Anessa Perfect UV and Essence UV Sunscreen

 Anessa is arguably the most well known sunscreen maker in Asia and I always assume it's so heavy duty that people use for beach only. Last summer, when every sunscreen I tried was failing (ineffective, roll right off sweaty face, crazy white cast etc), I ordered a bottle of Aqua Booster Mild as my last resort. It turns out, beach sunscreen is what I needed for my daily commute all along.

All three bottles I am reviewing were released back in 2017,  Anessa (like many Japanese brands) went on another revamp/formulation improvement this spring but luckily, the change for the "mild" versions are much smaller so the review is still semi relevant at least for another year! *Pat self on the back* . Anyway I will probably certainly get another bottle of the mild milk so I will put up a comparison later.

The Perfect UV Sunscreen Aquabooster Mild is a mostly mineral based one with Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Tinosorb S in a very slick, silicone based formula.

When there is such high level of protection, white cast is inevitable. With the clear base, it blends into skin easily and doesn't look out of place around my hair line or brow.  On days my skin is clear enough, the white cast works well enough as a tinted moisturizer or sheer foundation as my face is darker than my hands and neck. 

The reason I love this sunscreen is that it's visibly effective, not only it stays on for a whole day under heat, humidity and profuse sweating it also remains effective without the need to touch up (well I don't play beach volleyball wearing it). Whenever I use this, I notice the acne marks fade faster and I don't get new sunspot.  Best of all, it's still easily removed with warm water and foaming cleanser and it never stick to my face like other long-wearing/clingy formulas.

On random days  when I switched to chemical sunscreen and still do my daily outdoor business (I don't have a car)due to laziness, sunspots would explode on my cheeks (Biore I am looking at you).

 

However, this formula isn't flawless,  when I use sufficient amount (two globs larger than American quarter or I dot my whole face until I look like JLaw in Xmen) , it stays greasy on face forever, never seems to dry unless I powder it or blot it with paper. If I use it as a base for foundation, it smears allover my collar and leaves a yellow stain on my right sleeve. 

With so many sunscreen available, a more visually appealing one shouldn't be hard to find but they are mostly chemical filters or lower protection. I stayed with this for the entire summer 2017 because the benefits out-weight the greasiness. 

The Essence UV sunscreen is a lighter, more moisturizing version with just Titanium Dioxide and Tin Oxide (no Tinosorb) thus providing a much lower SPF35 and PA+++. Just as expected, it feels non-irritating, slightly less oily, moisturizing and gives much less white cast.

Anyway, I didn't count on it (as facial sunscreen) as I already stick with SPF50+ (if I see visible result with that, anything lower would be a little weak) even during winter. For people who want a quenching formula and don't go out door much, this should be a good everyday sunscreen, as least for body use.

Lastly I also have a mini of Essence UV sunscreen (with silver tube) that was introduced last year and discontinued this year (as Anessa merge its skincare benefits into the standard formula/ deep gold bottle). This one has the octocrylene and octinoxate (and some other chemical sunscreens I can't remember) in addition to Zinc oxide.

The texture is very similar to the white bottle, maybe less tacky and even more moisturing. I didn't dare to use it on my face (as octinoxate is a known ingredient that gives me little hives) but it's nice on my arms. 

Even Anessa perfect UV mild is far from perfect, I liked it enough (didn't have a choice) to have gone through two bottles.  I am trying a few mineral sunscreens from Korean brands and if they don't work, I will just end up getting the renewed version this summer.