Review and comparison of several Korean sunscreens Part 2: Su:m37 and Sulwhasoo

Today I'd like to continue to talk about sunscreens. Recently I've reviewed quite a few sunscreens from various brands (link to part 1 post here), leaving Sulwhasoo and Su:m37 for today. Last year I picked up four sunscreens from the extensive Su:m37 Sun Away line: Perfect Proof Sun Block, Multi Effect Sun Block EX, Perfect Defense Sun Block, and Cooling Watery Sun Block. I'm going to compare them to three sunscreens from Sulwhasoo: Renodigm Ex Dual Care cream, Hydro-Aid Moisturizing Soothing UV Protection fluid, and Snowise Brightening UV Protector. I take my sunscreens very seriously, and I wanted to see how the sunscreens from premium brands compare to budget and mid-level ones; in other words, is it a good idea to splurge on sunscreens? I've been using those sunscreens for over a year, on and off, so I think for now I have a good idea of what worked for me and what didn't. As usual, this post is not sponsored; I chose and purchased all the products myself, and all opinions are my own. I'll be talking about my personal experience, so YMMV.

Su:m37 Sun Away sunscreens: 1. Cooling Watery sun block, 2. Perfect Defense sun block, 3. Multi Effect sun block EX, and 4. Perfect Proof sun block

Let me start with Su:m37. It's literally impossible to find full ingredients lists for some of Su:m37 sunscreens online, and their packaging is mostly in Korean, so I'm afraid I'll have to review a couple of sunscreens without even knowing what filters were used. The official USA Su:m37 seller does not list any sunscreens on their website; while the official Korean website has all ingredients, it lists them as pictures, not text, making it impossible to use cosdna for translation and analysis. I managed to find a couple of full lists that I've uploaded in cosdna; for the rest of them I tried emailing the official website, but I got no response. Su:m37 is a very popular K-beauty brand that seems to be completely uninterested in globalization and improving sales in English-speaking parts of the world. It used to be one of my favorite K-beauty brands, but as I'm developing more allergies, I'm more vigilant than ever when it comes to full ingredients lists, and unfortunately, that often leaves Su:m37 outside of my wish lists and shopping card. I was reluctant to review Su:m37 sunscreens, since without full ingredients lists all I can do is to describe subjective stuff like absorption time, finish, wear time and such. However, there aren't many reviews for them in English, so hopefully someone might find my subjective experiences useful enough.

Su:m37 Sun Away sunscreens: 1. Cooling Watery sun block, 2. Perfect Defense sun block, 3. Multi Effect sun block EX, and 4. Perfect Proof sun block

According to Su:m37, Sun Away Perfect Proof Sun Block SPF50+/PA+++ is a waterproof sunscreen for outdoor activities and it can be used on both face and body. I think it was the first Su:m37 sunscreen that I've tried; in a few month after I bought it they repackaged and renamed it, and now it's sold as Perfect Defense Sun Block SPF50+/PA++++. Right now you can buy both online, and it's not entirely obvious that they're essentially the same product; usually K-beauty brands add EX to the name of the product when they come up with the upgraded version. I ended up purchasing both within a few months because I thought they are different products. Luckily I saw a post on Instagram that clarified the confusion for me. I think they are similar enough to be reviewed together.

I managed to dug up the ingredient list for the newer version, Perfect Defense (cosdna here) on one of the Lotte websites; it's a combination sunscreen with both chemical (octinoxate, Uvinil A Plus, and tinosorb S) and physical (titanium (IV) oxide and zinc oxide) filters. It has both niacinamide and vitamin C in form of ascorbyl glucoside in top half of the ingredients list. Like most Su:m37 products, it has a very substantial amount of various plant extracts added, both fermented and non-fermented; I'm not entirely sure what they do exactly, why such a combination of plants were used, how/if they interact with each other et cetera, so I'm not going to comment on that; I'm sure they're all beneficial in one way of another, but there are too many of them to figure out what exactly each single extract adds to the product as a whole.

