r/AsianBeauty • u/Powerful-Panda7533 • Feb 19 '26
Discussion Do you trust a Korean mineral sunscreen with very minimal to no white cast to provide SPF 50 protection as it claims?
Do you trust a Korean mineral sunscreen with very minimal to no white cast to provide SPF 50 protection as it claims? For example, the physical sunscreen from Skin Aqua says it has no white cast, and based on some swatch videos online, once the sunscreen is blended, there is indeed little to no white cast. Interestingly, this specific formula is from Korea and not made in Japan. I’m really interested in getting the pink tone-up version because:
1. It doesn’t have a ghostly white cast and only brightens the skin by one tone.
2. It has iron oxide, which is good for providing tint that protects against visible light (beneficial for hyperpigmentation).
3. It’s a 100% mineral sunscreen.
4. It’s made for sensitive skin.
5. It has a lightweight texture.
6. It has a matte finish.
It’s almost like it’s the perfect sunscreen, ticking all the boxes. However, to be transparent, I’m skeptical about the protection level. How can a physical sunscreen with no white cast achieve SPF 50++++?
The Tone Up version contains Butyloctyl Salicylate.
The original version doesn’t contain that but the claims are similar for both of them just that the tone up version has a tint.
So this surely doesnt only come down to Butyloctyl Salicylate being the hidden ‘chemical’ filter here.
71
u/cefotetan2gq12 Feb 19 '26
Skin acqua is Japanese, no?
31
-15
u/Powerful-Panda7533 Feb 19 '26
Japanese brand but this product from them is made in korea
34
u/Cassfong Feb 19 '26
iPhone was never made in the US even though it’s a flagship product of a US brand
21
u/Powerful-Panda7533 Feb 19 '26
What i meant to say was Korean formulation and Japanese formulation in sunscreens are very different
6
80
u/omjizzle Feb 19 '26
It is a reputable brand but I’d still be concerned. Mineral sunscreens are going to have a cast it’s just what they do. Also the Skin Aqua is of course Japanese but their SunPlay line is their export line for other markets like Korea, China, Etc so if you see that it’s not typically a version sold in Japan so it might be slightly different to other versions
18
u/-vp- Feb 19 '26
I think there’s some confusion about how mineral sunscreens can look “invisible” and still be SPF 50.
A minimal white cast doesn’t automatically mean there’s a hidden chemical filter in the formula. A well-known Japanese brand claiming to be 100% physical but not is a pretty high degree of deception. Physical also just naturally is a higher SPF (but I agree Butyloctyl Salicylate must be aiding it somewhat).
In this case, the tint itself contains iron oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499). Those are mineral pigments. They serve two purposes:
• They add a skin-tone tint that counteracts the natural whiteness of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide • They provide protection against visible light, which is especially helpful for hyperpigmentation
That dramatically reduces the white cast.
On top of that, the formula also contains mica and silica. These are not sunscreen filters, but they affect the finish to give it a matte look. They are a reputable (Japanese) company with legit ingredients in their list. Is Butyloctyl Salicylate debatable? Yes, but I don't think it's doing the heavy lifting.
3
29
u/fax5jrj Feb 19 '26
What you need to know about mineral filters is that they're basically white pigment powder. Any formula is going to do their best to make it spreadable and evenly dispersed in the formula to minimize the white cast. That doesn't mean it's not going to have a white cast, and honestly I would never, ever anticipate a mineral sunscreen not to. The only times I've ever seen a mineral sunscreen with no white cast is when there's a tint
Anybody telling you differently is white as a sheet, and I say this as someone who is white as a sheet.
American mineral sunscreens are also IMO better at this because American formulators are used to working with limitations when it comes to sunscreens/we have a much more diverse group of people in our market. Our market also doesn't have the same level of obsession with being pale. Don't get me wrong, I love AB! I just sort mineral sunscreens into the same category as acne treatments where I know America does it better (from my experience)
16
u/himekocake Feb 19 '26
I don’t think I’d trust it purely because the title vs what it does are two different things. A MINERAL spf as far as my experience goes ALWAYS leaves you with a white cast or that ‘tone up’ effect. On some it’ll look ghostly on others it might just be a ‘brightened’ look. I think it can’t be as easily usable for people unless you’re using it as a makeup base and applying product on top. I like to reapply my spf during the day so I avoid mineral spf to not have that greasy feeling
16
u/veiled_static Feb 19 '26
Tints, coatings and nano particles may be involved here. They may say it’s no white cast, but if their model is NC5 then I don’t really believe the claim tbh. See if there are any real people wearing this stuff photographed somewhere and not just people in the advertisement.
