[PSA] Your Japanese sunscreen may not be as strong as you think.

Beauty Tips For Body Care
I posted this in a comment yesterday and someone suggested it deserves its own post. I agree since it's getting sunnier in the Northern Hemisphere. I was burned using the often recommended Biore Aqua Rich Watery Essence. It said it was SPF 50 so I assumed I was all good. It was later explained to me in r/asianbeauty by u/mashimaroluff that many Japanese sunscreens aren't formulated for outdoor exposure. Her explanation:A lot of Japanese sunscreen are formulated for "incidental exposure" only, that means going to/from your car/bus to inside buildings, sitting next to a window where you can be exposure to sunlight. It is not for being out in the sun for 1 hour, and definitely not after 3-4 hours since applications. I'm not sure if Ratzilla had wrote a separate post about this but she had mentioned this numerous times that the Japanese do formulate stronger sunscreens if you are planning to be more active than just a desk job. These sunscreens are often labelled water-proof/sweat-proof and I noticed, often included a physical sunscreen of some sort. To be able to tell whether your sunscreen is strong enough for your level of activity, I suggest reading this to learn about individual UV Filters: http://www.smartskincare.com/skinprotection/sunblocks/ http://www.skinacea.com/sunscreen/uv-filters-chart.html#.WejCfFtSyUl As my rule of thumb, if I know I'm going to be in the sun for at least an hour, I would pick a sunscreen that contain a physical filter AND a next generation sunscreen filter (Tinosorb M, Tinosorb S etc) than just a chemical filter to be on the safe side. The reason is that chemical filters are absorb by sunlight and depleted pretty quickly so you are left without protection, whereas physical filters are like wall that reflect sunlight, but easily rubbed off hence they must be formulated to tenaciously cling onto your skin (aka sweat-proof, water-proof, even those that is impossible but you get their point). As for the Biore Aqua, I know it's a common recommended sunscreen for its elegance, but it is not a strong sunscreen at all despite being spf 50 and PA++++, and should only use under make up if you have a desk job. Many people are fine with it after they been out for a while, but their skin is not your skin. When it come to sun exposure, it's always better to be on the cautious side. In addition, a lot of skin damage is not easily seen. Just because you didn't burn doesn't mean there wasn't damage. http://www.makeupalley.com/account/sn.asp?username=sunscreendata This is another good source that compare sunscreen filters and their UVA protection. Not all filters are the same, each filters have a wavelength that they work best for, so you can see that a combination of filters is the best approach, and why I have a soft spot for Tinosorb S and Tinosorb M. If you wear make up and going to be out in the sun for a while (for whatever reason) reapply using powder sunscreen like this one: http://www.ratzillacosme.com/makeup/point-magic-pro-pressed-powder-uv-spf50/ or this http://www.ratzillacosme.com/makeup/clear-last-natural-cover-pact-spf27/
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by DomesticSlacker