Review and comparison of sunscreens with vitamin C - Sooryehan and Hada Labo
Today I'd like to talk about two sunscreens with vitamin C that I tried last summer, Sooryehan Bichaek True Rejuvenating Sun Cream SPF50+/PA+++ and Hada Labo Rohto Gokujun UV White gel SPF50+/PA++++. I suppose I should mention it right away that vit.C is my skin's Kryptonite. Not all sensitive skins were created equal; for example, many people can't tolerate retinol and/or retinoids, but react well to vit.C in any formulation. With me, it's the exact opposite - I can use prescription-strength retinol cream as an eye cream and I'll be fine, but I had a few severe reactions when trying new skincare products with vit.C; I had to go to ER once when I got a vit.C-based cream in my eyes by accident (I keep Rx steroid eye drops for cases like that now). I think it makes me a perfect test object for anything vit.C-based - if my skin survived it, there is a good chance that yours will be fine; however, there's no guarantee for that, and you might still want to patch-test it, since I'm talking about my skin and my experiences only; as always, YMMV.
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| Sooryehan Bichaek True Rejuvenating Sun Cream SPF50+/PA+++ and Hada Labo Rohto Gokujun UV White gel SPF50+/PA++++ |
Before I get into details of those two sunscreens, let me elaborate briefly on the topic of vit.C (and other antioxidants) in sunscreens. If you keep an eye on a new releases, there are quite a few new sunscreens that boast having vit.C and/or other antioxidants, sometimes in form of plant extracts; it's not just a marketing move. There is a considerable body of research that confirms that antioxidants can boost photo-protection from sunscreens; in other words, while both are good at preventing the photo-aging, they are more effective when used together rather than alone, and it makes sense for the companies to develop new sunscreens that offer those extra benefits. For example, there is a nice, relatively recent (2014; abstract here) study of consumer preference of vit.C and sunscreen products that is highly favorable towards vit.C based products they used; there are many studies (Farris, 2005, abstract here; Gaspar, Campos, 2007, abstract here; Stamford, 2012, abstract here; and Pullar et al, 2017, abstract here) that conclude that cutaneous application of vit.C improved photo-protection from both UVA and UVB, among other benefits. Topical antioxidants were shown to increase safety and efficacy of sunscreen products and diminish both the severity of UVA-induced photodermatosis and UVB-induced damage such as erythema formation (Dreher, Mailbach, 2001; abstract here). One study shows that "vitamin C is capable of additive protection against acute UVB damage (sunburn cell formation) when combined with a UVB sunscreen, and vitamin C is
significantly better than vitamin E at protecting against a UVA-mediated
phototoxic insult in this animal model, while the combination is only
slightly more effective than vitamin C alone. When vitamin C or a combination of vitamin C and E are used with a commercial UVA sunscreen (oxybenzone), an apparently greater than additive protection is noted against the phototoxic damage." (Darr et al, 1996; abstract here). Other studies confirm the results; for example, it was shown that "the combination of 15% L-ascorbic acid and 1% alpha-tocopherol [vit.E] provided significant protection against erythema and sunburn cell formation; either L-ascorbic acid or 1% alpha-tocopherol alone also was protective but the combination was superior" (Lin et al, 2003; abstract here), and "high concentration of the nonesterified, optimal isomer of the
antioxidant, vitamins C and E do indeed inhibit the acute ultraviolet
(UV) damage of erythema, sunburn, and tanning as well as chronic UV
photoaging and skin cancer" (Burke, 2007; abstract here). And if that's not enough for you to think about using vit.C with your sunscreen products, consider this: it was shown that vit.C, among other antioxidants, prevents photo-degradation of avobensone, one of the most widely used sunscreen filters; authors conclude that "antioxidants can be valuable ingredients for sunscreens with a triple
activity of filter stabilization, SPF boosting and photoageing
prevention" (Afonso et al, 2014; abstract here).