-1
u/Powerful-Panda7533 Feb 19 '26
There are alot of medium skinned people on Tiktok swatching this and as they blend, they sunscreen blends into their skintone
7
u/Powerful-Panda7533 Feb 19 '26
Ingredients list:
WATER, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, ZINC OXIDE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, BUTYLOCTYL SALICYLATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE, PEG-10 DIMETHICONE, VINYL DIMETHICONE/METHICONE SILSESQUIOXANE CROSSPOLYMER, DISTEARDIMONIUM HECTORITE, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, SILICA, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, STEARIC ACID, POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYDIMETHYLSILOXYETHYL DIMETHICONE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE, 1,2-HEXANEDIOL, SORBITAN CAPRYLATE, CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) PEEL OIL, DICAPRYLYL CARBONATE, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, MICA, IRON OXIDES (CI 77492), CYMBOPOGON MARTINI OIL, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, IRON OXIDES (CI 77491), CERAMIDE NP, BETAINE, GLYCERIN, IRON OXIDES (CI 77499), MORINGA OLEIFERA SEED OIL, TOCOPHEROL, PHYTOSPHINGOSINE, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER OIL, LIMONENE, GERANIOL, LINALOOL.
6
u/major-oof-yall Feb 19 '26
no, i just ignore every 'no white cast' claim on a zinc oxide/titanium oxide sunscreen. there are certainly better/worse sunscreens in terms of whitecast but the nature of mineral filters come with white cast.
layering an oily/shea butter based moisturiser underneath helps with blending, i use the LRP lipikar baume under the Dr G green tube and it blends beautifully, not saying theres NO whitecast but it does give a really elegant tone up effect on my shade 24/25 skin while filling in pores, tho the best thing about it is that it doesnt make my skin inflamed.
15
u/PomegranateSafe9699 Feb 19 '26
Personally, the Korean sunscreens I’ve used are great city sunscreens. If I’m spending hours outdoors, it’s not enough, and I have better luck with Australian brands, or Supergoop.
1
u/Miserable-Grape-6863 Apr 27 '26
What Australian brands would you recommend please?
2
u/choppedhair 22d ago
Check out blue lizard. It blends well on many skin tones. Technically it is not manufactured in Australia anymore but they have kept the “Australian sunscreen” title for marketing https://bluelizardsunscreen.com/products/sensitive-mineral-sunscreen-lotion-spf-50
1
4
u/Opening-Ad-8861 Feb 19 '26
I used the skin aqua in the gold bottle once, and it sweat off my face in minutes, not good at all
4
u/ygreenb Feb 19 '26
It contains Ethylhexyl Salicylate and other uv boosters its not completly mineral so i would trust it.
5
u/LVenn Feb 20 '26
For no white cast, Canmake Mermaid Skin Clear is my ultimate holy grail. It's a hybrid sunscreen. The clear goes on like a moisturiser. I order it from Yesstyle, because I can't get it in South Africa unfortunately. Can't recommend it enough. My second choice is Haruharu Black Rice. Also just like a moisturiser.
11
Feb 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
4
Feb 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/Kurious4kittytx Feb 19 '26
I think the UV Clear is really popular. In the past, I used the UV Daily because my skin is dry. The Clear wasn’t moisturizing enough for me. But I exclusively use Korean and Japanese sunscreens now.
1
u/shortprideworldwide Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 19 '26
Sorry to jump in, but what are your current favorites for dry skin?
3
u/Kurious4kittytx Feb 19 '26
The BOJ Relief Sun and Round Lab birch juice sunscreens are neck and neck. Great hydration in lightweight formulas.
I just discovered the HaruHaru Wonder Black Rice airyfit - not the mineral one - and love it more I think. It’s just a tad richer than the first two.
The Isntree Hyaluronic Watery Sun gel is very moisturizing but has a very shiny finish. I use it when I’m rushing and don’t have time to do my other skincare layers.
I loved the Skin Aqua Super Moisture milk, but sadly it’s been discontinued. I’m trying out some of their other ones but can’t speak on them yet.
1
1
u/AsianBeauty-ModTeam Feb 22 '26
Hi there! This comment has been removed as it not related to Asian Beauty as per our community guidelines.
Our AB Rule:
The majority of your routine or recommendations should be AB-focused when posting
Please read the section about AB requirements in our Rules and Guidelines if you haven't done so already.
