This sunscreen is a best seller in Japan—and easily one of the best I've ever used and it's under £20

If there’s one skincare tip that every dermatologist, aesthetician and beauty editor will hammer home to anybody who asks for them, it’s applying the facial sunscreen day in, day out. Without going off on too much of a tangent, this will significantly help to protect your skin from both the skin damage that causes cancer and visible skin ageing. As such, the best facial sunscreen is the one that you’ll apply every single day—and this Bioré sunscreen review is going to talk you through one of my personal, reasonably-priced favourites.

If you’ve heard of this brand, you may associate it with pore strips that everybody used back in the day, not sun protection. But Bioré is actually the leading sunscreen brand in Japan; the UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Sunscreen SPF 50 is a best seller there and has been available in the UK for a couple of years, too. As well as being £15.99 for 50ml, it’s a dream to wear. Here’s what you need to know…

The first thing that strikes you when you see the Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50 is its matching aqua blue packaging. It’s bright, cheerful and sunny. Cost-wise, this squeezy tube is £15.99 for 50ml, putting it in the same price range as the much-loved, purse-friendly Garnier sunscreens. With an oil-free and non-comedogenic formula, hyaluronic acid is called out by the brand for its hydrating benefits, while glycerin and vitamin E are also present here. And, more importantly, there’s protection against both UVB, with the SPF 50, and UVA, indicated by the PA++++ rating.

The texture is great; this formula is easy to dispense and rub into the skin. I find the name a bit of a misnomer; it’s not runny or watery like an essence, but more of a lightweight hydrating cream that sinks into the skin easily. But it’s super comfortable to wear and once it settles, makes a brilliant base for make-up, thanks to its hydrating-yet-non-greasy texture. As somebody with oily-combination skin (emphasis on the oily), this is key to avoiding exacerbating my skin’s natural “slip-and-slide” effect on make-up.

If your skin is prone to dehydration and you struggle with the greasy quality of facial sun creams, particularly when you apply your best foundation over the top, this is worth giving it a go. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular around the world, and it’s a skincare buy I wholeheartedly recommend.