Reddit reviews Rohto SKIN AQUA SARAFIT Essence UV (SPF50+ PA++++) 80g --From JAPAN--

What's helped me out includes:

1) Realizing oily skin can not always be cured. For me, oily skin is genetic and influenced by the environment (humidity makes it worse). Realizing this helped me set realistic skin goals for myself. Sometimes other factors contribute to oily skin besides dehydration, hydration, and what products you put on your skin.

2) Cleansing. Just taking the time every night to cleanse with a proper facial cleanser helped out with acne. That oil needs to be washed off. Sounds simple and basic, but when I was younger I was bad about skipping nights. I definitely broke out because of it. Also, not over cleansing because this can be harsh on the skin. I only cleanse in the PM, midday oiliness is best dealt with by blotting sheets imo.

3) Salicylic Acid. Incorporating stridex into my routine along with a light moisturizer helped loads. Salicylic acid is one of the only ingredients that's able to go inside the pore and absorb oil. It can be drying so using a moisturizer is important.

Other light moisturizers and hydrating products I've tried & liked include:

• Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence. This is super light, maybe not a moisturizer but I do find it hydrating. It layers well under other moisturizers.
  
  
• Aloe Vera Gel! Straight from the leaf or there are many other great products, I've used Lily of the Desert, but Nature Republic, Holika Holika, The Face Shop, & Benton all have great aloe vera gel products.
  
  
• Olay Moisturizing Lotion for Sensitive Skin & Vanicream Lite Lotion have worked out well for me.
  
  
• Heritage Rose Water Spray. This feels so refreshing, and is slightly hydrating
  
  
• 7 Days Vitamin Mist. This mist is loaded with nourishing ingredients. Using this in the winter with my moisturizers cured my dehydrated skin.
  
  4) Niacinamide. The Ordinary niacinamide broke me out, but I've been loving Skinlex's 10% niacinamide serum. It's a lighter consistency, like a viscous water. It doesn't pill under makeup or other products. There is some research that niacinamide can reduce sebum production....but I personally haven't noticed a huge difference in my own oil production. Niacinamide is an awesome moisturizing ingredient for oily skin. It helps prevent trans-epidermal water loss and boosts ceramide production. Some nights I'll just cleanse, use stridex, and then use Skinlex niacinamide.
  
  5) Sunscreen. Sunscreens that I find mattifying or don't make my face excessively oily include:
  
  
• Kao Biore Smooth UV Perfect Milk. The blue bottle has fragrance, I use it because it comes in a larger quantity then this other Biore UV Perfect Milk. Go for the white bottle if you want fragrance-free. Both of these have very similar formulas and are super mattifying. Both of these have a minor white cast and may not be suitable for darker skin tones.
  
  
• Rohto Skin Aqua Sarafit Essence. Not as mattifying as Biore UV Perfect Milk, but this doesn't make my skin excessively oily. This has no white cast, and would be suitable for dark skin tones.
  
  
• Elta MD. I use the tinted spf 41, but Elta MD UV Shield & UV Clear also have great reviews.
  
  
• Blue Lizard Face Sunscreen. Not very matte, but can be mattified by using powder. Leaves a slight white cast, but I don't mind because it's an amazing makeup primer.
  
  
• Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer spf 30. This is my go-to in the winter, but I can use it in the summer just as well. This is great light moisturizer because of the glycerin and niacinamide. It has a very minimal white cast that mostly fades away after a few minutes.
  
  6) Mattifying Powder & Blotting sheets! Right now I'm using Coty Airspun Powder and the Clean & Clear blotting sheets. There are tons of alternatives. Just using a tissue or napkin can work well.

So based on your comment that you are outside in the sun most of the time, I would suggest investing in a good UV blocking hat + polarized sunglasses and buying cheaper sunscreen. Yes I know we all want to use our HG products, but if this sunscreen is too expensive to use in the proper manner yet sun protection is important to you, I would just give in and try something else. For non sweaty days such as your winter job, [this one is $7 for almost 3 oz] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BM1UQS6/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_4). For hotter summer months, [this one is $12 for 3 oz] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019IDQ57G). Both are SPF 50+ and Pa++++ with filters that cover UVA1, UVA2, and UVB. They have that excellent Asian sunscreen formula, which means light and comfortable to wear, no whitecast

A bunch of mini reviews and raves:

Missha Misa Ye Hyeon Cleansing Cream, haven't seen reviews about this line of Missha, and since I liked ingredients and that it was a cream for cleansing gave it a chance and so far it doesn't disappoint!

pros: soft, doesn't foam, doesn't dry out, clean well after oil or in the AM, low pH, cheap.


cons: the one thing that was disappointing to me is the smell. Since this line was advertised like pine and ginseng-y, I was hoping to get product smelling like pine (I love timetreasure's smell from sulwhasoo), but this one smells kind of like a nice-smelling soap. Just soap. It's OK, I can live with that...but not what I expected. Smell is not to strong though, for me; Packaging is not very convenient for me - just screw top, which is not great for the bathroom.

