Skincare,  Skincare Favourites,  Skincare Reviews

The one SPF lotion that won’t leave residue and stickiness on your face

We have all heard of the importance of sunscreen and we have all tried to wear it on our faces. Unfortunately, most sunscreens leave a white residue, or a stickiness and greasy layer that flakes off under makeup. This puts off most people from using sunscreen on their faces, which can lead to burns on the face, premature aging, hyperpigmentation and skin cancer.

 

Recent studies have found that one of the best anti-aging cream is… yes, sunscreen.[1] Using a broad spectrum sunscreen can protect the skin from premature aging. UVA exposure, which occurs even on a cloudy day, all year long, induces direct dermal alterations related to the photoaging process.[2] SPF should not be used only on beach days, but everyday, regardless if it is cloudy or winter. Unlike UVB, UVA radiations cannot be felt on the skin immediately. Their harmful effects are felt with time.

But what is the solution to the problem of sunscreen ruining our makeup and causing clogged pores? Fortunately for me, I got my hands on a face sunscreen produced on the Asian market. Asian beauty products, especially the ones focused on skincare have earned an excellent reputation. Not only does this cream have both UVB and UVA filters, protecting thus, from both short and long term solar radiations, but it also has a waterproof and moisturising formula, which, surprisingly, makes the routine of applying SPF on my face a pleasure.

 

Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ PA++++ (50g)

 

Packaging

The packaging is made of a plastic tube that can be squeezed. It is not rigid, being malleable at touch, and feels light. It is 12,3 cm long. One package contains 50g of product, making it easy to travel with. It is also hygienic by having to squeeze the product out.

 

 

The product and application

It has a slight yellow tint with a light citrus smell. It is not sticky, being watery. It is easily spreadable and penetrates the skin quickly. The feeling of it is that of a moisturising cream. It is refreshing, does not irritate, and needs under twenty seconds for it to dry completely.

 

How the product looks freshly squeezed out of the tube
How the product looks freshly squeezed out of the tube
How the product looks superficially spread on the skin
How the product looks superficially spread on the skin
How the skin looks with the product fully blended onto the skin
How the skin looks with the product fully blended onto the skin

Previous
Next

 

About the brand

Bioré is a subsidiary brand of Kao Corporation, which holds a major place on the Japanese cosmetic market.

 

Pros:

 

  • Provides high protection both for UVB and UVA
  • Contains photo-stable UV filters (for example, Diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate, generally known as Uvinul A Plus, which is a good photo-stable UVA filter)
  • Contains some good UV filters that have not yet been accepted in the States (for example, Uvinul A Plus)
  • Waterproof and sweat proof formula
  • Watery, lightweight consistency, that leaves no residue or greasy feeling on the skin
  • Easily absorbed in the skin
  • Does not flake under makeup, making it a good base for makeup
  • Claimed to have hydrating properties (Royal Jelly Extract) so it can be used as moisturiser, sunscreen and makeup primer
  • It is affordable (it is usually sold from Japan with less than 9 GBP/12 USD)
  • Does not cause or inflame acne
  • Does not clog pores
  • Does not cause irritation or redness (at least for my sensitive, acne prone skin)
  • It is suitable even for very oily skin (tested on myself for more than a year)

 

Cons:

 

  • It is not sold in Europe or the United Stated, therefore it has to be ordered online. You can find it on Amazon here.
  • Contains perfume, which can be an irritant to the skin especially when used repeatedly

 

Where to buy

 Available  on Amazon UK here  

Attention! In my opinion the texture of the 50g Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence is more suitable for the face than the 90ml one, which is advertised as suitable for both body and face (their ingredients differ as well). The latter does leave a greasy residue, and therefore, if you decide to order this product, please be aware that there is a difference between the two. For creating a good makeup base, without greasiness or flakiness, I strongly recommend the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ PA++++ in 50g over the bigger one.

 

 

Sources

[1] Randhawa, M., Wang, S., Leyden, J., Cula, G., Pagnoni, A., Southall, M., (2016) Daily Use of a Facial Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Over One-Year Significantly Improves Clinical Evaluation of Photoaging, Skin Research Center, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Available here. 

[2] Bernerd F, Marionnet C, Duval C. (2012) Solar ultraviolet radiation induces biological alterations in human skin in vitro: Relevance of a well-balanced UVA/UVB protection. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol, Suppl S1:15-23. Available here


 

This blog post is not sponsored but it contains some affiliate links. To understand what this means please visit my Disclaimers page.

I also want to remind you that everyone’s skin is different and skincare products like sunscreens can work extremely differently from one person to the other. 

 

29 Comments

Leave a Reply to Puja Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.