If you read my blog or follow me on social media you should know that, despite I wear sunscreen daily, I hate the feeling this product produces on my skin. I also hate the typical smell most sunscreens have and the white cast they leave on the face. I recently heard about the new release Biore Aqua Rich UV Sunscreen and I bought it as soon as it became available. Today, I want to share my thoughts with you after some time using it.
What does the brand say?
BIORÉ AQUA RICH UV is developed from Bioré Japan’s water-based sunscreens, iconic for their fresh textures and invisible clean protection. With SPF 50 UVA & UVB, this feather-light watery essence with sunscreen spreads easily and absorbs instantly to hydrate and helps protect from UV rays.
Biore Website
Biore Aqua Rich UV Features
- Contains hyaluronic Acid, which is known to help boost the skin’s natural moisture
- Absorbs instantly on all skin tones with a sheer finish & no white cast
- Suitable for sensitive skin
- Non-greasy formula
- Works great under makeup
- Dermatologist tested
- Won’t clog pores
- Vegan-friendly, with no ingredients of animal origin and no animal testing
How to use it
Usage directions: Apply daily to clean the skin. It can be used alone or on top of your daily moisturiser. In case of sun exposure, apply generously and evenly 15 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply every 2 hours to maintain protection, especially after swimming, perspiring or towelling.
Biore Aqua Rich UV Ingredients
AQUA, ALCOHOL DENAT., OCTOCRYLENE, ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE, LAURYL METHACRYLATE/SODIUM METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE, BIS-ETHYLHEXYLOXYPHENOL METHOXYPHENYL TRIAZINE, DIETHYLHEXYL 2,6-NAPHTHALATE, ISODECYL NEOPENTANOATE, DEXTRIN PALMITATE, DICAPRYLYL ETHER, GLYCERIN, HOMOSALATE, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, PARFUM, GLYCERYL BEHENATE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, CETYL ALCOHOL, SORBITAN DISTEARATE, STEAROYL GLUTAMIC ACID, ARGININE, DISODIUM EDTA, TOCOPHEROL, SODIUM HYALURONATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, CITRAL, GERANIOL, LIMONENE, LINALOOL.
Price and availability
This product is available in the UK at Superdrug for £15.99. If you live in the US you can buy from Stylevana for $8.49.
What do I think about Biore Aqua Rich UV?
Biore Aqua Rich UV Packaging
The product comes in a cardboard box as an external package. The box shows a summery design and some information about the product.
Inside the box, there is a plastic squeeze tube containing the sunscreen. The tube is blue and shows some of the information in white letters. On the back, the information is in blue letters.
The tube contains 50 mL of the product and it is closed with a blue plastic flip-top cap. The first time I used the product I unscrewed the cap to remove the protection seal on the tube.
The cap has a nozzle to deliver the product. The size of the nozzle is the right to allow controlling the amount of product dispensed.
The plastic squeeze tube keeps its original shape and doesn’t get smashed with use.
About texture and smell
This product has a not-too-thick and not-too-light texture. It is a sunscreen cream and, therefore, it is not runny. However, it is not as thick as other sunscreens I’ve tried in the past, like Anti-Age Super UV Garnier SPF 50 Sunscreen.
The colour of the cream is a very pale yellow and it has a fruity smell. It is not the typical sunscreen smell at all, something I really love about this product.
Biore Aqua Rich UV Application and Feeling
The product is easy to apply. After |I apply it, my skin looks dewy but not oily. It looks like I applied a daily cream moisturiser instead of sunscreen. My skin absorbs it really quickly, within seconds. Additionally, I don’t get an oily or sticky feeling on my skin.
The smell goes quickly after a few minutes from application.
The most important point and the reason why I like this product is that this product doesn’t leave a white cast. I don’t look like Casper after applying this product.
I feel my skin hydrated after using this sunscreen. A few minutes after I apply this product, my skin looks smooth and silky. And moreover, I get a very comfortable feeling on my skin.
I normally apply this product over my normal day cream. The reason is that the cream I use contains niacinamide and other ingredients. However, when I am late or feeling lazy, I only apply this sunscreen and skin my day cream. This product makes a double job: it acts as a moisturiser as well as a sunscreen.
During weekdays, I am using this product underneath my makeup. It doesn’t modify my foundation finish, coverage or lasting time. This sunscreen doesn’t make my foundation look cakey or patchy either. Because of all that, this product has a third function as I can use it as a primer.
About the ingredients
Looking at the ingredient list, I can say that this product is a chemical sunscreen. The ingredient responsible for sun protection is octocrylene. This is the third ingredient on the list. It also contains homosalate. Homosalate is another ingredient with sun protection properties. I know these two ingredients are polemic. However, they are completely safe and work well as sun protectors.
The formula includes sodium hyaluronate. That is a form of hyaluronic acid. I am aware that hyaluronic acid is at the end of the ingredient list. A small amount of this ingredient is enough to produce results on the skin.
The product contains lots of perfume ingredients, which may cause irritation to people with sensitive skin.
Biore Aqua Rich UV Sunscreen
Pros
- Cream texture
- Gets absorbed quick
- Doesn’t leave a white cast
- Moisturising
- Nice smell
- 3-in-1 product: moisturiser, sunscreen and primer
- Protects against UVA and UVB radiation
Cons
- Contains perfumes which may not be suitable for people with sensitive skin
- Some people may prefer physical sunscreen or a combination of physical and chemical
- Some ingredients are polemic
Do I recommend it?
If you don’t like the feeling of sunscreens on your face or the typical sunscreen smell this is your product. It is a not heavy cream with a different smell and no white cast at all.
In summary, I like this product. It is one of the best sunscreens I’ve used mainly because it doesn’t feel like a sunscreen. I will repurchase it before it is finished to have the replacement ready to use.
Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