HANYUL Pure Artemisia Cleansing Massage Cream, another cleansing cream.

pros: SMELL, it's just amazing...something like fresh cut parsley? Well not exactly, but very fresh and herb-y; and it also low pH, very moisturizing. I am not sure about massage part because I am too lazy for that. The only time I massage my face with it is in the weekend AM, but not for long.

cons: the most obvious is the price; and again, packaging - it's in the tub (gorgeous though, but still).

Hanyul Pure Artemisia Deep cleansing oil, cleansing oil, I find it a lot like illi cleansing oils, a bit thinner, and smells like fresh herbs. Does the job, doesn't sting eyes...but WNR because illi is cheaper. (bought it only because there was a huge discount on amazon).

Hanyul Pure Artemisia Purifying Mask, clay mask - I like it because it isn't drying like others clay masks, it doesn't pull skin when drying! I don't know how, but it's very gentle. And it's calming - no redness when I wash it off, no irritation, no tight feeling. But pricey, especially for such a small jar - only 60 ml(

Rave: SKIN AQUA SARAFIT Essence UV (SPF50+ PA++++), bought this sunscreen as sebum/water resistant one for my husband, but tried it myself and I am impressed! After biore milk's fiasco, I was afraid of sunscreens-alcoholics, but skin aqua is changing my mind...It does smell strongly of alcohol when applying, but somehow it manages not to dry out my skin, but even moisturize! And currently I am not even using creams in the AM, just cezanne lotion, melano CC and TO marine serum (which is like water). It also dries quickly, non-greasy, matte on my husband (on bare skin) but shiny on me((( But overall and with the price it's my favorite now.

Rave: Ginger sugar essential lip balm, the one in the tube. This is forever HG, it's like occlusive, but light...soothes, and heals, and shiny like lip gloss, a bit sticky, but not to much. Want to try night pack too now.

skin aqua sarafit $6.62/80 ml

skin aqua gel $11.33/140 ml

and they are with spf 50. Spf 15 is waaaay to little for summer, especially if not applied properly

If you live in the US, Walmart and Target have great off-brand versions of a lot of this sub's staples.

Cleansers:

• Off-brand version of Neutrogena Foaming Cleanser. $2.98 for 6.7oz. This is my personal favorite.
  
• Off-brand version of Cetaphil Cleanser. $6.47 for 16oz.
  
  Some moisturizers:
  
  
• Off-brand version of Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. $6.47 for 16oz. Heavy cream for PM.
  
• Off-brand version of Cerave Moisturizing Lotion. $8.98 for 12oz. This is fairly lightweight.
  
• Off-brand version of Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer. $6.84 for 4.1oz. This is a gel moisturizer, good for daytime use.
  
• Nivea Creme. $6.42 for 13.5oz. Another heavy moisturizer for PM.
  
  Sunscreen:
  
  
• Skin Aqua Sarafit Essence. $6.28 for 2.8oz. It's a really lightweight sunscreen, great for oily skin, but it ships from Japan.
  
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer. $9.87 for 3oz. I only recommend this out of convenience. It's pretty greasy, definitely best suited for very dry skin.
  
  I would also recommend a BHA such as Stridex and maybe some benozyl peroxide.

Tacking on to this, check out r/skincareaddiction or r/asianbeauty for sunscreen recommendations! There are a lot of asian sunscreens that have a super light, watery texture that absorbs well into the skin. Very unlike the thick, sticky sunscreen we have in the US. One of my favorites is the skin aqua sarafit UV essence. Amazon link here. It comes in a big bottle, is cheap, and very lightweight. I can apply a full 1/4 tsp of it. It does have a shiny finish, sort of a gel type finish, but as long as I put something on top it doesn't actually make my skin any greasier. I'm normal/oily combo.

If you're not going to work sunscreen into your routine then yes, a tiny amount of protection from spf in your moisturizer or foundation is better than nothing. But you're much, much better off using a proper sunscreen, especially one from outside the US that will provide decent UVA protection (US sunscreens are notorious for providing very little UVA protection).

I feel like the Skin Aqua Sarafit dries down matte. It has alcohol in the formula though, but if you’re not sensitive to that, then I’d try it.

Please note that that specific link ships from Japan. I’m able to source it in stores locally though (SoCal).

Super oily girl here--so far the best primer I've used is actually not a primer at all, but is fairly miraculous in the difference it makes in controlling oil and creating a good base for makeup. I've tried a TON of different primers, from drugstore to $100/bottle stuff, but this combination is the best for me.

• Step One: The Ordinary's Azelaic Acid. Someone on this sub suggested I use this rather than Salicylic Acid, and I'm so grateful. I've repurchased it five times. It absolutely does control oil, and I think it makes my skin better over time. Now, this formula DOES have silicone, which probably helps with the oil control, and it's an ingredient that I actually really like, but take that as you may.
  
• Step Two: Skin Aqua sun screen. You've likely heard that Japanese sunscreens are different, and they are. This one is particularly good for oily skin, and also good for all skin since you should use sunscreen (especially with an acid). But regardless, there's something about these two ingredients that just makes the whole thing work.
  
