REVIEW: Kose Medicated Sekkisei Sun Protect Gel Essence SPF 50+ PA++++

Summer is well underway...which means it's time to slap on the sunscreen nice and thick and look pasty white, right?! Ok, definitely no to that, but applying sunscreen liberally and often WILL reduce your chances of UVB/UVA damage under the summer sun.  But really who can apply sunscreen often when they have make up on? Not me that's for sure, so I try to start off with a really good, really stable sunscreen underneath my make up. This is where Kose's Medicated Sekkisei Sun Protect Gel Essence with SPF 50+ and PA ++++ comes in.

Sun protection is key to youthful and healthy looking skin, both inside and out.  Now living in Canada, I can get away with slightly more moisturizing (dare I say oilier) sunscreen formulations since it can still be pretty dry in the spring time where I live.  However, my personal preference is an oil-free sunscreen that will not leave behind a white cast or an oily/sticky film after application.  I also know that a lot of my readers live in hot and humid climates (Hi Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian, and Korean readers! ^^ I'm thinking of you guys as I write this review), and would prefer a non-sticky, non-oily sunscreen that is quickly absorbed into the skin. 

Now Japanese sunscreens tend to achieve these features a lot better than Korean sunscreens which use a lot more seed oils and moisturizing agents in their suncare products, which can be great for the Fall and Winter seasons, but not so great for the spring and summer seasons when our skin's oil/sebum production is at the maximum.  Therefore, a non-oily and fast absorbing sunscreen is the better choice, both on a comfort level and also to ensure that our makeup is not just gonna slide right off our faces!! My makeup already has a hard time staying on my face when it's hot and humid out, the last thing I need is for it to sit on top of an oily sunscreen!! My make up would be like cooking an egg on a super Teflon pan -- nightmare!!!!

Now when I was traveling and living in Korea last spring and summer, I went through a tonne of sunscreens.  My favourite - BY FAR - was the Kose Medicated Sekkisei Sun Protect Gel Essence SPF 50+ PA++++.  I've used it non-stop since (other than for a brief period I was using a Korean brand for that extra moisturization I needed during colder months)...but anyway, this is my HG sunscreen. Hands down. No questions asked.

Product Features

• SPF 50+ PA++++
• Light-weight and water-based
• Non-oily
• Face and Body
• Resistant to water, sweat, and sebum
• Doubles as a make-up primer
• Chemical and physical sun protection properties
• Non-comedogenic
• Easily removed by face cleansers

According to the official Kose website, this product is "New lightweight water-based sunscreen perfect for daily use. This lightweight sunscreen glides over the skin without becoming sticky, giving a moisturizing and comfortable finish. Provides lasting hydration care. High UV blocking power reduces photo-aging signs like fine lines and blemishes."

 

Ingredients

Key ingredients include:

• Oriental plant extracts (Coix seed extract, Angelica extract, Melothria extract, Peach leaf extract) [hydration] 
• Oriental minerals [protects bare skin] 
• Glycerin [hydration]

 Since sunscreens are very finicky from person to person, I've decided to include the link to the CosDNA analysis to show which ingredients might have scored higher than a 1 as an "acne/irritant" ingredient. http://www.cosdna.com/eng/cosmetic_efbd102815.html

 

Please note that this product contains the following ingredients that have scored either a 1 or 2 on the acne/irritant rating:
 

• Talc
• Cetearyl Alcohol
• Butylene Glycol

These three are all very common skincare ingredients, however, some individuals may experience some reaction to cetearyl alcohol (acne prone skin types that cannot handle fatty alcohols).  Personally, as a combo skin type person with acne and redness, I haven't experienced anything negative with this sunscreen whatsoever.  It's been perfect for me.

Verdict

I love this product and use it pretty much every day from Spring until Fall.  In the winter time, I'll switch to another favourite of mine (Hera Sun Mate Daily SPF 35) which has sunflower seed oil and is a lot more moisturizing in cold weather. This is a perfect product for those of us who want a light-weight, watery gel sunscreen that provide ample coverage for the hottest summer days while also doubling as a make-up base.  Absolutely perfect!!

 

Only criticism I have is that the product (if worn alone without makeup) can feel a little bit sticky to the touch after it dries. 

	Efficacy	Price	Formulation	Design	Total
Kose Medicated Sekkisei Sun Protect Gel Essence SPF 50+ PA++++	5/5	5/5	4/5	5/5	19/20