Review: Shiseido Perfect UV Protector WetForce HydroFresh SPF 50+ ☀️💦

After falling in love with Shiseido’s Perfect UV Protector WetForce SPF 50+ I asked my brother who was travelling in Asia, to pick me up some more sunscreen at Changi airport ✈️✈️✈️ He luckily pulled through for me and bought me a duo pack of the sunscreen PLUS the HydroFresh version (separately) 🙌 Rejoice! After using up the ‘original’ UV Protector which included the WetForce technology, I was really over the strong alcohol scent of the sunscreen but the formula and high sun protection factor is just so awesome, I hoped that the HydroFresh version would be hydrating minus the alcohol kick in the face 😬 Is it? Let’s find out!

Protecting skin from harmful environmental factors is the key to maintaining a beautiful and healthy look. UV rays accelerate visible aging not only when skin faces intense summer rays, but also with cumulative exposure to weaker rays. Sun, dryness and pollutants all stress the skin’s functions that cause concerns such as wrinkles and dark spots. Building on more than a century of breakthroughs in skincare, Shiseido delivers scientifically advanced solutions for sun protection. Shiseido UV Protectors fuse innovative sunscreen technology with protective and stress-responsive skincare, so you can enjoy spending time outdoors. 360° protection Exclusive SuperVeil-UV 360™ technology creates a UV-protective veil that adheres evenly to skin’s microscopic contours. So no matter which angle the UV rays come from, the veil helps prevent them from reaching deep within, providing effective protection. When you get wet, the veil of protection gets even stronger.* Sunscreen products may wear off when you sweat or swim. But exclusive WetForce technology binds with the minerals in water or perspiration, enhancing additional power in the protective veil.* SPF (Sun Protection Factor) indicates protection against UVB rays, the rays causing sunburn. A higher number equals higher protection. PA indicates protection against UVA rays, the rays that cause photo-aging. PA is rated by the number of +. A larger number indicates higher protection.

Look at the beautiful baby-faced Jewel! I love her *sigh 😅 and if you check out any of her recent photos on Instagram, you will see how gorgeous her skin still is! She must use sunscreen daily… what I would give to have a peak into her skincare cupboard and makeup bag! 

I won’t get into the WetForce technology bit because it’s explained pretty well above in the sunscreen’s description, as it the PA indicator (I explain both more in depth in my original Perfect UV Protector WetForce review). I was trying instead to find a solid product description which differentiated this HydroFresh version of the sunscreen against the other ‘regular’ Perfect UV Protector WetForce sunscreen and guess what… It doesn’t exist online! Weird. Not in English anyway. The only ‘key’ you get is one line on the sunscreen’s box (above) which states; “A dewy protector for the face and body that spreads lightly and has a fresh, smooth and comfortable texture.”

The sunscreen’s texture is quite different to the ‘other’ version available. It’s much thicker and maybe even slightly tacky upon application. But it dries down on the skin and sinks in beautifully. Once you give it a moment to absorb, your skin is left feeling smooth and satin-like. I love this because I want my skin to still look and feel like skin ya know?! Not extra shiny, sticky or even matte…. just like skin! ❤️ I think what makes Shiseido and lots of Japanese sunscreens so wonderful and popular, is that they are so light weight. Even though this sunscreen has a thicker texture, it sits so impeccably on the skin, it really does become invisible. For a physical blocker sunscreen (more on that below) this is amazing! One thing to note though, is to not get product onto/into your brows or hairline, otherwise it’ll stick all the hairs together and make them look like you’ve used clag (a thick pasty glue used by Kindergarten children at school) as a brow product lol! Otherwise it’s invisible on the skin, I promise 😉 It’s a wonderful base under makeup however, and does act as a ‘primer’ I think.

Does it have a strong alcohol scent like the regular Perfect UV Protector WetForce? Nope! Well…. it’s no where near as bad. It still does a teeny tiny bit (because there is alcohol still in the formula) but it mostly smells like sunscreen. The scent is not overpowering and it’s not overly perfumed👌 Interestingly, the ‘fresh’ part of this sunscreen name is true… for a few moments after application my skin does feel fresh, like there is peppermint in the sunscreen formula (and there is – menthol!). It’s not a strong or tingly ‘sensation’ and I like it. It’s ‘cooling’ and pretty cool to use on hot days (see what I did there 😜😎). Does it hydrate the skin? Yes and no. It’s a much more comfortable formula for normal to dry skin, compared to the original Perfect UV Protector WetForce sunscreen. I wouldn’t say it hydrates the skin like a moisturiser does, but it’s a comfortable formula as the packaging suggests. Does it leave skin dewy? No, I don’t think so. And it’s definitely not oily – it’s a water based sunscreen. There are  some extracts and things further down the ingredient list in the formula of the sunscreen (e.g. royal jelly, strawberry begonia, rose apple and other super exotic sounding plants!) but they are so far down the list, they probably don’t do a whole lot.

This sunscreen does not leave a white cast on skin at all, despite containing a high level of zinc oxide (as a main UV protector). I love zinc oxide because it blocks significantly longer portions of UVA rays (the ageing rays that reach the deeper level of your skin – no pigmentation for me please!) and shorter UVB rays. Hence this sunscreen is a broad spectrum sunscreen, which we all need. Oxides, whether it’s zinc or titanium oxide, are physical UV blockers. A major plus of physical blockers is that they work to protect your skin instantly after application. Very often sunscreens contain both types of oxides as they help each other (e.g. titanium dioxide protect longer UVB rays) but alas, this formula seems to be only zinc oxide. Another standard feature that may counteract this previous fact, is that generally physical sunscreens can ‘rub off’ the skin easily, especially due to sweating or other forms of water. Because the sunscreen is water resistant and contains this ‘WetForce’ technology, you don’t have to worry about this being an issue should you be a highly active person or someone who lives in a very humid environment. Another major bonus!

The squeezy bottle has a good nozzle applicator – you can easily control how much product you dispense. You must shake the bottle before use however (to make sure the formula hasn’t split inside). You get 50ml of product, which is the same amount as a standard facial moisturiser. From all my online Googling, the HydroFresh version of this sunscreen seems to be an Asia exclusive. I believe Australia will finally get the Perfect UV Protector with WetForce technology (it’s on the Australian Shiseido website but not at department stores yet) but whether we officially get the HydroFresh version is still to be seen… I did however, find it on the Cosmetics Now website for $73.95 Aus dollars. This is actually cheaper than Fresh Fragrances and Cosmetics which is selling the HydroFresh sunscreen for $83 Aus dollars (boo!).  I’m super interested to see how much department stores will be selling the Perfect UV Protector with WetForce technology SPF 50+ sunscreen for. My guess is $60-70…. The reason other Australian websites can be selling products for higher prices is not because they are fake necessarily, but because they are imported from Asian markets and exchange rates change, as well as product availability. Having department stores sell the line here is of course preferable (hello price control!) but I’m also super happy that the WetForce SPF 50+ sunscreen will be sold here because as I mentioned earlier, sunscreen testing here in Australia is super rigorous, so having the product released here means it does what it says it will do!

Ingredients:

Will I go out of my way to buy the Shiseido Hydrofresh sunscreen? I’m not sure. I’ll se how much the ‘regular’ WetForce sunscreen ends up being sold for here in Aus, however – it is a must buy on your shopping list if you ever travel through Asia! Shiseido make fabulous sunscreens and everyone else should take a leaf out of their book!

Let me know if you’ve tried any of their sunscreens, especially the HydroFresh version. If you love Japanese sunscreens, also let me know what your recommendations are 😊

Catch ya next time Beauties,

Beauty Bee~ 

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