Sunscreen

[Sazmin]

Hello! I am trying to get my skincare routine built up and I am in need of some help with sunscreen! I have seen/heard several people that Korean sunscreen is some of the best around but I am not sure wear to start. I would like something with a high spf, no white cast, something with zinc-oxide,  work well with make up and works well with acne prone/oily skin. Thanks guys

[heartsmyface]

Here are swatches of my current favorite sunscreens (Biore Aqua is also a favorite which I don’t have as well as Mommy UV Aqua Milk) None of them leave a white cast and all absorb very well and are near undetectable. Above all the swatches are the sunscreens blended in so you can observe how they perform. 

 

For ingredient comparison. 

[SimplyAffy]

Try Innisfree sunscreen. It is a Korean brand that Sephora sells. It leaves no white cast at all for me. I don't really wear make up so I can't speak as to how it will look work with make up over top, but I've never had any issue with white cast or peeling. Other good Korean brands to try are Etude House or Nature Republic, but you may have to look on Amazon for those.

[WinglessOne]

Hi @Sazmin ! One of the reasons Korean (plus Japanese, Australian, and some European) sunscreens are often praised is that they contain newer chemical UV filters—tinosorbs and uvinuls—that aren't available in US sunscreens because the FDA is ridiculous. Other reasons include higher sunscreen testing requirements and standards than US standards/reqs. 

If you're looking for a mineral sunscreen that works on a brown skin tone, I can recommend 2 that I use on my "medium deep" skin tone. My skin type/behavior is different from yours (I have mostly-dry combo skin that's fairly sensitive and quite reactive; my oily zone is just on and around  my nose), but these might work for oily skin. 

• Dermstore Collection Daily Mineral Sunscreen Sheer Tint SPF 40 contains 16% zinc oxide. Available at Dermstore direct in both full size and a mini. The tint looks scary when you squeeze it out, but it has a silky mousse texture that blends easily and leaves no white cast on my face. It settles to a soft matte finish. I very rarely have issues with this sunscreen pilling (that's my main issue with mineral sunscreens, aside from white/grey/purple cast). This sunscreen contains an oil-soluble derivative of vitamin C (tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate), so keep that in mind if you're skin-sensitive to vitamin C. 
• Avene Solaire UV Mineral Multi-Defense Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50+ contains 12% zinc oxide. There's also an untinted version, but I haven't tried it so I can't say whether or not that one leaves a cast. The tinted one doesn't, at least not on my face. It has a deeper tint than the Dermstore sunscreen; you'll need to see if that tint's too deep for you. Has a liquid lotion texture that's easy to blend out. Leaves a natural radiant finish: not matte, but not shiny. The only time it pilled on me was when I didn't use enough moisturizer underneath. 

I'd also recommend my 2 favorite Japanese sunscreens, but they might not leave the type of skin finish you prefer. They both leave a glowy skin finish, and one—a chemical + mineral hybrid—leaves a glass skin look. 

[alexasteph]

@Sazmin I don’t believe they are a k-beauty brand (in fact I am fairly certain they are not), but check out Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++. It’s a great universal sunscreen which I also use as my primer so it’s great with makeup. If you are looking for a matte finish to keep shininess at bay, try their Matte Screen. They’re whole line is sunscreen based skincare and I haven’t been disappointed with a single product I’ve tried. 

[missjeanie]

@Sazmin I'm not sure about specifically Korean SPF's, but the asian market as a whole has a lot of great options.  Most SPF's that use titanium dioxide will leave a white cast.  Are you open to trying one with a tint to cover the white cast?  Or a combination physical/chemical SPF?  

[AmberAdairHair]

Go to - they'll help

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out

[Sazmin]

I am definitely open to a sunscreen with a tint as long as I don’t have to deal with a white cast because I am of Polynesian ethnicity so I have brown skin. I am not super well versed on chemical or physical SPF and which one is better but I am open to trying something all long as it is good for my skin, works with my oily/acne prone skin and isn’t bad for the environment.