Hey everyone, I have an exciting announcement to make today! Just recently, I officially became part of a small group of beauty bloggers for bntnews International – bntgirls! *party popper emoji*
bntnews is a website based in the UK that focuses on Korean fashion, beauty, entertainment, and the K-wave. The bntgirls group has been around for quite some time now, so you might already know about it from reading about it on other blogs. There are also several other bntgirls across Asia, and I'm super happy to be one of them ♥
As a bntgirl, I have the privilege of receiving a box of K-beauty goodies once a month, and my job is to tell you all about those goodies! For this month's beauty box (my very first one!), they sent me products from Korean brands that I've never heard of until now – one of them is the Ultra Moisturizing Sun Cream* from KICHO, which I'll be reviewing today.
Kicho is a natural and organic cosmetic brand based in South Korea.Based on cosmetic expertise accumulated over more than 50 years, Kicho has been studying human skin, researching methods to improve skin condition. Using this research, Kicho works in unity with the skin, respecting the skin's essentials, by avoiding harsh chemicals and using natural ingredients.
The top four things I always look for in a sunscreen are 1) that it has at least SPF 50 UVB protection and PA+++ UVA protection; 2) that it absorbs into the skin quickly; 3) that it doesn't feel sticky or greasy; and 4) that it doesn't leave a white cast. I'm hoping that this sun cream meets all four conditions!
True to their brand philosophy, most of the ingredients were taken from natural sources. There are still some chemical ingredients up there, but I did a little Google-fu and none of them came up as harsh on the skin. There is cetearyl alcohol, which is marked as a possible irritant, but the potential is quite low (marked 2 out of 5). COSDNA analysis here.
Upon application, this product absorbs very quickly, and doesn't leave a white cast. The only problem is, this product might not work very well uncertain cosmetics. When I use this on a no-makeup day, it's great on its own, but on days that I do use makeup, when I apply my primer I can feel it balling up with the sunscreen underneath. I just brush off all the residue with a powder brush, but still, it can be a bit gross when you feel it balling up on your fingers....
bntnews is a website based in the UK that focuses on Korean fashion, beauty, entertainment, and the K-wave. The bntgirls group has been around for quite some time now, so you might already know about it from reading about it on other blogs. There are also several other bntgirls across Asia, and I'm super happy to be one of them ♥
As a bntgirl, I have the privilege of receiving a box of K-beauty goodies once a month, and my job is to tell you all about those goodies! For this month's beauty box (my very first one!), they sent me products from Korean brands that I've never heard of until now – one of them is the Ultra Moisturizing Sun Cream* from KICHO, which I'll be reviewing today.
Kicho is a natural and organic cosmetic brand based in South Korea.Based on cosmetic expertise accumulated over more than 50 years, Kicho has been studying human skin, researching methods to improve skin condition. Using this research, Kicho works in unity with the skin, respecting the skin's essentials, by avoiding harsh chemicals and using natural ingredients.
KICHO Ultra Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA+++
1.69 fl oz / 50 ml
₩36,000 / $36
1.69 fl oz / 50 ml
₩36,000 / $36
KICHO ULTRA MOISTURIZING SUN CREAM
Kicho claims: "Kicho Ultra Moisturizing Sun Cream, specially formulated for the face, offers a range of protection levels to suit any activity, and is even effective with makeup. The cream protects skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays, and gently covers with a fresh moisturizing texture is absorbed easily for weightless finish that can be worn under makeup."The top four things I always look for in a sunscreen are 1) that it has at least SPF 50 UVB protection and PA+++ UVA protection; 2) that it absorbs into the skin quickly; 3) that it doesn't feel sticky or greasy; and 4) that it doesn't leave a white cast. I'm hoping that this sun cream meets all four conditions!
PACKAGING
It comes in a white plastic tube, with a pump on the top. I really like how simple yet elegant it looks, even if it's just a plastic tube. The gold detailing is really pretty to look at on top of my drawer, heheh. I like that it comes with a pump – I find it very convenient. For my other sunscreens, I tend to squeeze out way too much product. For this, I just use one full pump, then a half pump or two if I need to cover more areas.INGREDIENTS
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Isoamyl P-Methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Octocrylene, Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl, Triazine, Silica, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycine Soja (Soybean), Phytoplacenta Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf, Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Eruca Sativa Leaf Extract, Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Sprout Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (Broccoli) Sprout Extract, Medicago Sativa (Alfalfa) Leaf Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Pisum Sativum (Pea) Extract, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Behenyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Peg-100 Stearate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Allantoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Disodium Edta, Fragrance, PhenoxyethanolTrue to their brand philosophy, most of the ingredients were taken from natural sources. There are still some chemical ingredients up there, but I did a little Google-fu and none of them came up as harsh on the skin. There is cetearyl alcohol, which is marked as a possible irritant, but the potential is quite low (marked 2 out of 5). COSDNA analysis here.
APPLICATION
I apply my sunscreen after my toner and moisturizer, and before all of my makeup. I recently ran out of my daytime moisturizer, so I tried if this could work as a 2-in-1 step of moisturizer and sunscreen. (It didn't work out quite as well. I think it should be noted that this isn't a moisturizer and sunscreen in one, but a sunscreen with moisturizing properties.)Upon application, this product absorbs very quickly, and doesn't leave a white cast. The only problem is, this product might not work very well uncertain cosmetics. When I use this on a no-makeup day, it's great on its own, but on days that I do use makeup, when I apply my primer I can feel it balling up with the sunscreen underneath. I just brush off all the residue with a powder brush, but still, it can be a bit gross when you feel it balling up on your fingers....
SCENT
This is probably the weirdest thing that I'll ever have to say about a sun cream.. but this product's scent reminds me so much of OFF! Lotion (yes, the mosquito repellent). It goes away very quickly, but I'm so put off every time I apply it ;_____;PERFORMANCE
Since this has SPF 50 and PA+++, I'm happy with the UVB/UVA protection it offers, but not enough to beat my HG sunscreen from Biore, which has PA++++. I've been testing this for more than half a month now, and my face hasn't darkened or anything, thankfully. That said, I never go outside without an umbrella, so I don't know how this would fare when used for outdoor activities. For everyday use though, this is great.PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
Kicho isn't locally available in the Philippines, but you can get this Ultra Moisturizing Sun Cream from their global site for $36 (which, for 50ml of product, I think is quite expensive, really). For those in the US, you can purchase it via Peach & Lily.FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, this is a very solid sunscreen that performs really well. Definitely one of the better sunscreens that I've tried. My only issue with it is that I feel that it is so expensive (~1700 in PHP), especially since there are sunscreens from other brands that offer the same UVA & UVB protection, but for almost half the price. I do think this product is worth it, especially since it has good ingredients and it absorbs quickly with no white cast, but I personally wouldn't buy it because I tend to use up sunscreen very quickly. But if you have the money and don't mind splurging on a good quality sunscreen, or if other sunscreens don't work for you, then this is definitely worth giving a try ^^DISCLAIMER: This product was sent to me by bntnews for review, but the opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Financial compensation was not received for this post. Please see my full disclaimer for more information.