Su:m37 Sun Away sunscreens: 1. Cooling Watery sun block, 2. Perfect Defense sun block, 3. Multi Effect sun block EX, and 4. Perfect Proof sun block. This picture shows the texture after spreading sunscreens out

Performance-wise, both sunscreens are fairly identical; both are white medium-thick creams that blend in without any white cast. They don't have any added fragrance, which is a bonus for me, and despite having all those plant extracts there's literally no smell. It's fairly easy to spread them on and blend them in, but on my oily skin they don't set immediately, like some other sunscreens with lighter, more liquid-y texture; on the bright side, they are not moving around and therefore safe to use around my eyes. I wear contacts daily, so for me getting sunscreen in my eyes is a big nuisance; I don't remember ever having any issues with either of those sunscreens. They tend to stay slightly wet to the touch for a couple hours after application, but they don't seem to transfer much.

Su:m37 Sun Away sunscreens: 1. Cooling Watery sun block, 2. Perfect Defense sun block, 3. Multi Effect sun block EX, and 4. Perfect Proof sun block; after spreading sunscreens out

I think Perfect Defense/Proof are marketed more as heavy-duty, running-errands-all-day, afternoon-at-the-pool kind of sunscreen, so they're not doubling as primers or tone correctors. They did nothing to cover up my pores or to even up my skin tone, and they're definitely not sebum-controlling either. Usually my T-zone was getting so shiny, I have to blot almost every hour when using them; I think the old version is a bit better in that regard, since I seem to have to blot less often when using it. Both have nice natural finish, almost matte-natural, which is rare for Korean sunscreens. I'm not going to elaborate of how they perform under makeup, because I'm working on separate post for that, and I will like it here when it's up; otherwise my sunscreen reviews will be too picture-heavy.

 Su:m37 Multi Effect Sun Block EX PR spiel from the official website

Multi Effect Sun Block EX is my least favorite of all Su:m37 sunscreens. I wasn't able to find any reviews for it when I bought it, and the PR pictures (see above) show it as a light pink, ever so slightly tinted cream. In reality it's darker than in PR pictures, and it's very pigmented; it's at least one shade too dark for me (I'm NC20, or #21c in Korean cushion foundations), so when I'm using proper amount of sunscreen, I have to spend extra time and effort of blending it in properly and making it look like I don't have a case of poorly matched makeup. Adding insult to injury, it seems to oxidize, especially in hot weather. It has very radiant finish, and it takes a long while to set properly. It has medium-creamy texture, but feels heavier than both Perfect Defense and Perfect Proof; I wasn't able to find it's ingredients list, so I can't say anything about its filters.

Su:m37 Sun Away sunscreens: 1. Cooling Watery sun block, 2. Perfect Defense sun block, 3. Multi Effect sun block EX, and 4. Perfect Proof sun block. This picture shows the finish after most sunscreen was absorbed

I bought Cooling Watery Sun Block SPF50/PA++ last autumn, so I didn't get a chance to test in NY heat yet; so far I only tried it in moderately warm weather. It does have an immediate cooling effect on application, but I'm not sure I felt any cooling during the day though. It has much lighter texture than other Su:m37 sunscreens I've tried; it feels like generic Japanese sunscreen fluid. I suspected that it has alcohol in it, because it irritated my eyes, but I did not expect to see alcohol second on ingredient list, right after water (cosdna here). It's a pure chemical sunscreen; it uses octinoxate, esulizole, tinosorb S, and Uvinil A Plus. I'm not impressed with its low PA rating; in summer I'll have to reapply it often. Out of all Su:m37 sunscreens it's the easiest one to blend in, and the fastest to absorb. It has no white cast, and it leaves a beautiful natural finish.

Let's move on to Sulwhasoo.

Sulwhasoo sunscreens: 1. Renodigm EX Dual Care cream and 2. Hydro Aid Moisturizing Soothing UV Protection fluid

Renodigm Ex Dual Care cream TPF40, SPA30, PA++ was the first luxury sunscreen I ever tried; most of the sunscreens tend to go down in price in a couple years after release, but this one is only getting more expensive. I remember paying less than $100 for it, and now it's up to $122 on Amazon and $135 on YesStyle. I think it was one of the first sunscreens to talk about heat protection in addition to sun protection. Amore Pacific came up with the Thermal Protection Factor (TPF) to measure the heat protection; I discussed it briefly when I reviewed Sulwhasoo Trufresh Soothing Mask (here), which is fairly close in formulation to the Renodigm. According to the official Sulwhasoo website (here), "TPF (Thermal Protection Factor) is an index showing how well skin is protected from the heat (TPF 40 means that around 40 percent of skin is protected from external heat elements including UV)."

