Where to purchase: Yesstyle: LINK / Stylevana: LINK / Beauty Bay: LINK / Ohlolly: LINK
Price: ~£15
Volume: 50ml
Made in: South Korea
What is it?: A lightweight (chemical) sunblock providing high UV protection at SPF50+ PA++++ containing 26.2% Ginseng Extract, 2% Niacinamide and 0.04% Adenosine.
What the brand says: This Sun Serum aims to boost the skin’s elasticity and keep the skin hydrated and smooth while protecting the oil-water balance of the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles without leaving a sticky feeling and has a fast absorption rate and no white cast.
Aims to: Reduce the look of pores and breakouts (due to the Niacinamide), Reduce Fine Lines and Wrinkles (Due to the Niacinamide and Adenosine + UV Protection), Brighten the Skin (due to the Niacinamide) and Reduce Dark Spots (Due to the Niacinamide and reducing UV-induced pigmentation).
Supposedly Good for: All Skin Types.
What I think: Oily / Oily-Combo + Normal Skin Types that prefer and like a dewy finish.
Note: I have reviewed the other Beauty of Joseon Sunblock HERE
Vegan?: No.
Cruelty Free?: Yes
Eu Allergen Free?: No (As this contains Jasminum Officinale Oil).
Malessezia Suitable?: No.
How long does it last without opening?: Purchased in 2023, this expires in 2026.
How long does it last after opening?: 12 Months.
Packaging: Plastic tube with a cap and a pump-mechanism. This is easy to use and easy to travel with (I like it).
Directions: ”Apply a moderate amount over areas frequently exposed to sun.” (From the Website).
How I use it: I apply this in the AM before working out. I can pump this into a spoon to measure the appropriate amount needed to apply onto the face. This doesn’t spill out when applying either (due to the pump mechanism).
Does this sting the eyes?: No.
Does this turn milky when sweating?: No.
Sunscreen Filters: Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (Uvinul A Plus – UVA + UVB), Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine (Tinosorb S – UVA + UVB), Ethylhexyl Triazone (Uvinul T 150 – UVB), Polysilicone-15 (Parsol SLX – UVB), Isoamyl p-Methoxycinnamate (Amiloxate- UVB + UVA II).
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide (Anti-Blemish and Antioxidant + Sebum regulating) / Ginseng Extract + Root Extract + Olive Oil (Antioxidants and moisturising) / Jasmine Oil (Soothing, although potentially irritating if you are allergic). Adenosine (Wound-healing + Anti-inflammatory).
Full Ingredients: Water, Butylene Glycol, Dibutyl Adipate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Alcohol, Acrylates Copolymer, Butyloctyl Salicylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Niacinamide, Phenethyl Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica, Methylpropanediol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Panax Ginseng Extract, Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Angelica Archangelica Root Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Leaf/Twig Oil, Ferula Galbaniflua (Galbanum) Resin Oil, Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Oil, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Polysilicone-15, Isoamyl p-Methoxycinnamate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Pentylene Glycol, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ethyl Hexanediol, C30-45 Alkyldimethylsilyl Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Hydroxyacetophenone, Adenosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA
NOTE: The Incidecoder have a full ingredient breakdown HERE
Texture: When applying, this has a slight cooling feeling (I’m guessing it’s the alcohol) but it does also feel moisturising (to my oily-combination skin). This has a yellow-ish tint to it when squirting out of the bottle. It has a gel (silicone-based) texture and is very smooth and lightweight when applying onto the skin (not bumpy like the Goodal silicone-based Sunblock). This doesn’t totally vanish into my skin once disappeared, but it’s close! Close enough that this product doesn’t ball up or feel heavy on the skin. My skin still feels like it can breath (See the Swatch Video Below).
Sticky?: No.
Greasy?: The finish is shiny (quite a dewy finish), so it’s slightly greasy (not mattifying at all).
Balls up?: No.
- As you can see, this has a yellow tint to it when immediately dispensed.
- This has a gel-like texture that smoothes out when massaging along the skin. You can see how invisible the look of this product is.
Product Swatch Comparison: No Product (Left) Vs Product (Right)
Very lightweight and dewy
Product Swatch Comparison (Once Absorbed): No Product (Left) VS Product (Right):
Hopefully you can see the dewy / shiny finish of this product on the skin. This is very lightweight and relatively moisturising but it is not mattifying.
Hopefully you can see this shiny / dewy finish. It doesn’t go away or disappear once absorbed and remains quite shiny (for my oily-combination skin).
