Packaging and texture
More cool packaging from Beauty of Joseon! It’s in an airless pump. I said it before, I feel like Beauty of Joseon is really taking their packaging to the next level with their new serum ranges, including this Ginseng serum.
Not only will an airless pump protect the sunscreen formula, it is also very, very convenient to use.
I am heavy handed and I’ll often find that I squeeze more sunscreen out than necessary when it’s a tube. Of course more is better than too little but seriously, I end up really layering it up.
Having a pump means I can properly control how much comes out so I get the right amount.
It’s a true gel serum texture – the Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sum Serum is at the cream end of serum textures, lighter than the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics, which is a true cream.
Both the Beauty of Joseon and the Skin1004 are still very lightweight in feel compared to whatever you might buy on the high street but I like to think about the nuances of sunscreen! Reviews here and here.
However, this is true serum! It’s a gorgeous amber coloured gel texture and it’s one of the lightest sunscreens I’ve tried, it’s even lighter than the Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel.
Fragrance
Whilst this product does have fragrance, it’s very light and disappears immediately as you apply it.
It has got to be one of the least imposing fragrances in any product I’ve tried, I was actually a little disappointed that is dissipates so quickly because it’s a nice floral fragrance with light herbal notes to balance it out!
As usual, K-Beauty fragrance doesn’t generally bother my skin, even for my sensitive skin, and here’s another link to Bianca’s fragrance guide.
Ingredients
The star ingredient is ginseng – three types of ginseng exact, which, even if it’s not top tier ginseng, is great for antioxidants.
You’ll also find niacinamide too, which is great for keeping your barrier strong and brightening your skin.
It does have alcohol and whilst you should avoid anything you’re sensitive to, K-Beauty products tend to well-formulated so the ingredients offset any harshness in my experience.
There is a little olive oil in it so you may want to be careful if you have very oily skin, but otherwise I think it could be pleasant option for all skin types.
Experience
Application
This spreads so well!
I’ve tried a lot of sunscreens recently (more reviews coming) and I think a gel texture is particularly nice in terms of how it spreads in hot weather.
Granted, in very hot weather, I do prefer a water resistant sunscreen, but if I don’t specifically need a waterproof one, this is really refreshing to use.
There’s no menthol in it, which is usually a cheap shortcut to a cooling feeling, so I think it’s just the small amount of alcohol and the texture that makes it so fresh to use.
How moisturising?
Whilst it’s a gel, I don’t find it dries me out, although as I often comment, I do use very moisturising products in the rest of my routine so the fact that it’s hydrating rather than moisturising isn’t an issue for me.
If you do have dry skin, consider using richer products with this sunscreen. Realistically, it’s not particularly moisturising despite the small amount of oil (seriously, it really is a small amount!)
I definitely think this wouldn’t be moisturising enough for my dry skin in winter and it definitely wouldn’t be enough for my neck, even in summer, if I didn’t properly slather on all the shea butter creams!
Finish
The finish is definitely dewy so it’s a solid choice for that glass skin look. More info in glass here.
For me, this sunscreen sits at max dewy but doesn’t tip into shiny unless I’ve overdone it on the moisturising products with silicones and propranediol.
I mentioned those ingredients in my recent review.