Rohto Mentholatum - Hada Labo Koi-Gokujyun UV White Gel SPF 50+ PA++++

I've heard many good things about this before I purchased it. So I went into it with high expectations. To my surprise, it's surpassed them. The texture is a light lotion (comparable to the Hada Labo hyalauronic milk) and it blends right into the skin with no white cast (but with a slight sheen left on the skin). It doesn't have added fragrance but there's a slight sunscreen smell (I might be a weirdo, but I actually like the smell of sunscreen so I don't find it too bothersome). There's no tint to this so it doesn't conceal any blemishes very well, but it does still have a 'beautifying' effect - it hydrates the skin and the sheen left behind makes for a 'glass skin' look.
One drawback of this is that it comes in a jar. It isn't portable, in my opinion, and the application is more finicky than it would be if in a typical sunscreen bottle. However, this is a case of the positives outweighing the negatives.
I did some research on this before buying and as far as I could tell, the filters used are: octinoxate, parsol slx, tinosorb s, uvinol A plus, and titanium dioxide. I have sensitive skin and this is the first sunscreen with chemical filters that hasn't made my face red. And I mean there was no redness whatsoever. No blotchiness near my jawline, no red cheeks. It's amazing!

TL;DR- Best protection, aesthetics and value. Versitile formula that can fit into most people’s routine.

In the past year I’ve tried close to 30 highly rated US and Asian sunscreens and this is the all around best for a number of reasons. It uses mostly chemical UV filters (with a small amount of titanium dioxide) which means no white cast. The combination of UV filters (octinoxate, Parsol SLX, Tinosorb S, Uvinul A Plus & TiO2) is the best most comprehensive I’ve seen. In insolation this cocktail covers the spectrum of UVA/B and in combination they stabilize each other adding to their efficacy.

The formula is so light weight and dries down with minimal shine that it can be incorporated into almost any regimine. It has a slight humectant action with two types of hyaluronic acid. No emollient or occlusive properties. I would say most people would want to use some kind of moisturizer with this (under or over) depending on skin type and climate. I could see very oily skin and/or very hot and humid climates using this alone. That being said it’s not waterproof so if you are sweating a lot you’d need to think about more frequent reapplication. The benign nature of the formula means that it can fit into most routines. I can change my moisturizer and other products based on season and skin needs while keeping this as my sunscreen.

Finally, if all of those things weren’t great enough... the price is unbelievable! Running the cost per mL on other products with similar ingredients and asthetics this is by far the best value.

Caveats-

I’m not a huge fan of the packaging. The jar can make it difficult for reapplication on-the-go and exposes the product to more oxygen and light (when open) which could theoretically shorten shelf life. I’d prefer a tube option.

I like to put sunscreen around my eyes and on my eyelids and I can’t do that with this. Under eyes seems to be ok for me but brow bone and eye lid application leads to pretty uncomfortable tearing and irritation throughout the day. That being said, eye sensitivity varries greatly from person to person and I’ve never found a chemical sunscreen that agrees with my eyes.

This sunscreen is amazing. Being a women of color it has been hard to find a sunscreen with no white cast or flashback. This sunscreen melts in with absolutely no white cast. It absorbs right into my skin without feeling greasy. It also plays well with my other makeup with no pilling. I am forever a customer of this sunscreen.

If you have spice and chocolate in your skin, this is the sunscreen you need. Asian Beauty is light years ahead and this is so moisturizing , no cast at all, gives serious glow. I recommend this everytime . I have no makeup at all in my picture and look at the glow like I swallowed the sun! You better protect your melanin and glow while doing so

No white cast, does not irritate my skin and great SPF. Recommended by Dr Dray!

This product is awesome. I'm a black girl and it doesn't leave me looking like i have a white cast on my face. It absorbs quickly and doesn't make me oily later or dry me out. If you want extra moisture, you may want to add a bit of moisturizer to it when you apply it. Just the most IMPORTANT thing is to take it OFF when you get home. If I know I'm not going anywhere for the rest of the day, I go ahead and remove it when I get back home. If your cleanser doesn't emulsify enough, then you need to use an oil cleanser (I found a bar of african black soap I had lying around and use that) to take off the sunscreen. Or else, if your normal cleanser isn't strong enough, your pores might get clogged. It's not a product that clogs easily on it's own though. Just make sure you wash it all off and you'll be fine.