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| Hada Labo Rohto Gokujun UV White gel SPF50+/PA++++ |
Now that I got the scientific reasoning behind the whole vit.C sunscreen concept, lets move on to the particular products that I've used. Hada Labo Rohto Gokujun UV White gel SPF50+/PA++++ is relatively new version of all-in-one moisturizer gel with sun protection. According to Ratzilla (her post here) is was reformulated in 2016 and boasts "proprietary patent-pending micro-encapsulation technology to give the highest labeled UV protection without sun filters penetrating into skin, giving it lightweight, fresh texture." Unfortunately, I have to rely on other people for the that information, since my Japanese is non-existent, and the text on the packaging was in Japanese only. It's a combination sunscreen (full ingredients list on cosdna here); it has physical (Titanium dioxide) and chemical (octinoxate, Parsol SLX, Tinosorb S and Uvinil A Plus) filters. It contains vit.C in form of Magnesuim Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP), but Hada Labo did not specify the exact concentration of MAP used; it's listed outside of top 10 ingredients. Supposedly it can be used alone after cleansing, being able to function as toner, essence, emulsion, cream and primer; personally I prefer using separate products for each step, but since White gel is being marketed as all-in-one products, I thought I should mention that, as it might be interesting for some people who like their morning skincare routine as short as possible. White gel is fragrance-, mineral oil- and synthetic fragrance free, which is a huge bonus for someone with sensitive skin (like me), but it has alcohol and dimethicone in top five ingredients (and I'm sensitive to both); it also has some questionable preservatives (parabens). It has two types of hyaluronic acid and multiple moisturizers. It is NOT water- or sweat-resistant, and it can be removed with regular foam cleanser (many water-resistant sunscreens require double cleanse to remove them completely).
White gel comes in a huge open-top jar; usually I ignore the packaging, but I can't help it in case of this product. I understand that a pump bottle might be more expensive packaging option, but I wish Hada Labo pick it or at least a standard tube packaging instead of this jar and just charge us a bit more. This jar packaging is not particularly sanitary; it leaves vit.C-based product exposed to oxygen, reducing its shelf life; and last but not least, it's way too bulky to be carried around for reapplication. I had to decant it in small bottles to carry it with me because I had to reapply at least once during the day.
My biggest issue with White gel was pilling. I have another Japanese skincare product with vit.C, Kobayashi Keshimin emulsion, that I reviewed recently (here), and I had some issues with it pilling after I used AHA/BHA under it; but White gel takes pilling issue to the extreme. I never had any skincare product, sunscreen or any other cream formulation, that was so willing and ready to roll off my skin at the slightest chance. I started using White gel in summer; summers in New York are hot and humid, and usually my skin reacts to that by producing more sebum. Some skincare products tend to pill slightly as a result, reacting to surplus sebum, but White gel was acting like peeling gel. If you ever tried any Korean or Japanese peeling gels, you know what I'm talking about - peeling gel is a chemical exfoliant that you're supposed to use after cleanser instead of physical harsh scrubs; after massaging it for a few minutes it pills off, taking excess sebum and dead skin sells with it, and any leftovers get washed off before next product. White gel was forming exactly the same clumps of product and sebum+sweat every time I would touch my face; it was so embarrassing when it happened at work first day I was using White gel, my patients probably thought I forgot to wash my face in the morning... I tried to adapt, limiting products that I used under White gel, but it didn't help much; it was pilling even when used alone. Reapplying was a major project, since I had to wash off whatever was left of the previous layer before I can start patting on the new layer, otherwise they would just peel off together. I gave up in less than two weeks, I just could not make it work for me. For fairness sake I came back to it in early winter, and it worked much better; it was pilling slightly on the days when I used oil-based serums under it, but it was manageable. I ended up giving it to my husband, who has normal skin; on him it seems to work just fine, no pilling issues so far.
I bought Sooryehan Bichaek True Rejuvenating Sun Cream SPF50+/PA+++ last year after seeing it in one of my favorite eBay stores; the seller stated that it's a brightening sunscreen with vit.C and ginseng extracts that also doubles as a primer. Up to this day I wasn't able to find the full ingredients list for it; I tried contacting Sooryehan (both Korean and US websites, and their official Instagram) and asking several sellers on eBay etc, but I had no luck. The official Korean website has the ingredients list as a part of a picture, so i can't use Google translate or cosdna to generate a list in English; the packaging has the list in Korean as well (you can see it in my post about last year's favorites here).
Sooryehan has a big selection of sunscreens, but since almost everything on their website is in Korean, it's kind of impossible to figure out the differences between products.
Since I could not find any ingredients lists for Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream, and Google Translate wasn't able to help (see picture above), I can't say what filters were used; it feels like combo or chemical sunscreen though. DailyMed has ingredients for another sunscreen from the same Bichaek line, Bichaek Jadan Sun, posted here, and it's quite possible that both sunscreens have similar ingredients. Jadan has both physical (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) and chemical (ensulizole) filters.
According to official website (here) and Google Translate, Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream uses ginseng extract as well as extracts of seven other plants (goji berries, mushrooms, mint, chrysanthemum, redhead, angelica and windshield). Sooryehan used not only ginseng root extract for this cream, but also extracts of ginseng leaves and flowers; I guess that's the reason they put flowers on its packaging and in PR pictures.
Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream is tinted strait out of the tube, but it has no coverage. It's slightly up-toning, and it has natural finish; it sets in a few minutes after application and it does not move after it sets. It's very creamy in texture, but it's not greasy or heavy. It's one of my favorite sunscreens, and I hope Sooryehan is not going to discontinue it anytime soon. Unlike Hada Labo, it never ever pilled on me, no matter how many AHA/BHA products I used under it, or how hot the weather was. I can't say I've noticed much brightening after using it, but most probably I didn't use it consistently enough; I was testing various sunscreens throughout the whole last year, but Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream was my go-to sunscreen when I did not feel like experimenting. It's going to see more use this year though, and I'm planning to use other vit.C-based products under it.
There are some other sunscreens with various forms of vitamin C on the market. I was going to try the new La Roche-Posay Anthelios sunscreen with vit.C, vit.E and antioxidants (like this one), but I wanted the European version instead of US one - they have different sunscreen filters. It pops up on eBay from time to time, but it sells out so fast that I always manage to miss it; I'm going to keep trying. Supergoop! has vit.C-based sunscreen mist (this one); it's a chemical sunscreen that has 4+ stars reviews on Sephora. I might give it a try, but I'm not a big fan of mist sunscreens in general. Make P:rem came up with sunscreens that have vit.C in SAP form (cosdna here and here), but every blogger that reviewed Make P:rem sunscreens recently mentioned that they felt too moisturizing or just plain oily; I'm not planning to try any, but someone with dry or normal skin might like them.
TL;DR
Hada Labo Rohto Gokujun UV White gel SPF50+/PA++++ did not agree with my oily skin; the pilling was too much for me, and if I can't be sure my sunscreen will stay on my face, why would I use it? I would recommend it to someone with dry or normal skin; since it wasn't pilling so much in colder weather when skin produces less sebum, I assume it'll work OK on dry skin year long. Being all-in-one product, it might appeal to someone who prefers shorter skincare routine in the mornings. However, it's not water-resistant, and I'm not happy with its jar packaging. I ended up giving it to my husband; it's unisex enough for him to use it without complaining about smell or packaging, and it works great on his normal, non-reactive skin. I will not repurchase i.
Sooryehan Bichaek True Rejuvenating Sun Cream SPF50+/PA+++ is one of my all-time favorites and I already have it in my eBay shopping cart; I will keep repurchasing it for as long as they're making it. I never had any skin issues after using it; it layers easily over any skincare products, and it's really easy to reapply throughout the day. It has beautiful natural finish, and it's slightly up-toning, but not too much. I tried using it as a primer (I'm working on a separate post comparing some of sunscreens that I've been testing last year as primers under BB and CC), and it worked out great as well! Natural finish is a huge plus in summer.
My biggest issue with White gel was pilling. I have another Japanese skincare product with vit.C, Kobayashi Keshimin emulsion, that I reviewed recently (here), and I had some issues with it pilling after I used AHA/BHA under it; but White gel takes pilling issue to the extreme. I never had any skincare product, sunscreen or any other cream formulation, that was so willing and ready to roll off my skin at the slightest chance. I started using White gel in summer; summers in New York are hot and humid, and usually my skin reacts to that by producing more sebum. Some skincare products tend to pill slightly as a result, reacting to surplus sebum, but White gel was acting like peeling gel. If you ever tried any Korean or Japanese peeling gels, you know what I'm talking about - peeling gel is a chemical exfoliant that you're supposed to use after cleanser instead of physical harsh scrubs; after massaging it for a few minutes it pills off, taking excess sebum and dead skin sells with it, and any leftovers get washed off before next product. White gel was forming exactly the same clumps of product and sebum+sweat every time I would touch my face; it was so embarrassing when it happened at work first day I was using White gel, my patients probably thought I forgot to wash my face in the morning... I tried to adapt, limiting products that I used under White gel, but it didn't help much; it was pilling even when used alone. Reapplying was a major project, since I had to wash off whatever was left of the previous layer before I can start patting on the new layer, otherwise they would just peel off together. I gave up in less than two weeks, I just could not make it work for me. For fairness sake I came back to it in early winter, and it worked much better; it was pilling slightly on the days when I used oil-based serums under it, but it was manageable. I ended up giving it to my husband, who has normal skin; on him it seems to work just fine, no pilling issues so far.
