...)
...anyway: I have very fussy, Retin-A-addled, sensitive skin, and I never noticed the alcohol in Biore Watery Essence and it's been great on my face. I would heartily recommend it...
For sources, I like: smallish eBay sellers in the country the product is from, and, sasa.com even though it can be buggy.
posted by kmennie at 9:15 PM on September 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Re: counterfeits, since you're already familiar with the Asian Beauty subreddit, you may know that they have a list of trusted sellers on their sidebar.
Many of the sellers there also have ebay stores under slightly different names with similar pricing.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 12:52 AM on September 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Many of the sellers there also have ebay stores under slightly different names with similar pricing.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 12:52 AM on September 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Please do not make your own sunscreen unless you have the right equipment and Training. It will likely not be safe.
Bioré's sun milks leave a white cast even on too-white-for-MAC me, and while they're great at keeping you shine-free in hot, humid weather, the high alcohol content will dry out your skin.
The Senka one made me itch, but most people love it.
Personally, I stopped wearing Japanese sunscreens in favour of French ones now (Bioderma makes one for rosacea-folks!), but when I did still wear them, I liked the water-proof mineral sunscreen Allie made. (I'm sure it has since been reformulated.)
posted by LoonyLovegood at 3:54 AM on September 20, 2015
Bioré's sun milks leave a white cast even on too-white-for-MAC me, and while they're great at keeping you shine-free in hot, humid weather, the high alcohol content will dry out your skin.
The Senka one made me itch, but most people love it.
Personally, I stopped wearing Japanese sunscreens in favour of French ones now (Bioderma makes one for rosacea-folks!), but when I did still wear them, I liked the water-proof mineral sunscreen Allie made. (I'm sure it has since been reformulated.)
posted by LoonyLovegood at 3:54 AM on September 20, 2015
I think you are going to have to bite the bullet and just try a few to see what works for you. LoonyLovegood's comment reminded me that I quit wearing Shiseido sunscreens because they made my skin feel oddly tight and uncomfortable. I typically use Mentholatum Skin Aqua, which probably has lots of alcohol. I'm honestly not sure if it's a great sunscreen, but it's light enough that I'll actually use it religiously.
posted by chocotaco at 4:36 AM on September 20, 2015
posted by chocotaco at 4:36 AM on September 20, 2015
I think Hada-Labo UV Creamy Gel fits the bill. (I think it was recently given a new name, but I am not sure what it is.) It is possible there is a small amount of alcohol in it, but it is the least drying Asian sunscreen I have found. It's SPF 50, PA++++.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 11:04 AM on September 20, 2015
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 11:04 AM on September 20, 2015
I have PMLE and very sensitive skin. Also very pale. I just yesterday figured out that one of my main problems in finding sunscreen is that I seem to have a dramatic photoallergic reaction to either avobenzone or octocrylene. (Left off the La Roche Posay Anthelios SX and went several hours with no reaction.)
What I did use was Hada Labo Perfect UV Gel (2015 version). No fragrance, and alcohol base means it does smell when first applied, but the alcohol has not bothered my skin. They add such an excellent mix of humectants and emollients that it isn't drying overall. I do use a light lotion first because I have very dry skin. No white cast (I think "creamy" might be a code word for this). I follow with a layer of EltaMD physical, which adds a layer of physical block but is tinted. This rubs in very well with a bit of effort. The end result is not sticky, but I do put a layer of powder on over my face to make sure it all stays in place.
Hada Labo Perfect UV Gel's active ingredients are: Octinoxate, Polysilicone 15 (Parsol SLX), Tinosorb S* (Bemotrizinol), Uvinul A Plus (DHHB)
I haven't tried any other Japanese sunscreens because most of the ones that are popular enough to have ingredient information seem to have fragrance.
*This is the magic ingredient. It covers the entire UV spectrum and is stable. Not FDA approved because we aren't allowed to have nice things.
posted by monopas at 1:03 PM on September 21, 2015
What I did use was Hada Labo Perfect UV Gel (2015 version). No fragrance, and alcohol base means it does smell when first applied, but the alcohol has not bothered my skin. They add such an excellent mix of humectants and emollients that it isn't drying overall. I do use a light lotion first because I have very dry skin. No white cast (I think "creamy" might be a code word for this). I follow with a layer of EltaMD physical, which adds a layer of physical block but is tinted. This rubs in very well with a bit of effort. The end result is not sticky, but I do put a layer of powder on over my face to make sure it all stays in place.
Hada Labo Perfect UV Gel's active ingredients are: Octinoxate, Polysilicone 15 (Parsol SLX), Tinosorb S* (Bemotrizinol), Uvinul A Plus (DHHB)
I haven't tried any other Japanese sunscreens because most of the ones that are popular enough to have ingredient information seem to have fragrance.
*This is the magic ingredient. It covers the entire UV spectrum and is stable. Not FDA approved because we aren't allowed to have nice things.
posted by monopas at 1:03 PM on September 21, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by MeghanC at 5:09 PM on September 19, 2015 [3 favorites]