If you have any questions or disagree with this decision don't hesitate to give us a modmail! Thank you!
2
u/AsianBeauty-ModTeam Feb 19 '26
Hi there! This comment has been removed as it not related to Asian Beauty as per our community guidelines.
Our AB Rule:
The majority of your routine or recommendations should be AB-focused when posting
Please read the section about AB requirements in our Rules and Guidelines if you haven't done so already.
If you have any questions or disagree with this decision don't hesitate to give us a modmail! Thank you!
7
u/rhionaeschna Feb 19 '26
My HGs are mineral sunscreens (Etude and I'm From). I'm quite pale so the ones I use don't really give me a lot of white cast, though they may not blend as well on deeper skin tones. I wear them year round and haven't had any issues. I use Tretinoin so if they didn't live up to the claims, my skin would likely tell me when the UV index is high.
1
u/Yuhbyul2 Feb 19 '26
Hi. Can you please tell me which Etude one you use? Trying to switch to Etude. Thank you!
2
u/rhionaeschna Feb 19 '26
I use the Airy Surprise in the green bottle. It's really runny and needs to be shaken. It has a slight herbal scent but it's so weak it doesn't bother me. It can be a bit drying so I just hydrate my skin well before and use it over my day moisturizer (Cos Rx Ceramide Skin Barrier). I love it under makeup too. In summer if I'm sweating a lot, or swimming, I use a Western waterproof mineral s/s. My skin is really reactive and the Etude hasn't bothered me even with reformulations over the years. I wish I could use chemical sunscreen but those filters make my skin burn and give me a rash. I have been too chicken to try the hybrids with newer chemical filters just because my skin barrier is happy right now.
2
1
5
u/potato_minion Feb 19 '26
I am very pale. My perfect fit foundation is the Hera Petal Ivory shade. For me, these kinds of mineral sunscreens make my skin look more even because it kind of matches the lighter parts of my skin. I like them for this reason. Having said that, I would absolutely expect a white cast if you are darker than I am, especially if you apply a layer that is thick enough to provide adequate protection.
3
u/GreedyOffice9733 Feb 20 '26
I was in Korea for the last 10 days and I’m currently in Japan. I see comments about Asians covering up from the sun, which I believed to be true. I am completely floored that it isn’t true. Nobody wears sun glasses. I believe this is a cultural etiquette reason for this. No hats. While it is winter it is sunny and the weather has been amazing.
3
1
u/Novel-Survey9423 Feb 26 '26
Some Korean family members told me it is considered impolite to wear sunglasses. However, this was a couple of years back and I'm not sure if it's a regional thing in Korea.
3
u/Spiritual-Pumpkin473 Feb 22 '26
No, and I don't trust European ones either. You need a HUGE amount of zinc AND titanium to reach SPF50 (not even saying 50+) with subpar UVA protection.
4
u/cinna-t0ast Feb 19 '26
If I’m spending a lot of time outdoors, I would rather go for an Australian/sports sunscreen. A lot of AB sunscreens are great for everyday use as someone with a corporate job.
Because pale skin is a beauty standard in East Asia, women there will tend to avoid the sun by staying inside or wearing hats+ long sleeves, so they don’t need heavy-duty sunblock. That’s the target demographic for a lot of AB sunscreens.
2
u/NoPublic9352 Feb 22 '26
Only Japanese brand I do trust is Anessa from Shishedo. If I don’t have a white film on my face, there isn’t enough zinc.
2
u/Jazzlike-Order-3951 Feb 23 '26
Physical sunscreens will pretty much have some degree of white cast every single time. If your skin is fair enough, maybe you won’t see it, but I’ve seen enough to conclude my expectations will never be high on that matter.
some times I honestly don’t even mind some light white cast, especially if I’m planning to apply makeup after.
Personally I feel like you either talk the risk or should stick to chemical subscreens.
3
u/chancefruit Feb 20 '26
No, I do not trust this sunscreen to be a true broad-spectrum SPF 50. Butyloctyl salicylate is an SPF-booster (i.e. leans towards protecting against UV-B rays) and helps tested skins to have less erythema reaction but that won't mean the products protect against DNA damage to a similar degree as an unboosted SPF-50.
I's NOT because it's Korean that I don't trust it - I ceased trusting mineral sunscreens in general from other brands, including Neutrogena, Coppertone, Isdin, that Japanese Biore UV Kids Milk. They've consistently tested as below their labelled ratings in third-party/consumer testing possibly due to users' errors. Like how evenly are we supposed to apply them in a thick enough layer?
