I used to be a sunscreen nomad, but I feel like I've finally found my holy grail. Previous sunscreens I've tried were either too drying, lacked effective protection, were overpriced for the amount, or caused eye irritation. This Nivea sunscreen, however, has none of those drawbacks.
My previous sunscreens:
1. Make P:rem Defense Me UV Sun Fluid:
Pros: Great value for quantity, mineral filters are less irritating, decent UVA protection due to physical filters
Cons: Very drying (skin feels tight around the mouth after 2 hours), difficult to cleanse, eye irritation despite being mineral-based
2. Hygge Sun Moisturizer:
Pros: Hydrating, feels like applying an emulsion, stays moisturizing, no eye irritation
Cons: Lacks strong protection (sadly, due to ingredient fear in Korea, many brands avoid using filters that effectively block long-wave UVA)
3. Birch Juice Moisturizing Sun Cream:
Similar pros and cons to the Hygge product.
4. Scinic Enjoy Mild Sun Essence EX:
Pros: Not drying
Cons: Weak protection, pills when applied heavily, causes eye irritation
The Nivea sunscreen seems to cover all these shortcomings. Generally, European and Japanese sunscreens are known for better protection, so if you're not worried about 'controversial' ingredients, go for those. (Remember, SPF 50++++ doesn't always mean equal protection across products.)
1. It's slightly more drying compared to Hygge and Round Lab products. Applying moisturizer before this sunscreen might be beneficial.
2. The opening tends to get messy easily.
Update (2020.12.20):
I've reduced my rating by 2 stars because I've noticed eye irritation. It wasn't apparent at first, but it worsened over time. Now I'm using the Birch sunscreen around my eyes and this Nivea one for the rest of my face.
Always apply sunscreen generously! I apply two layers of a 500 won coin-sized amount on my face in the morning, reapply the same amount around 11 AM, and again at 2 PM. In summer, I add one or two more applications. Using this method, I go through a 50ml tube in 1-2 weeks. This is the correct way to use sunscreen. The great thing about Nivea sunscreen is its affordability, which makes liberal application less burdensome!
