For a while, I was bombarded with videos on TikTok proclaiming that Beauty of Joseon was the holy grail of Korean sunscreens, so I gave it a shot. Honestly, I understand why it became so popular...it's hydrating and lightweight with no white cast. I liked it but not enough to stop me from continuing my search.
It wasn't long before I came across an affordable Korean sunscreen brand that I preferred over Beauty of Joseon. Enjoy's Super Mild Sun Essence, in my opinion, is more hydrating, also produces no white cast, and for less than its TikTok famous counterpart. I should also mention that Enjoy has higher Amazon reviews than Josean. Once I ran out of my first tube of Enjoy, I quickly ran to replenish only to find it out of stock on Amazon.
I didn't love Beauty of Josean enough to repurchase so I looked for alternatives.
Cosrx first stole my heart after I tried their snail serum infused hydrating products. When it came time to try a new sunscreen, I had no hesitation in trying their formula because I knew, deep down, that I wouldn't be disappointed.
And that's exactly what happened because I feel like I've stumbled on thee best sunscreen I've tried yet.
In recent memory, I've used the following Korean sunscreens:
Two Tubes of Innisfree Daily UV Defense Broad Spectrum: SPF 36
Of all the brands I've named above, Cosrx has my heart. My first impression of this sunscreen was how different it felt from the others. It didn't apply like your typical moisturizing sunscreen. This formula felt more like an occlusive than a moisturizer. Occlusives are formulas that lock in moisture by creating a protective layer in the skin which prevents moisture loss.
I'm pretty certain this protective skin barrier like feel of Cosrx's sunscreen is likely due to the vitamin E content which is unique to its formula. Cosrx's formula is non-greasy and disappears into the skin. But what made it a done deal for me was how nourishing and protective it felt during application.
Once I started wearing this sunscreen for a few days, I noticed something interesting. I no longer had to deal with the issue of sunscreen burning my eyes when I wear water-based formulas on my hot-girl walks. There have been times when I considered skipping putting sunscreen on because I knew that I'd have to deal with the annoyance of having to try to wipe it out of my watery eyes when I'm out in the elements.
CosRx's sunscreen took that pain away from me.
Lately, I been more conscious of my dark under eyes and dark eyelids. At first, I attributed it to lack of sleep or my laziness around creating a proper eye care routine. But then I asked myself "what if the hyperpigmentation is due to the lack of sun protection around my eye area?" What if the tiny eye wrinkles are also related to a lack of sun protection?
Thankfully, because Cosrx's formula stays put, it doesn't cause the annoying burning in the eyes which means I can finally protect my eye area from damaging sun rays.
What makes this formula so special to me is it's focus on vitamin E. Years ago I used to pop a vitamin E capsule and slather the contents all over my skin before bed. The compliments I used to receive were never ending. Years later, I find a daily sunscreen enriched with vitamin E that gives me a taste of what I used to experience years ago. Because of this sunscreen, I'm actually inspired to start applying pure vitamin E at night (on stubborn acne scars) because I need to experience the nourishing effects of pure vitamin E once again.
Thanks to Cosrx, my search for my beloved holy grail sunscreen is finally over. I'll still purchase Enjoy because I do appreciate the need for a moisturizing formula. Enjoy's Mild Sun Essence would be the perfect moisturizing cream to protect my hands from the damaging rays of the sun. But, Cosrx has now become my number one sun screen from this day forward.
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