The more I read about sunscreen, the more I realise how lucky I am that most work fine for me, including this SKIN1004 sun serum.
It can be a really tricky thing to get right, particularly for oily or acne prone skin.
I am firm believer that K-Beauty has something for everyone and, with sunscreen, this is just as true as other product categories.
Obviously the light and effective formulas are part of the story: another thing I think is really important is the nuances. If one sunscreen is a fraction too moisturising, you’ll be able to find another that’s a fraction less moisturising but retains the beautiful finish.
Of course, you can switch to a lighter moisturiser, but if you’ve already skipped moisturiser due to having oily or combination skin and you don’t want to miss out on a great sunscreen, the nuances in different formulations really matter!
For me, it’s so tempting to just stick with my tried, tested and loved Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics. It’s the sunscreen I’ve repurchased the most because it’s amazing.
However, I’m glad I wasn’t afraid to try something new because I have discovered some great alternatives. The Skin1004 is similar to the Beauty of Joseon but might work if the Beauty of Joseon was a bit too moisturising or a bit too shiny.
If the Beauty of Joseon was way too moisturising even without a moisturiser underneath, then the Skin1004 might work but might be too moisturising still. If this is the case, don’t despair!
There’s plenty of other options: Missha’s All Round Safe Block Essence Sun Milk has a more mattifying finish plus waterproofing which can help with oil control in my experience.
For a dewier finish that’s not as moisturising as the Beauty of Joseon or the Skin1004, have a look at the Mixsoon Centella Sun Cream. You can read the review here.
Texture
As you can probably tell, I’m going to compare the Skin1004 to the Beauty of Joseon throughout this review.
If the Beauty of Joseon was way too moisturising on bare skin, then the Skin1004 might work but you might be better looking at sunscreens that are more targeted to oily skin.
However, if the Beauty of Joseon was almost perfect, this is the sunscreen for you!
True to its name, it’s more of a serum texture than the Beauty of Joseon, which is a very light cream.
It’s easy to spread and doesn’t feel sticky, absorbing extremely well.
Ingredients
Centella! Are you fed up with me talking about how wonderful centella is yet?! You can read more about it here
It has new generation sunscreen filters making it highly effective and niacinamide, which is helpful for pigmentation and keeping your barrier strong.
And let’s not forget the antioxidants: this sunscreen contains a wide range of plant extracts as well as centella so you’re getting a lot of beneficial ingredients!
There’s also hyaluronic acid in this sunscreen, so you may find it more hydrating than the Beauty of Joseon one. Well worth considering if you’re in need of additional hydration from your sunscreen.
Experience
I have talked on and on about my irritable neck. If you’ve read a few of my reviews, you’ll know I use much heavier creams for my neck than I do for my face. Like this and this!
I had a super interesting experience with the Skin1004 sun serum with both my neck and face, I’ll write about both here.
With my light but moisturising emulsion, the Waphyto Regena Facial Milk, I noticed that the Skin1004 wasn’t quite moisturising enough. It’s fine if I layer up the emulsion a bit or add a light cream on top but the Beauty of Joseon works fine with just the Waphyto so the Skin1004 definitely a bit less moisturising than the Beauty of Joseon.
I mean, it’s only slightly more serum-like than the Beauty of Joseon so I expected it to be just as moisturising. And that’s where texture gives you an indication of how the product will work but won’t tell the whole story!
I tried it with a few different creams, which were totally fine but I love my Waphyto so obviously I want a sunscreen that works with it. But equally, the finish is a little less dewy than the Beauty of Joseon so I didn’t have any shininess from using a heavier cream on my face.
Testing out how products work in different combinations is one of the things I particularly enjoy about skincare which is why I’ll try a product all different ways before I pronounce it no good because there’s almost always a way to use a product (unless you’re allergic).
I tried the Skin1004 on my neck and chest, thinking it absolutely wouldn’t work and that it would dry out my dry neck. Actually, it was amazing for that area – like I say, I far more cream in general, even my toner is often a cream!
The finish is beautiful, not oily or shiny despite the amount of cream I slather on.
Really, my neck prefers mineral or physical sunscreen for comfortable skin but double cleansing your entire neck and chest at night is a challenge for me as I shower in the morning.
My beloved Beauty of Joseon sunscreen works well for my neck but it’s not as calming as the Skin1004 – the centella and the other antioxidants are obviously working hard to soothe my skin.
Of course, as soon as the weather warms up a bit I’ll be able to use the Skin1004 on my face as well as it won’t need as much moisturising.
Final Word
I need to try more Skin1004 products from the Hyalu-Cica range, I’m almost annoyed that I haven’t tried any sooner!