Ending my nomadic life of switching sunscreens for acne-prone skin: Settling down with mineral sunscreens.

As the weather warms up and UV rays get stronger, is everyone applying sunscreen properly? Sunscreen is one of the cosmetics I pay the most attention to 365 days a year. Since my skin is extremely sensitive and prone to breakouts—I have the combination type—finding a product that suits me is like trying to catch a star in the sky. If it's even slightly oily, I get red, cystic acne the very next day. On the other hand, if I use something too matte, my face feels like it's going to crack from the dryness inside, and I hate products with a heavy white cast because they make me look like a ghost. I honestly don't know how many years I've been living the life of a sunscreen nomad.

I heard that mineral sunscreens are less irritating to the skin, so I tried using them, but they felt too thick to apply and felt like they were clogging my pores, causing breakouts. On the other hand, chemical sunscreens have a moisturizing texture like a hydrating cream, but they stung my eyes so severely that I often ended up crying and having a runny nose all day long. I tried various hybrid sunscreens as well, but I couldn't find one that I was perfectly satisfied with, so I even considered giving up on using sunscreen altogether. I know in my head that UV rays are the main culprit behind skin aging, as well as freckles and blemishes, but I was too scared to apply them because acne was breaking out on my face right away. Then recently, after carefully checking the ingredients on the Hwahae app, I decided to take a chance and bought a mineral sunscreen packed with soothing ingredients, and I think I've finally found my holy grail!

Perhaps because it is based on Centella Asiatica extract and Panthenol, it definitely spreads on smoothly like a lotion without any stiffness. Also, the things I was most worried about—clogged pores or breakouts—were almost non-existent! It has a slight tone-up effect, so lately I’ve been going out wearing just this on its own as a foundation-free step. Everyone asks what I’m wearing because my skin looks great, which makes me feel super proud haha. Since I apply sunscreen, wash thoroughly with cleansing water for the first step, and cleanse with foam for the second, I’m completely free from worrying about breakouts ㅠㅠ. If you have sensitive skin and are hesitant to use sunscreen, I highly recommend testing a gentle mineral sunscreen containing Houttuynia Cordata or Cica first before settling on this one haha. They say UV rays really wear off quickly later on, so let's make sure to take good care of ourselves and apply sunscreen in advance so we don't age haha!