I have been using this for quite a few months now, and I can happily say that my dark sun spot on my face is not very dark at all, now! I love this product. I cannot be without it. Also, before trying any Asian sunscreens, my children and I were all allergic to the sunscreens available in Australia. But, we can use this safely! I'm extremely happy with this!

When I get halfway through the pot, I re-order the next jar, so I never run out. I'm so happy to be able to safely use sunscreen again.

This goes on very nicely, and doesn't seem to leave much of a white cast on my skin. I have a dark sun spot, and I've only used this for two days, and it seems slightly lighter, but time will tell. Very pleasant to use.

i'm so so glad that yesstyle finally stocks hada labo!! (i used to only be able to get this off another website & it was a bit pricier & the shipping took months) i have normal, acne-prone skin, & i take medication that makes my skin more photosensitive. this is my favourite sunscreen, & here's why:

spf - this sunscreen contains both chemical & physical filters, & protects against both uva & uvb rays.

texture etc. - it's a very lightweight, jiggly gel that is white in the tub & goes on completely clear - there's no white cast so it looks good on all skin tones (you can't even see it's there). it's not at all drying, though i do use it with a bit of moisturizer underneath. it does have a sunscreen smell if you smell it right out of the tub, but it's undetectable once it's on your face.

performance - this is very easy to spread when first applied, makes the face look a bit wet, but it dries down & looks normal (not shiny & not too matte) again within a couple minutes. if it's reapplied with a large amount to the face more than twice, it will pill when rubbed, but it's no problem if you wipe your face beforehand & then reapply. i'm very acne-prone & my eye area is very sensitive to most sunscreens, but this has never broken me out & i can get it all around my eyes with no irritation. but of course, the most important thing here is that i've never burned or come anywhere close while wearing this.

packaging - a lot of people don't like that this comes in a tub, but i prefer tub packaging bc i don't have to cut it open to get all the product out. i just use a small clean spoon to scoop it out & onto my face, but i agree that a tube option would be nice for reapplication on the go. this is quite a large amount of sunscreen at a very reasonable price (for one that's so cosmetically elegant), & it lasts me about 2 1/2+. i wear it on my face & neck every day.

i'll probably repurchase this for the rest of my life, i don't think there's a better sunscreen out there (especially for the price) :)

I heard of this product from a Youtuber I watch named Dr Dray, she is also a dermatologist. She goes really in depth about the ingredients in products that she reviews and this is one of her favourite sunscreens. It has a lot of helpful ingredients for uv protection that western sunscreens don't have AND its light weight compared to many western sunscreens that are greasy and heavy feeling on the face. I would agree with her, I have been really enjoying this sunscreen. It has a very subtle sunscreen smell but nothing even close to the heavy scent of western ones. It doesn't bother me even as a person who hates scents in the skincare. I have also tried the Boire sunscreen which I do like too but that one has a noticeable alcohol base to it that can be drying on the skin and this one doesn't. It sits well under my makeup too. I strongly recommend this product if you are looking for a sunscreen.

I love this! It's like a very light, gel-cream moisturiser, but with very high SPF and PA. It goes on like a dream, very silky smooth and hydrating. It doesn't leave any white cast, any shine, any oiliness. My face feels amazing after using it. I will definitely repurchase. The only downside is the packaging - it would be amazing to have this in a pump or a squeezy tube. But it does deserve 5 stars for the formulation, because it's amazing. This is the kind of sunscreen that you look forward to applying every single day. I don't even apply anything else in the morning - I wash my face, apply this and I am done.

I have been using this product for the last two days and I already know it is amazing. The product lacks much of a scent (which I like) and very easily spreads on my face. It doesn't even feel like I have Sunscreen on my face yet it feels like I am protected. Would recommend to all!

I just finished this sunscreen. I used this on over the past few months starting from november/december. I'm not really sure why people think this is not sticky, as I really have to be careful with my hair when applying this. It is sticky at first but ones it dried it is all good. I do have a normal to dry/dehydrated skin acne-prone, on some days I do think this sunscreen can be a bit drying. (when I used it in the winter) since I have not use this sunscreen during the summer I cannot tell if this sunscreen is suitable for humid and hot environments. As all the other reviewers have mentioned, this sunscreen does not leave a whitecast!