This post will review the Hada Labo UV White Gel SPF50+.
Japanese skincare brand Hada Labo has been a staple in my skincare routine for the past few years. Their bestselling product Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion, the best Hyaluronic Acid product on the market, has saved my skin during brutal winters. While I’ve used a few other products from the brand, I will always return to this lotion.
Naturally, over the years, I begun to add a few of their products to my wishlist that I was looking to try, and this sunscreen was one of them. At first, I didn’t even know the brand had sunscreen until I discovered this product. I had it in my stash for over a year, and now I’m happy to use it as my winter sunscreen.
I’m definitely not a stranger to Japanese sunscreens. I’ve used a few in the past, including:
- Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence
- Kose Suncut UV Protect Essence SPF 50++++
- Isehan Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence SPF50+ PA++++
I don’t know if you’re aware, but Japan’s cosmetic regulations are stringent. The brands have no choice but to formulate excellent products, including sunscreens. In fact, Japanese sunscreens are up there, with European and Australian sunscreens as the best in the market.
So, don’t sleep on Japanese sunscreens. They’re primarily affordable, available and offer some of the best sun protection.
With that out of the way, let’s this product I’ve loved lately.
First Impressions of the Hada Labo UV White Gel SPF 50+
According to YesStyle,
Formulated with a high SPF 50+ PA++++ for protection against sun exposure, this lightweight gel keeps skin moisturized and radiant with hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C. The gel texture is light enough to be worn as a moisturizer, beauty serum or makeup base.
Ingredient List & Fragrance
According to Hada Labo, this is supposed to be a multi-functional, all-in-one product. It combines a moisturizer, anti-ageing serum, sunscreen and primer. I’m not surprised as multi-purpose products are much more popular in Japan. I’m just a bit weary when a product has more than two functions.
Before exploring the sunscreen filters, the sunscreen is formulated with the following:
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
- Alcohol.
Yes, even though it is essential oil and fragrance-free, it is not alcohol-free. But I promise you, you won’t even notice. Besides that, it has the brand’s signature Hyaluronic Acid and a stabilized derivative of Vitamin C with skin-brightening properties. It’s not too shabby at all.
Sunscreen Filters
As I mentioned earlier, Japanese brands don’t joke around with their sunscreens. Even before checking the filters for this post, I automatically expected it not to disappoint, and of course, it didn’t.
Let’s take a look:
- Octinoxate – provides UVB protection.
- Parsol SLX – provides UVB protection.
- Tinosorb S – provides UVA & UVB protection.
- Uvinul A Plus – provides UVA protection.
- Titanium Dioxide – provides both UVA & UVB protection.
As you can see, this is a hybrid broad-spectrum sunscreen that provides both UVA and UVB protection against the sun rays that cause ageing and sunburn, respectively. Although, I would have been a lot happier if they threw in an extra UVA filter to balance it. Other than that, it is great.
As for the Titanium Dioxide, no, it doesn’t leave a white cast at all because the sunscreen has more chemical filters to counteract that.
Packaging, Texture & Consistency
This sunscreen is packaged in a 90g jar which is not my favourite. Even though this is my first sunscreen jar experience, it reminds me that tubs will always be supreme. They’re a lot more hygenic, and you don’t need to dip your fingers in and out.
It has a lightweight creamy lotion-like consistency that feels like nothing when applied to the skin. As expected, it is very hydrating, but my problem is that the hydration is very short-lived because it immediately dries down into a matte finish.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a matte finish, but there’s a time and place for it, and that is only when I’m wearing makeup. So, I must depend on my hydrating essence and serums to keep my skin dewy all day.
It goes without saying that this sunscreen is non-greasy, non-sticky and sinks immediately into the skin. Also, as a result of how lightweight the texture is, you could easily apply it generously without it feeling heavy.
Price & Availability
Hada Labo is a very popular brand. This means you can find this sunscreen at any online store that stocks Hada Labo products for less than $15.
Review of the Hada Labo UV White Gel SPF 50+
So, I’ve been using this sunscreen daily for about a month now as my winter sunscreen. I work from home beside a window, and even though the UV Index is 0, I still have to wear my sunscreen because it is now a habit.
What can I say? It might not be my favourite sunscreen, but I love how convenient it is for me to apply it every morning. It’s so lightweight that I don’t have to spend too much time blending. It’s almost like it sinks immediately it touches your skin. That’s how fast it blends.
While I would have loved for the finish to be natural or dewy like most Japanese sunscreens; this is not too bad at all.
To summarize, here are the pros and cons of this product:
Pros
- Broad spectrum with physical and chemical filters
- Very hydrating formula that makes it easy to reapply.
- No white cast
- Non-greasy and non-sticky
- Doesn’t sting the eyes.
- The price-to-quantity ratio is reasonable.
- Perfect for daily wear, especially for people who hate sunscreens
- It can work across most skin types.
- Doesn’t pill; it layers well under makeup and over skincare products.
- Non-dewy and leaves a matte finish.
Cons
- It has alcohol which some people might not like.
- The hydration is short-lived.
- It’s also not moisturizing enough.
- Not necessarily water-resistant or sweat-proof.
In Summary,
The Hada Labo UV White Gel is a great affordable hybrid sunscreen that offers broad-spectrum protection. It’s probably one of the few sunscreens with Titanium Dioxide that doesn’t leave a white cast. It’s also hydrating and suitable for all skin types.
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