Renodigm is a combination sunscreen with physical (titanium dioxide) and chemical (octinoxate, Tinosorb S and amiloxate) filters (cosdna here). It boasts a long list of various plant extracts, including the usual suspects - Korean pine and ginseng, as well as many others; it also has 20 various moisturizers and emollients. It wasn't formulated for someone with oily skin; it feels like a potent hydrating mask. It's supposed to have brightening properties, and it has licorice and niacinamide to help with that, but I never noticed any brightening after using it. It comes out as a generic off-white cream and its texture is rather thick; it feels very emollient on the skin, but it takes a while to massage it in properly. It leaves no white cast.

Sulwhasoo sunscreens: 1. Renodigm EX Dual Care cream and 2. Hydro Aid Moisturizing Soothing UV Protection fluid

I've been rather disappointed in Renodigm, but not because it's a bad product; it's just totally wrong for my skin and NY weather. It feels like a heavy-duty moisturizing mask on my face; when it's 100F and humid, the last thing I need on my oily skin is a moisturizing mask... The cooling effect is hardly noticeable after temperatures reach 90+F, so all I'm left with is a heavy cream on my face. Also, like Cooling Watery sun block, it has a low PA rating - PA++ only - which is not great for NY summers. I gave this sunscreen to my friend; she has dry skin and lives in colder weather. Not surprisingly, she likes it much better than me.

Sulwhasoo sunscreens: 1. Renodigm EX Dual Care cream and 2. Hydro Aid Moisturizing Soothing UV Protection fluid

I bought Hydro Aid Moisturizing Soothing UV Protection fluid SPF50+/PA+++ in a few month after Renodigm; it's definitely more affordable and comes with less PR claims. According to the official website (here), it offers UV protection while moisturizing and soothing the skin. It's a chemical sunscreen (cosdna here); it uses octinoxate, Uvinil A Plus, ethilhexyl salicylate, tinosorb S, and ensulizole. It has a little bit less plant extracts than Renodigm. The highest on the ingredients list is mongo grass (in top 10 ingredients); peony, lotus, Solomon's seal,  French lily, Rehmannia Glutinosa (a traditional Chinese medicine herb), true ginseng, Japanese white birch, and licorice are in the middle of the list. The official website states that "Hydro-aid Capsule technology, containing Korean medicinal seaweed extract, delivers deep, instant hydration to your skin while preventing moisture loss through evaporation", but I wasn't able to find the seaweed among the ingredients.

Sulwhasoo sunscreens: 1. Renodigm EX Dual Care cream and 2. Hydro Aid Moisturizing Soothing UV Protection fluid

I liked it much better than Renodigm EX; it's still too emollient for me to use it in summer, but it was perfect for the cold, windy winter weather. Last winter I've been using it all the time until I got Kicho sun cream (my review here). Somehow, Kicho completely pushed Hydro Aid out of my routine, despite having more radiant finish. I don't think I will repurchase Hydro Aid, but I've nothing bad to say about it - it never broke me out despite having honey in it (I'm allergic to honey, unfortunately), it never felt too heavy on my skin, it wasn't moving around too much, and there was no pilling when I layered it on top of multiple serums. Both Hydro Aid and Kicho are great sunscreens, it's just a matter of personal preference for me; I like Kicho better, but it doesn't mean that Hydro Aid is not just as good. That's what you get for trying too many sunscreens, I guess!

Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening UV Protector in shades 1. Soft Peach and 2. Soft Glow

Last but not least, lets talk about my favorite Sulwhasoo sunscreen - Snowise Brightening UV Protector SPF50+/PA++++. It comes in two shades, #1 Soft Glow and #2 Soft Peach; according to Sulwhasoo' PR, Peach is supposed to be up-toning and brightening, and Glow is formulated for people with dry skin trying to achieve clear and natural-looking skin tone (official website here). Naturally, I picked #2, since my skin is anything but dry; luckily, I got a couple samplers of #1 with other purchases last year, so I can swatch both of them. I'll be talking about #2 mostly, since that's the one I have experience with, but I've tried #1 for the reviewing purposes to see if there is any difference in texture and finish. I think they are indistinguishable enough to be reviewed together.

Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening UV Protector in shades 1. Soft Peach and 2. Soft Glow

Snowise #1 and #2 have very similar ingredients (cosdna #1 and #2). Both are combination sunscreens with physical (titanium dioxide) and chemical (octinoxate, Uvinil A Plus, and tinosorb S) filters; both have multiple plant extracts, (the selection is fairly similar to that of Hydro Aid), and multiple emollients and moisturizing ingredients. The biggest difference, ingredients-wise, that I can see is that #2 has some pigments while #1 does not.

Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening UV Protector in shades 1. Soft Peach and 2. Soft Glow

Snowise #2 is very flattering on my skin; it's not too up-toning to look artificial, but it gives my skin a healthy look; its pink hues are perfect for subtle color correcting on the days when my skin looks sallow. It dries up in less than 10 minutes, and has natural finish. I never noticed any transfer during the day, not even in hot weather. I can't say that it affected my sebum production in any way; I did not have to blot more often, but I still had to blot every now and then. It layers beautifully with any other products I've been using. Snowise #1 had a slightly more radiant finish, but there's not much difference; it gave me the same healthy, natural look, but without brightening.

Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening UV Protector in shades 1. Soft Peach and 2. Soft Glow - comparing the finish of absorbed products.

Snowise is my favorite Sulwhasoo line; I've tried quite a few products, and I never had any issues - my skin loved them all. I'll be repurchasing #2 when I run out (which will be soon, I think), and I think it's totally worth the splurge.

TL:DR

Su:m37 Sun Away sunscreens:  I don't think I'll be repurchasing any of them, sorry.


Perfect Defense sun block and Perfect Proof sun block: they just did not work out for me; they're not terrible, but there are better sunscreens out there. I don't think they were meant to be used on oily skin, but someone with dry or normal skin might like them much better.

Multi Effect sun block EX: I would not recommend it to anyone with pale or light skin; I'm NC20 MAC or 21c in Korean cushions, and it was at least a shade too dark for me; it seems to oxidize a little bit as well. It was the best primer among all Sun Away sunscreens that I've tried, so if you like radiant finish and its color is not the issue for you, you might give it a try; again, I would not recommend it for oily skin.

Cooling Watery sun block: the jury is still out; I will continue testing it in summer weather, but I'm concerned that I might not have enough protection against UVA, since it has the lowest PA rating among all Sun Away sunscreens.

Sulwhasoo: will repurchase Snowise  when I'll run out.

Renodigm EX Dual Care cream: it was waaaay too emollient for me; I would recommend it for people with dry or extra dry skin only; low PA rating might be an issue; my friend with dry skin who lives further up north loves it though.

Hydro Aid Moisturizing Soothing UV Protection fluid: I like it a  lot; it's perfect for cold winters here in NYC; I would repurchase it if I didn't find Kicho sun cream. It will work year-around for someone with dry or normal skin.

Sulwhasoo Snowise Brightening UV Protector: it's my favorite of the whole bunch, and the only one I can recommend for oily skin; perfect natural finish and color correction; layers beautifully; if you're going to use it under makeup, it doubles as a primer.

What's next: 

I'm almost done editing pictures for my last sunscreen-related post (for now), where I will be reviewing most of the sunscreens as primers. I don't wear makeup on daily basis, but many people do; this post was growing too picture-heavy as is, so I decided to separate the part about sunscreen-makeup interactions and give it all attention it deserves. I was using two different base products, Sulwhasoo Snowise Whitening Essence BB in #2 and HERA Urban Veil CC in #21, to see how my current sunscreens can fare as primers. I will link it here when it's on.

After that, I'll be testing the new batch of sunscreens that I've got for this summer: a sunscreen powder from The Saem and a cooling cushion sunscreen from The Nature Republic that I intend to use for reapplying my sunscreen during the day; a reformulated Eco Natural Sun cream from The Face Shop - the original was my favorite sebum-controlling sunscreen, so I have high hopes for that one; and a new Biore UV sunscreen, Aqua Rich Whitening essence, that most probably will be too emollient for me, but I could not resist. I'll keep you updated!