All about Sunscreen! Hada Labo UV Moist Emulsion

Since the weather is getting hotter, I thought I'd do a post about something that is not to be neglected- SUNSCREEN!

Sunscreen has more or less become part of my daily skincare routine after my great skin breakout a couple of years ago. My dermatologist was the one who taught me the importance of sun protection. It is important that we slap on those UV protection as it helps to prevent premature aging, skin cancer, and most importantly hyper-pigmentation from scarring!!

My criteria for choosing a sunscreen:

-Broad Spectrum for UVA /UVB protection

-At least SPF 30

-Preferably a mix of physical and chemical sunscreen

-No white cast after application

-Non sticky

-Minimum 'sunscreen smell'

What exactly are all these sunscreen jargons?
UVA-Contributes to Aging
UVB-Contributes to burning
SPF-An indicator of the sunscreen's ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin.

Physical sunscreen-As what the name suggests, physically blocks/deflects the harmful UV rays by forming a shield over the skin. Eg Zinc Oxide & Titanium Oxide

Chemical sunscreens-Work by absorbing the UV rays. Eg Octylcrylene & Avobenzone

The sunscreen I'm currently using is the Hada Labo UV Moist Emulsion, also known as the Super Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing UV Milk. I have no idea why they want to have 2 names for the same product.
I tried Hada Labo UV Moist Emulsion about a year ago. Previously I was using Biore (the pink bottle) but I noticed that I was developing some oil seeds, so I was on the lookout for a new sunscreen. I picked up Hada Labo's because I've been using their skincare items and my skin reacted well to it, so I thought might as well give it a go!

Price:

S$20.40 at Watsons. I bought a back-up in Japan for less than S$10 (:

Texture:

Light, milky texture that's quite runny.

Swatches:

Packaging:

A compact plastic bottle that is functional and minimalistic.

Smell:

A slight sunscreen smell, but not too strong or offensive. I don't even notice it now when I put it on in the morning.

What I like: 

• Multi-functional. Other than being a sunscreen, it also gives hydration and acts as a makeup base!
• Skin feels smoother. I think that’s why it is suitable as a makeup base.
• Doesn’t break me out.
• Light-weight texture. Once the sunscreen sets, it doesn't feel like anything at all and it's very comfortable to wear.
• Non-oily and non-sticky. Some sunscreens tend to leave a greasy finish on the skin. The Hada Labo’s sunscreen has got quite a natural finish, that is not too dewy or too matte.
• No white cast. But I wouldn’t recommend it (in fact, any forms of sunscreen) for flash photography.

What can be improved:

I don't really have anything to complain about...but if I really want to nit-pick, I would say the smell of the sunscreen could be improved upon?

Actually it is recommended to re-apply sunscreen through out the day. But I find that to be too troublesome! Especially when I have makeup on, it just doesn't make sense to slather the sunscreen over makeup. Hope they do a spray version soon! It could be something like the Caudalie beauty elixir, but with SPF, so people could just spritz away during the day to freshen up and add on some sun protection! 

How to remove sunscreen?
Personally, I like to use my Bioderma to remove the sunscreen first and follow up with my usual cleanser.  I'm really paranoid about keeping my skin clean, better safe than sorry I feel!

Ingredients

More information about sunscreens!

http://www.skinacea.com/sunscreen/physical-vs-chemical-sunscreen.html#.UeYrzs0vufo

http://www.sun-protection-and-products-guide.com/sunscreen-facts.html