My skin has two states - glow-in-the-dark white and burnt-to-a-crisp red. There’s nothing in between - no tan, no bronzing - it’s either white or red. I choose white.
Many of the Korean skincare fans like myself also dabble in Japanese products and other Asian beauty. A Japanese brand Biore makes very good sunscreens - so far, I have tried two of them. I bought this one (available on eBay and Amazon) because of the large bottle size (90ml/3fl oz) hoping to use it on the body and not just the face.
I was a little worried about glittering like Edward from Twilight because of the light reflecting particles, but that thankfully didn’t happen. It does give my skin a healthy glow (on the body), but on the face not so much since I apply powder over my sunscreens. The best I could do about capturing that effect on camera is this palm photo:
Most of us have probably already heard of SPF (sun protection factor), but what is PA? It’s based on a Persistent Pigmentation Darkening test which measures how much UVA a person can be exposed to without tanning/skin darkening. The range is from + to ++++. In short - higher SPF and more “+”s after the PA mean higher protection against the sun. This gel has PA++++ which is the highest possible.
How to use:
Apply as the last step before makeup
My impressions:
This is a great sunscreen - it’s light, not sticky, not greasy, and doesn’t smell like anything. My bottle is almost empty (sniff). Once, I wore it while out all day at a horse farm in Kentucky in July (super super hot and sunny) and didn’t get a sunburn, even without re-applying. It works great under makeup.
Once a week I do a skin rest day, using only sunscreen in the morning and a very gentle cleanser at night to give my skin a chance to self-regulate. Even without any other steps before or after, this sunscreen makes me feel comfortable (not dry and not oily). My skin type is combination with an oily t-zone and dry-to-normal cheeks. I am using this powdered sunblock this year to refresh sun protection over makeup.
Note: there’s now a newer version of this in a darker blue bottle that is water resistant. Both versions are available on eBay and Amazon.
Let’s connect - follow me on Instagram, join my Facebook group and subscribe to the blog (bottom of the home page).
Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel Ingredients (new formula): Water, Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Lauryl Methacrylate/Sodium Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Titanium Dioxide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Xylitol, Dextrin Palmitate, Hydrated Silica, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Stearate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, C4-14 Perfluoroalkylethoxy Dimethicone, Aluminum Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Agar, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Isoceteth-20, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Stearoxy PG-Hydroxyethylcellulose Sulfonate, Glutamic Acid, Ceratonia Siliqua (Carob) Gum, Maltose, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Royal Jelly Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Fruit Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Fragrance.