A Review of 5 Japanese Sunscreens!

Hey everyone! It's my turn for a sunscreen review! I bought all five of these sunscreens from Stylevana back in August, and they all arrived with no issues!

To give you an idea of the conditions under which these were tested, I'm in my early 30s, female, with oily-dehydrated skin that leans more toward dry on occasion. My Fitzpatrick type is II, or in other terms, I'm about a shade darker than Elmer's school glue, heh. Environment-wise, I live in the constantly hot, humid, swampy American south.

I tested these sunscreens by applying them to my face, neck, arms, hands, and legs. I don't like the glass skin aesthetic, or the feeling of anything greasy on my skin, so I wanted something with a matte finish. I also wanted something water resistant that wouldn't budge.

*Note that the milk sunscreens were shaken thoroughly before use!!

I'm going to discuss these in order from left to right, as pictured:

1. OMI Sun Bears Active Protect Milk SPF50+ PA++++

• Notes: I'd heard this one dries down super matte, even too matte for some people, so I had high hopes for this one, and it did not disappoint! I wish it wasn't quite so runny, because that makes it a little harder to apply, but it works so well, I'm willing to overlook that for the high performance level of this sunscreen! I didn't expect this to be my favorite of the group, but it absolutely is! I'm actually really sad that I ran out so quickly. I'm missing it right now and I can't wait to order more.
• Pros: Spreads easily, no white cast, dries down to ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Felt like my skin with nothing on it. No pilling or eye irritation.
• Cons: Must remember to shake before using, super liquidy and runny coming out of the bottle, tiny bottle, has a light grapefruit fragrance that wasn't too bothersome, but reminded me of the Delsym cough syrup I used to use as a kid.
• Final Rating: +5/5 stars! Holy grail status! I wish I could buy this in gallon size–I love this sunscreen! Will definitely repurchase multiple bottles!!

1. Kose Suncut UV Perfect Gel (NOT the "Super Waterproof" version) SPF50+ PA++++

• Notes: I was so interested in trying the Kose Suncut sunscreens because I've seen so many recommendations for this brand, and it seemed to fit everything I was looking for. Unfortunately I don't think it quite met my expectations, but it was a good second choice. I'm curious how the "Super Waterproof" version compares to this one if anyone wants to weigh in on that!
• Pros: Thicker, gel cream-type formula that isn't runny and doesn't make a mess, spreads easily, feels nice on the skin–like a moisturizer, no typical "sunscreen" smell, dries down to a semi-matte finish, no white cast, average-sized bottle, doesn't require shaking before use. No pilling or eye irritation.
• Cons: Not quite as matte as the OMI Sun Bears sunscreen.
• Final Rating: +4/5 stars, a solid runner up to OMI Sun Bears! I would definitely be willing to purchase and use this again if I couldn't find OMI Sun Bears or wanted something that comes in a larger size.

1. Kose Suncut UV Perfect Milk SPF50+ PA++++

• Notes: I'd already tried the OMI Sun Bears once by the time I got around to trying this sunscreen, and I loved the OMI Sun Bears milk so much, I was hoping the Kose Suncut Milk would also be fantastic. I didn't even finish the bottle of this, nor do I want to, not even for my body. This was just a huge no. I've tried worse from American brands, but compared to others from this particular sunscreen haul, this was incredibly disappointing, and a waste of money.
• Pros: It's not an American sunscreen.
• Cons: Needs to be shaken before use, super runny and liquidy, small bottle, felt okay at first, but within minutes started to feel chalky, the longer the day went on, the chalkier this felt on my skin, was very aware of this on my skin all day, COMPLETE SENSORY NIGHTMARE, left a white cast on my fair skin, I couldn't wait to wash this off. No pilling, but definitely some eye stinging.
• Final Rating: -5/5 stars. NO. NO. NEVER AGAIN. NO.

1. Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50+ PA++++

• Notes: I wasn't sure about this one, since it's an essence formulation and I have oily skin, but I wanted to try it because it is SO popular! Unfortunately, like I thought, this was not the one for me. I'm a little disappointed because it felt so nice to use. I'm going to try the gel version and see if I like it better.
• Pros: Felt really nice going on the skin, like a moisturizer, no white cast, no need to shake the bottle before using, decently large tube, spreads easily, not super runny or liquidy. No pilling or eye irritation.
• Cons: Typical "sunscreen" smell, too moisturizing for my oily skin, doesn't dry down very well, leaves a dewy/shiny finish, was very aware of it on my skin all day.
• Final Rating: +1/5 stars. Did not live up to the hype. Will not repurchase.

1. Skin Aqua UV Super Moisture Gel SPF50+ PA++++

• Notes: I knew this one was popular, too, so I was really hoping this would be a favorite for me. It wasn't quite the holy grail I'd hoped it would be, but it's a really good option that I would definitely be willing to use again!
• Pros: Not super runny, spreads easily, feels a bit like a moisturizer going on the skin, has a VERY subtle fragrance that seems like just enough to cover any sunscreen smell, semi-matte/satiny finish, comes in a large bottle–with a pump!, no white cast. No pilling or eye irritation.
• Cons: Not as matte/a bit more moisturizing than I would like, left a shinier finish than I would like.
• Final Rating: +4/5 stars. On par with the Kose Suncut UV Perfect Gel for me, though I might slightly prefer the Kose Suncut just because it dries down a tiny bit more matte. However, the large bottle with the pump is hard to beat, and this is a solid option!

Hopefully this helps some of you out there! Let me know if you have any thoughts of your own on these products, or if you have any recommendations based on my comments!

Thanks for reading!