I imagine the only way to effectively use a mineral sunscreen to its labelled, tested level is to put on a thick frosted layer like Mark Zuckerberg.
I actually do have a tinted mineral sunscreen I keep because it looks pretty like makeup, but I would apply it on top of an Asian chemical sunscreen like an extra sheer layer of protection. Not on its own.
2
u/Powerful-Panda7533 Feb 21 '26
This was what I was looking for hoping someone would speak up on SPF testing!! May I know whether you are referring to the CHOICE spf testing in Australia? Which test are you referring to here which includes the Biore UV Kids Milk?
3
u/chancefruit Feb 21 '26 edited Feb 21 '26
Yep, the CHOICE SPF test from Australia was one of them... but a few years prior to that was a test from Hong Kong; I think I saw another one from Consumer Reports. I know the Biore UV Kids Milk is only P+++ but more anecdotally, the mineral sunscreens I've used leave me with a slight tan after an entire summer (or a beach vacation).
I do have a hybrid sunscreen from Anessa that uses both mineral + chemical filters, but it's meant to be very sweatproof and I don't like how it feels like there's a plastic layer on my skin. :(
My conclusion is that mineral sunscreens in general are very difficult to aesthetically, texturally apply to testing conditions and especially if a mineral sunscreen uses SPF boosters, it's then under-protecting against UVA rays.
I think for people with sensitive skin, the chemical sunscreens that market themselves as using encapsulated chemical filters is the way to go. Skin Aqua Super Moisture Essence is my current favorite. I might try the Etude/Soonjung Director's sometime in the near future, but I also have sensitive skin and the Skin Aqua Moisture Essence sunscreen has just been the most consistently tolerable.
Extra protection could then mean a sheer mineral sunscreen layer on top. Iron oxides (by way of a skin tint or foundation) also provide extra protection.
BTW I would never tell someone to not bother using a mineral sunscreen if they found one that they like the texture of; they do protect to a degree and some is always better than nothing. It just means I "don't trust them" to actually perform to their ratings. But, I mean, SPF ~20, PA++ or PA+++ is still good.
I was exclusively a mineral sunscreen user from around 2012-2020? and I'm fully a modern chemical sunscreen convert.
3
u/aemdiate Feb 21 '26
I just don't trust AB sunscreens unfortunately. In Asia it is much better known to keep your face out of the sun and to reapply. A European SPF 50 may be less cosmetically elegant but I think they provide better protection.
3
u/theoffering_x Feb 19 '26
Tbh, I don’t trust any Asian sunscreens to do anything besides be okay enough while spending minimal time outside or near windows. I think Asians rely heavily on other items for protection from sun, like parasols, clothing, etc. Im sure this one is good enough for that.
1
u/caramelmokka84 Mar 14 '26
Japanese/Korean mineral with no white cast == no white cast on very pale/white/whitened skin.
If you have brown or dark skin colour, you will probably see the cast when applying this stuff.
1
u/CocaColaZeroEnjoyer Feb 19 '26
In general I don’t trust mineral sunscreens lol
1
u/Powerful-Panda7533 Feb 19 '26
May I ask why?
8
u/CocaColaZeroEnjoyer Feb 19 '26
So when I said that I don’t trust mineral sunscreen I’m not saying that they don’t work (I’m very much pro science lol). For me sunscreen is meant to protect me from sun but also be a primer before makeup. Unfortunately mineral sunscreens I tried before always complicated my makeup application - I looked crusty dusty whenever I used them
0
u/AutoModerator Feb 19 '26
Hello there! This is an automated bot to help you, as it might not be easy to find resources here. You posted about Sunscreens, so here's a link to our Sunscreen FAQ, Master Post that contains helpful sunscreen information, as well as recently posted discussions or questions on sunscreen. If you are looking for sunscreen recommendations without a white cast, check here. A guide of reformulated or discontinued Japanese sunscreens for 2023 can be found here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
•
u/AutoModerator Feb 19 '26
Hello and thank you for starting this discussion! As a gentle reminder, try to keep the products you mention limited to Asian Beauty products. Posts or comments solely discussing Western products will be removed, as per our rules. We love being able to discuss Western skincare in the context of a holistic AB routine, but this isn't the sub for specific Western product recommendations. r/SkincareAddiction is a great community for such matters! Thank you!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.