Sunscreen Hoopla
So I’ve been using Korean sunscreens for a couple years, they made wearing sunscreen everyday not disgusting. However, I heard briefly at the beginning of the year that Purito failed miserably to meet the SPF claims it made. I’d tried that brand once and didn’t love it (not sure it was the exact same formulation or not). Purito handled it well with apologies and such. What I didn’t understand (this was only briefly mentioned) is that Klairs, which I did love and used regularly was formulated by the same manufacturer. So, I unfortunately merrily continued on my way for months. Klairs hasn’t handled it well or honestly from what I can understand.
Dr. Dre’s video is very helpful in talking about how, well, you do have to just assume some risk and do the best you can. You can’t just pull up Consumer Reports and trust them implicitly. There are different standards and expectations to sunscreen. Be careful of outrage.
Helpful, but I don’t think that is quite enough. Odile Monod who works either in or with or near the Korean beauty industry gave an insider view. There was wrong-doing, unfortunately significantly by my favorite Klairs it seems.*
She explains more of the background and then goes into the controversy and then at the end she goes through how to be a more careful consumer of Korean sunscreens, rather than pitching them all out because of a few companies. I took a screenshot of 25:47 which features companies that produce their products in house in Korea since its easier for me to have more specifics. I’m familiar with some of the brands on the bottom, so I’ll be trying those.
I found those two videos very nuanced and balanced and reasonable, and I thought I’d share since I know some of y’all like K-beauty as well.
*And Klairs was “my” brand insofar as a very un-loyal brand person can have a brand, its one of the joys of my life to just try so many different things. Also I’m not really a boycott person, they are rather useless, petty, and restricting to the consumer more than the brand, so I might still keep using the products I have that I don’t see from other brands or not done as well, maybe, they ARE super expensive, I’d like alternatives. Just not any of their sunscreens!
4 Comments
Elizabeth
This is definitely good to know. I desperately need to figure out a skin care routine but it’s daunting trying to figure it out. What’s your skin type if you don’t mind me asking?
Rachel Olivia
I think combination. I still have breakouts (not as bad as a teen and up to mid twenties) in that area, but my cheeks tend to dry? I’ve been learning about chemical exfoliation so I’ve been using that over the last few years to help with clogged pore’s, and its helped. I need to reset my skincare routine. I have lots of products to use up, but not sure if I should use or pitch to avoid messing with my skin.
Skye
I’m at the very end of my Purito bottle, I didn’t know anything like that about it. It was hard to find anyway so I got a different one, but it ended up having alcohol in it. I’ll have to find another one.
Rachel Olivia
I was just frustrated because I’d ordered tons of Klairs bottles (and been using it for ages, and I use chemical exfoliants which make skin more susceptible to sun damange so now I’m wondering) and only found out about it second hand. I guess I’ll use it for lotion (hate to waste) like other people suggested and then put the other sunscreens I have/find on top as sunscreen.