  It's important to do the steps in this order--it's an utter mess to switch it up. But I now do this every day I wear makeup, and it's made unwearable foundations work, and made my good foundations look expensive. It's really been the absolute best thing I did for my base makeup.
  
  Again, not technically a primer, but it's what I use in place of primer now. If you're dead set on a specific primer, the best is probably Becca's Ever Mat, but I found it ridiculously tricky to work with. The formula pills easily, but worse, it would sometimes leave white streaks on my face where it didn't sink into my skin. But it DOES dry oily skin out, so there's that.

I recommend Japanese sunscreen, specifically the Skin Aqua Sarafit. Great protection and the formulations are truly amazing. They absorb effortlessly and are totally weightless and don't have a weird smell!

Not AB sunscreen, but I'm currently trying Sunsense Ultra SPF50+ as a body sunscreen. My nose doesn't detect any typical sunscreen smell, though it does have a very slight chemical smell, but none too distracting. It comes in 50ml, 125ml, 200g and 500ml bottles. It has a light consistency (compared to most non AB sunscreen I've tried) and is not too greasy once applied. I took a leap of faith and purchased the 500ml bottle haha. So far so good. The pump bottle is handy.

P.S. My current face sunscreen is Kose SUNCUT UV Protect Gel SPF50+ PA++++. This is my second AB sunscreen, which I like more than my first, Etude House Sunprise Mild Watery Light (SPF50+/PA+++). The EH Sunprise has a rather distracting smell for me. Will try Skin Aqua Sarafit Essence UV (SPF50+ PA++++) and Skin Aqua Super Moisture Gel (SPF50 + PA ++++) next.

I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to get solid correct advice on men’s skincare in the Western world. You are in the right forum for skincare! Congrats on finding us- lol!

Of course, can’t insert images here either so I’m just pasting in the links
https://www.amazon.com/Rohto-SARAFIT-Essence-SPF50-JAPAN/dp/B01BM1UQS6/ref=pd_sim_194_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01BM1UQS6&pd_rd_r=50a3766c-d949-11e8-940e-5b72383d914d&pd_rd_w=REIUo&pd_rd_wg=eeS6E&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=E8NRDJ0BKS15ZWK5GY3R&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=E8NRDJ0BKS15ZWK5GY3R

https://www.amazon.com/Japan-Health-Personal-Care-carefree/dp/B019IDQ57G/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_0_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B019IDQ57G&pd_rd_r=D7AW0RQHG6DXM6ER9K0W&pd_rd_w=CT4e8&pd_rd_wg=pmWLX&pf_rd_i=desktop-rhf&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=2f64e549-0497-4586-8c63-7905e90fd6a2&pf_rd_r=D7AW0RQHG6DXM6ER9K0W&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhf&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=D7AW0RQHG6DXM6ER9K0W

Good luck!
Ashley

This is the listing I ordered from! IIRC it's a 2016 reformulation.

Is this the correct product on Amazon?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01BM1UQS6/ref=pd_aw_sim_194_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PXVNNTWFYG0DDHF6RWJ3

Very true! That one looks okay but I can't say I've had any experience with it. If I was being picky though, I'd pass since it's only PA+++. If you absolutely are set on this brand, I'd go with since it's PA++++. It has a couple potential acne triggers (rated a 1 or 2) like squalene on cosdna so I'd check that to see if your sensitive to any of its ingredients. Otherwise I'd go with the classic or the more moisturizing. You're very welcome, love!

The Skin Aqua Sarafit UV Essence (Spf50 Pa++++) is my HG because it's DIRT CHEAP ($6/80g) on Amazon and has great UV protection (Tinosorb S), with its only controversial ingredient being the ubiquitous Octinoxate. It has alcohol but plenty of humectants to make up for it.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BM1UQS6/ref=sr_ph_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1496274323&sr=sr-1&keywords=sarafit

http://www.ratzillacosme.com/sun/skin-aqua-sarafit-uv-essence-2016/

Btw, Octocrylene is a red flag too; it might, ironically and unfortunately, be photosensitizing
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891584906004138

https://www.dermasence.de/produkte/p/solvinea-med-lsf-50-plus

That's the one I currently use and like very much. It's the most elegant Western sunscreen I've found so far, and does not leave a white cast on my skin. Plus it has a boatload of filters (6!). And tube is a pretty generous 150ml, retailing for ca. 20€. This is a great all-over sunscreen for the summer because it is not at all gross and greasy. Survives 5-10km runs in the evening no problem.

The Japanese SS I've been happiest with is the Skin Aqua Sarafit Essence (https://www.amazon.com/Rohto-SARAFIT-Essence-SPF50-JAPAN/dp/B01BM1UQS6) It is less greasy and heavy than the white bottle-UV moisture gel and only needs a light dusting of powder to completely set. It plays well with most foundations and susncreens and is completely invisible. Also, cheap - 80ml for 5-8$ on Amazon :) I use this as my winter sunscreen because there is no sweat and less chance to tan anyway.

Both are fragrance free if that's important to you. The Skin Aqua is not alcohol denat free, thought I think the Dermasence is.