One of the quirks about Asian beauty is that typically, most girls would like to be as fair as they humanly can. And in some cases, this translates into an obsession with sunscreens that is almost fetish-like - by Western standards, anyway, if you consider the sterotypical suntanning beach babe.
It does make for some funny conversational moments, the most recent one being the Benefit lunch event I attended. Maggie and Annie had asked casually "How high does SPF protection in sunscreens here go up to?", and were absolutely shocked to hear that in Asia, it wasn't hard to find a sunscreen that had an SPF in excess of 100+. Yep, I had to explain, the sky's the limit oveer here! It's just one of our little quirks.
That, of course, means sunscreen companies here do a brisk business, with sunscreens being released like makeup collections (okay, not quite, but you get what I mean). Sunplay, a Japanese brand specifically devoted to sunscreens of all kinds, has recently launched not one, but two new sunscreens! So all us sun-averse bunnies have another option for sun protection.
The first is the Super Block SPF 130 PA +++. As you can see, it comes in a really cute little bottle. This might come as a surprise to those unused to the small sizes of Asian sunscreens, but typically, if they are meant for facial use, they come in tiny little plastic bottles like these.
The bottle has a cap that you twist off, and you can pour out the required amount of sunscreen through the nozzle opening:
The sunscreen itself is also very cosmetically elegant, which is definitely a big plus for me. It doesn't go on shiny, or sticky, or feel like it leaves a film on your face. Like most Asian-brand sunscreens, this one was formulated with the ability to stay under your makeup and be as inconspicuous as possible. As you can see from the photo below, once the sunscreen is blended in, you can't see a trace of it.
The next product that has been released is the UV Body Mist SPF 80 PA++, which is sunscreen, but now it comes in a body spray form! You basically spray it right out of the can, onto your body, and rub it in! Cool huh?
And the good thing about it? It goes on totally clear, with a tingling, cooling sensation. And when you blend it in, it doesn't leave any residue. It also doesn't smell of sunscreen, so there is minimal smell left behind. As you can see from the photo below, I had sprayed a lot of the sunscreen onto one area of my arm, and it can be blended in tracelessly.
One of the things I really like about the Sunpay range is that both the sunscreens come with not just SPF protection, but also have very decent PA protection. For those unacquainted with PA+++, it's a measure of protection against UVA rays from the sun, and the greater the number of ++s, the better the protection is (I think it ranges from PA+ to PA++++). You always need a sunscreen with some sort of PA+ value, because SPF only measures protection against UVB rays, but both UVA and UVB are harmful to the skin. But for some reason, PA values don't seem to be recorded on sunscreens found in the USA. I see these labellings more commonly in Europe and Asia.
So would I recommend these sunscreens? If you want a cosmeticaly elegant sunscreen that offers high protection against both UVA and UVB rays, this is definitely one to look into. It also helps that it wears well under makeup, and is virtually indetectable, with little smell, shine or stickiness. The only caveat I would put on these products is that they are comprised mainly of chemical, not physical sunscreens, so if you are sensitive to chemical sunscreens, they may not be your best bet. But otherwise, thee are worth a go, and very easy to use.
Lastly, I believe there is some sort of promotion going on with the Sunplay Facebook page. If you head on over there and "Like" their page, you can get a free sample of the Super Block SPF 130 PA+++ sunscreen. So anyone interested should definitely check it out.
(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)
