NEW vs OLD: Kose Suncut UV Perfect Essence SPF50+ PA++++

Like many others, I was devastated to hear that my HG ride or die sunscreen has been reformulated. I have several of the old one on hand but I immediately bought a couple bottles of the new one so I knew what I was in for. I thought I’d leave a little review and comparison for anyone else that’s been curious about the changes.
For reference I have dry skin but I cannot stand oily or hydrating sunscreens as I have sensory issues so I prefer a matte or neutral finish.

•Texture/consistency: As you can see, the new version is very creamy in color and in texture. The photo looks like I applied more of the new version but it actually is a bit runny so it spread out instead of holding its structure like the gel. It’s lost its light gel consistency completely. I will say, the new one actually dries down to nearly matte in about half the time that the old version does. In fact, when using the old version on one half of my face, my face feels wet and sticky far longer than the side with the new one. I tested oilyness by sticking tissue paper to each cheek and with the new version, the paper fell off and didn’t stick at all but with the old version, it stuck to my face and I had to actually peel it off.

•Cast: I have pretty pale skin so white cast isn’t usually a concern personally, but this leaves an immediate cast that does dry down after a few minutes. I also noticed that while it’s heavier, there is no shine like the old version.

•Scent: While the old version has a very subtle vanilla and alcohol smell, the new one has a much higher alcohol content and it was immediately noticeable to me and I didn’t notice any smell other than the alcohol. I personally don’t mind alcohol even in high concentrations as it usually means the product will dry down or absorb faster.

•Performance: I didn’t notice any difference in water/sweat proofing, and it protected my skin just the same as before.

Final thoughts: While I was initially concerned and frustrated with the news of reformulation of my holy grail sunscreen, I’m quite pleased. I didn’t think it could improve because of how perfect it was but I’m happy to see that it is in fact better than the previous version, imo. While it does take slightly longer to rub in due to the slight cast, it sinks in quite nicely. With the old one, I can tell I’m wearing sunscreen and I can feel the weight of it ever so slightly. But the new one has almost no weight or heaviness once absorbed. The shine that I became acclimated to in the OG, is all but gone in the new version. It’s anything but drying so those with very dry skin should still enjoy this but I think those with very oily skin or sensory issues like myself will think this is a treat to use even more so than before.

edit typos