Does this Sting if the Skin has been Irritated / Sensitised by Shaving/Heavy Retinol Use?: Yes. That does not mean that sensitive skins cannot use this.
Summer or Winter?: For Dry Skins: The Summer. For Oily-Skins: This is comfortable all-year round however, the dewy finish of this may mean oily skins might prefer this for the Winter.
Layerable?: Yes.
Video Swatch:
- As you can see, this is a silicone-based, serum or gel-like sun product that is invisible when applied onto the skin. It’s not sticky or tacky either. I hope however that you can see what a shiny/dewy finish this product has.
Fragrance?: Yes this contains a few fragrance ingredients: Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Angelica Archangelica Root Oil, Galbanum Resin Oil, Jasmine Oil. To me, this doesn’t smell very fragrant (It smells more like an alcohol-containing sunblock to me which is fine as the scent very quickly disappears once rubbed in).
Good Under Makeup?: Yes.
How long have I been using this?: 3 Months.
Will I use until Completion?: Yes because I like the texture, how it has no white cast and that it’s lightweight (I will just have to keep powdering my face every time I apply this to mattify it).
How Long will that take?: Another 3 Months.
The Effect?: The brand states that this sun serum keeps the skin hydrated and smooth throughout the day, doesn’t leave a sticky feeling and has a fast absorption rate with no white cast. I would agree with all the above. For my oily-combination skin, this is moisturising enough, but I am unsure for dry-er skins, particularly in the winter.
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What I like:
- No White Cast
- Very lightweight (the skin can breathe)
- Doesn’t ball up
- Easy to use and sturdy (great for travel) packaging
- Moisturising (for my oily-combo skin)
- Didn’t worsen my skin
What I don’t like:
- Very dewy finish (I need to powder my face to lessen the dew)
- Inclusion of Alcohol (I don’t mind, however nowadays a lot of brands are able to make lightweight sunblocks without using alcohol)
- Contains Essential Oils
Note: Check out my other Beauty of Joseon Reviews HERE
Overall Rating and Conclusion: 3.9/5 – It’s a bit confusing to know who this sunblock is for because the alcohol and lightweight/silicone nature (and inclusion of Niacinamide) points to oily skin types, but the finish of this is somewhat too dewy that I don’t believe most oily skins (particularly in hot weather) would like the finish (deeming it too shiny). So my best recommendation for a product like this is to those of you who do have oily / combination skin but who do like a dewy finish (or don’t mind powdering your face to remove that excess dew each time you wear this). Normal skin types could enjoy this and those with Combination skins too. Sensitive skins should be fine using this unless you are specifically allergic or sensitive to alcohol / organic sun filters and/or Jasmine Oil in particular.
Do I prefer this over the Beauty of Joseon Rice Probiotics Sunblock?: Yes, as this is more invisible and more lightweight and slightly less greasy/dewy than the Probiotics Sunblock (Review HERE).
Would I repurchase?: I want to say yes because I like the texture and how lightweight this is, but the finish is just too dewy for me and I don’t want to have to powder my face every time I apply my sunblock just to look normal, when I could use other sunblocks that don’t give me this effect.
Dupe?: The Goodal Sunblock is very similar in terms of texture and finish (but not as dewy, however it is fragranced and also contains alcohol and a higher tendency to ball up).
Swatches + Review HERE.
- The Numbuzin – Pure-full Calming Water Sunscreen is so incredibly lightweight and also invisible. I am currently testing it out for a Youtube Review so please stay tuned!
Available at: Yesstyle: LINK / Stylevana: LINK
- The Hyggee Vegan Sun Cream SPF50+ PA++++ has half the same ingredients as this BOJ Sun Serum. It is a chemical sunblock that is Vegan.
Available at Yesstyle LINK / Stylevana LINK
My Skin Type: I am acne prone and have slightly dehydrated combo skin. My skin is usually tight where the cheeks and eye area is and the outer parts of my face. My T zone is oily. My skin isn’t a fan of thick/heavy formulas so I opt for lightweight formulas to prevent it from clogging up. My skin doesn’t like essential oils either and I try to avoid fragrance when I can.
Disclaimer: I am a skincare enthusiast and not a skin expert. I am not qualified to give out dermatological advice. This type of advice should only be given by a medical practitioner. Upon trying / using any of the reviewed products on the blog, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings and please seek medical advice if needed.
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