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| Sooryehan Bichaek True Rejuvenating Sun Cream SPF50+/PA+++ |
I bought Sooryehan Bichaek True Rejuvenating Sun Cream SPF50+/PA+++ last year after seeing it in one of my favorite eBay stores; the seller stated that it's a brightening sunscreen with vit.C and ginseng extracts that also doubles as a primer. Up to this day I wasn't able to find the full ingredients list for it; I tried contacting Sooryehan (both Korean and US websites, and their official Instagram) and asking several sellers on eBay etc, but I had no luck. The official Korean website has the ingredients list as a part of a picture, so i can't use Google translate or cosdna to generate a list in English; the packaging has the list in Korean as well (you can see it in my post about last year's favorites here).
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| Sooryehan's current sunscreens (from the official Instagram) |
Sooryehan has a big selection of sunscreens, but since almost everything on their website is in Korean, it's kind of impossible to figure out the differences between products.
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| Sooryehan sunscreens on official website - Google Translate could use some fine-tuning when it comes to skincare. Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream got translated as Nonprofit sunscreen, I can't help but wonder... |
Since I could not find any ingredients lists for Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream, and Google Translate wasn't able to help (see picture above), I can't say what filters were used; it feels like combo or chemical sunscreen though. DailyMed has ingredients for another sunscreen from the same Bichaek line, Bichaek Jadan Sun, posted here, and it's quite possible that both sunscreens have similar ingredients. Jadan has both physical (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) and chemical (ensulizole) filters.
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| Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream - ingredients highlight from the official website |
According to official website (here) and Google Translate, Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream uses ginseng extract as well as extracts of seven other plants (goji berries, mushrooms, mint, chrysanthemum, redhead, angelica and windshield). Sooryehan used not only ginseng root extract for this cream, but also extracts of ginseng leaves and flowers; I guess that's the reason they put flowers on its packaging and in PR pictures.
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| Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream |
Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream is tinted strait out of the tube, but it has no coverage. It's slightly up-toning, and it has natural finish; it sets in a few minutes after application and it does not move after it sets. It's very creamy in texture, but it's not greasy or heavy. It's one of my favorite sunscreens, and I hope Sooryehan is not going to discontinue it anytime soon. Unlike Hada Labo, it never ever pilled on me, no matter how many AHA/BHA products I used under it, or how hot the weather was. I can't say I've noticed much brightening after using it, but most probably I didn't use it consistently enough; I was testing various sunscreens throughout the whole last year, but Bichaek True Rejuvenating sun cream was my go-to sunscreen when I did not feel like experimenting. It's going to see more use this year though, and I'm planning to use other vit.C-based products under it.
There are some other sunscreens with various forms of vitamin C on the market. I was going to try the new La Roche-Posay Anthelios sunscreen with vit.C, vit.E and antioxidants (like this one), but I wanted the European version instead of US one - they have different sunscreen filters. It pops up on eBay from time to time, but it sells out so fast that I always manage to miss it; I'm going to keep trying. Supergoop! has vit.C-based sunscreen mist (this one); it's a chemical sunscreen that has 4+ stars reviews on Sephora. I might give it a try, but I'm not a big fan of mist sunscreens in general. Make P:rem came up with sunscreens that have vit.C in SAP form (cosdna here and here), but every blogger that reviewed Make P:rem sunscreens recently mentioned that they felt too moisturizing or just plain oily; I'm not planning to try any, but someone with dry or normal skin might like them.
TL;DR
Hada Labo Rohto Gokujun UV White gel SPF50+/PA++++ did not agree with my oily skin; the pilling was too much for me, and if I can't be sure my sunscreen will stay on my face, why would I use it? I would recommend it to someone with dry or normal skin; since it wasn't pilling so much in colder weather when skin produces less sebum, I assume it'll work OK on dry skin year long. Being all-in-one product, it might appeal to someone who prefers shorter skincare routine in the mornings. However, it's not water-resistant, and I'm not happy with its jar packaging. I ended up giving it to my husband; it's unisex enough for him to use it without complaining about smell or packaging, and it works great on his normal, non-reactive skin. I will not repurchase i.
Sooryehan Bichaek True Rejuvenating Sun Cream SPF50+/PA+++ is one of my all-time favorites and I already have it in my eBay shopping cart; I will keep repurchasing it for as long as they're making it. I never had any skin issues after using it; it layers easily over any skincare products, and it's really easy to reapply throughout the day. It has beautiful natural finish, and it's slightly up-toning, but not too much. I tried using it as a primer (I'm working on a separate post comparing some of sunscreens that I've been testing last year as primers under BB and CC), and it worked out great as well! Natural finish is a huge plus in summer.
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