Are you looking for some Japanese sunscreens for dark skin that do not leave a white cast? Here is our round-up of cosmetically elegant sunscreens from the world of Japanese skincare.
It’s really hard for dark-tone folks to find cosmetically elegant sunscreens that do not leave a chalky white cast on their skin.
We analysed a number of legit reviews on Reddit’s ‘Asian Beauty’ sub and picked some of the most frequently recommended cosmetically elegant Japanese sunscreens for dark skin.
Keep reading this post to find out the best Japanese sunscreens for dark skin.
Skin Aqua Moisture Milk (SPF 50+/PA+++)
Skin Aqua Super Moisture milk (SPF50 PA ++++) 40mL – $8.13
from: DOKODEMO
Application: It has a “milk-like” consistency. It is lightweight and feels easier to apply.
White cast: No!
Effects: Hydrating and moisturising. Very lightweight.
Wearability under makeup: Looks great under makeup. It leaves a natural finish.
Skin Aqua Moisture Milk is legit the perfect product. It is cosmetically elegant, is water and sweat resistant, not greasy, never pills, and leaves zero white casts.
After application, it takes a little time to dry down, but once dry there is zero cast and zero shine. This sunscreen is alcohol-free and also contains some form of hyaluronic acid for moisture.
It also has reliable zinc protection + Tinasorb/Uvinol A.
This is labelled as a “milk” consistency product, but it seems like a cross between milk and a gel to me. It’s also pretty much invisible when dried, with no noticeable white cast or shine.
CANMAKE Mermaid Skin Gel UV (01)
CANMAKE Mermaid Skin Gel UV (01) – $7.03
from: DOKODEMO
Application: It has the consistency of a very thin white runny liquid and goes on the face smoothly and evenly.
White cast: No.
Effects: Hydrating and moisturising.
Wearability under makeup: Looks great under makeup. It has a very natural-looking finish.
The big selling point of this sunscreen is that it is alcohol-free. Like most Japanese skincare products, the ingredients for this sunscreen are beautifully simple with basically no comedogenicity or irritants.
This is a combination sunscreen with the primary ingredients zinc oxide, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (also known as octinoxate), and titanium dioxide. It also contains ascorbyl glucoside, a form of vitamin C that may function as an antioxidant and help even out skin tone.
This goes on as a milky white-ish colour, but in about 15 minutes dries to be pretty much invisible.
It is not mattifying, but neither is it dewy or shiny. There is no noticeable white cast when using this sunscreen.
It is a very lightweight and cosmetically elegant Japanese sunscreen for dark tones.
Mommy UV Mild Gel SPF 30/PA+++
Mommy UV Mild Gel N (100g) – $8.13
from: DOKODEMO
Application: It feels wet on the skin, but not greasy. It’s quite pleasant to apply and wear for long periods.
Whitecast: No!
Effects: Hydrating and moisturising.
Wearability under makeup: It leaves a shiny finish on the skin.
Mommy UV Mild Gel SPF is a chemical sunscreen with no physical blockers and is alcohol-free. It’s quite wet-feeling, but not greasy, and takes longer to sink in due to the lack of alcohol.
This makes this sunscreen ideal for those with very dry and dehydrated skin that soaks everything up.
There’s no discernible fragrance, which makes sense since this is a sunscreen designed for babies! It does not cause any irritation or bumps forming throughout the day.
To avoid any shininess that appears as the day goes by, you can apply a mattifying powder to the face. The colour of this sunscreen is a translucent white, but it does not leave any white cast on the skin. Since there’s no zinc or titanium dioxide, it makes this a great Japanese sunscreen for dark skin.
This is a great cosmetically elegant sunscreen for anyone with sensitive or dry skin that can tolerate chemical sunscreens.
Shiseido Senka Mineral Water UV Essence SPF50
Mineral Water UV Gel SPF 50 (40ml) – $5.66
from: DOKODEMO
Application: It feels like a rich and luxurious moisturiser. It can feel quite heavy on the skin. a moist but not shiny finish
White cast: None
Effects: Hydrating and moisturising.
Wearability under makeup: It leaves a matte finish and is great for a polished look.
Shiseido Senka Mineral Water UV Essence is a heavy-duty sunscreen.
This is a fairly soft cream formulation, thicker than other ‘face milks’ but thinner and easier to spread than many Western drugstore sunscreens.
It takes a little while to absorb than the face milk does, but after a while, it dries down to a clear and naturally dewy finish.
This is a very moisturising sunscreen. Not having a moisturiser underneath may even help it absorb faster than it did today. It takes a little longer for the heavy feeling to go away on my face, but it has now, and the skin just feels velvety soft and well-moisturised.
This sunscreen has absolutely no white cast, and this makes it an amazing Japanese sunscreen for dark skin. It has a mild medicinal smell, however, it fades pretty quickly.
This cosmetically elegant Japanese sunscreen also contains glycerin, ubiquinone, and hyaluronic acid for hydration and anti-ageing benefits for your skin.
Nivea Sun Protect Water Gel SPF30 – SPF50
Nivea Sun Protect Water Gel Pump SPF50 ? PA +++ (140g) – $8.77
from: DOKODEMO
Application: Really nice and light.
White cast: None
Effects: Hydrating and moisturising.
Wearability under makeup: Wears well under makeup, but it leaves some shine after application.
Nivea Sun Protect Water Gel is hands-down a fan favourite sunscreen. It is light and goes on well. It just works well and has no white cast!
It dries very quickly and fully, and once dry it leaves no cast, greasiness, stickiness, or shininess.
It is a little clumpy when you pour it out of the bottle, but the clumps completely disappear with minimal rubbing/patting.
It also contains titanium dioxide, which causes a small amount of shine right after application, but the shine disappears within minutes.
This is definitely a lot gentler on the alcohol since it’s lower down the ingredients list. The sunscreen is more liquidy and more moisturising than some of the other gel sunscreens. It does take a bit longer to absorb as well, and the finish can be somewhat shiny.
Anessa Perfect UV Skincare Gel SPF50 PA+++
ANESSA Perfect UV Skin Care Gel (SPF50 + / PA ++++ 90g) – $21.92
from: DOKODEMO
Application: The sunscreen has a liquid consistency and can feel extremely greasy.
Whitecast: None. Once it has been rubbed into the skin properly
Effects: Hydrating and moisturising.
Wearability under makeup: Excellent! It feels like a non-silicone mattifying primer.
Anessa Perfect UV Skincare Gel was reformulated in February 2020. The new formula contains octisalate and Parsol SLX in addition to the UV filters in the 2018 formula.
This sunscreen has a light perfume smell which goes away after a while and it’s not that noticeable right out of the bottle either.
Anessa Perfect UV Sunscreen Skincare gel is a mattifying sunscreen with a light scent that emphasises dry patches even on oily and/or moisturised skin.
It is probably not the best Japanese sunscreen for dry skin types. But it certainly suits oily skin folks who are comfortable with a two-step moisturising and sunblock routine and looking for mattifying sunblock.
This sunscreen is an ideal Japanese sunscreen for dark skin that does not leave a white cast behind.
Click here to find more J-beauty sunscreen here.
Read more: The best Korean sunscreens for dark skin that do not leave a white cast
Do you have any favourite cosmetically elegant Japanese sunscreens for dark skin that we didn’t mention here? Please feel free to give it a shoutout in the comments below.
