About me: SEA, humid climate, combination dehydrated
TLDR ranking:
- Omi Sun Bears Gold Active Milk sunscreen
- Isntree HYA Watery Sun Gel
- Skin1004 air fit sunscreen (gold)
- Skin1004 hyalu-cica watery fit sunscreen
TLDR tips:
If you leave in a dry cold climate, opt for a watery sunscreen. If you leage in a hot, humid climate, opt for a mattifying sunscren + hydration-focused skincare.
In-depth review
OMI SUN BEARS GOLD ACTIVE
This is my favorite sunscreen atm. It dries down MATTE and leaves a powdery finish. Texture is milky, almost watery (but not too much). It's easy to spread and absorbs nicely in the skin. And the best part, it's CHEAP. The cheapest sunscreen i've tried so far. And it's small too! 30mL. It's very easy to carry around.
For the longest time, I wanted that dewy look but I always ended up appearing too greasy or too oily. I've finally cracked the code: have a very hydration-focused skincare routine and then end it with a mattifying sunscreen. This one doesn't mattify your face too much, it's just the perfect "control" to lessen the oiliness of your face, while still allowing the glow that your skincare routine left you with. This gives me the dewy makeup look i wanted without making me too oily.
ISNTREE HYA WATERY SUNSCREEN
I like this more than the skin1004 watery fit (blue cap). Very hydrating, lightweight. It gives me that dewy look. However, since i live in a very hot, humid climate, that dewyness translates into being greasy and I really oil up throughout the day. My morning skincare is very hydration-focused, so when I top it all of with this subscreen, I tend to become more greasy. If your mornkng skincare is very simple and you don't apply as much toners/serums as I do, try this sunscreen! It's perfect.
I alternate this with my omi sunbears. I only use this when i know im gonna stay in the house for the entire day or i won't be wearing make up.
This sits nicely on make up. If you have a dry skin or live in a dry cold climate, i would highly recommend this sunscreen. Otherwise, if you have a very oily skin and/or live in a hot humid climate, i would suggest to lessen the use of this maybe? I always use the 2 finger method when apying sunscreen. When i use the method for this, it makes me too greasy. But when i control the amount, it's just a toned down greasiness if that makes sense.
SKIN1004 AIR FIT SUNSCREEN (gold)
Honestly, if it wasn't for the whitecast it leaves, this would have probably been my HOLY GRAIL sunscreen. As a combi/oily girl, my skin ADORES it. It controls the oil and gives me that dewy look i wanted without being too greasy. It dries down matte but still finishes with a glow. It's everything I want in a sunscreen. But the biggest turn off is really the whitecast. I am fair-light skinned person but it's too much for me. Since this is a physical sunscreen, it's somewhat hard to spread. Btw, the whitecast will leave in 10+ minutes but when you're running late or doesn't have an extra time to wait for it to tone down, this is not it. I don't want to leave my house with the whitecast but when I use this, I have to wait for certain minutes before I can leave just so the whitecast won't be too apparent.
That's why I prefer the OMI sunbears one over this because the OMI sunbears doesn't give you a whitecast and spreads nicely.
If you live in a cold dry climate or have dry skin, I would not suggest this! I used this when I was in Japan and my skin was so DRY. If you have oily skin and doesn't mind the whitecast, this is perfect for you!
SKIN1004 WATERY FIT SUNSCREEN
This was my first introduction to AB sunscreen. Honestly, I found nothing bad about it first until I found sunscreens that could perform better that I eventually found not-so good things about this sunscreen.
It's hydrating and lightweight. Easy to spread and sits nicely on make up. Howver, it leaves me too oily. Same complaint with the isntree one. This was my HG sunscreen before until I cracked the code that mattifying sunscreen is better for me (combi/oily) and for my environment (humid, hot).
This is just as hydrating and lightweight as the isntree one but I personally prefer the isntree more. If you have dry skin, this is perfect for you the same way isntree is!
BOTTOMLINE:
if you live in a dry cold weather and/or have dry skin, anything that's marketed as watery or HYA-based is perfect for you.
But if you have an oily skin and/or live in humid climate, a hydration-focused skincare + mattifying sunscreen would be perfect!
by Dry-Weakness-1036