Must-Buy Japanese Sunscreens in 2021

Sunscreens are one of the most popular Japanese cosmetics products in both Japan and overseas and they are known for being effective, high-quality, reasonably priced and having a wide variety.

Every year, new/improved version sunscreens are added to their collections by Japanese cosmetics brands with new features and functions. If you are a fan of Japanese sunscreens, you should definitely check new products out which are usually released in late winter and early spring every year.

In 2021, already several Japanese cosmetics brands have introduced their new and improved version sunscreens including Biore, Nivea, Shiseido and Kose. In this article, I’m going to share the list of the best new Japanese sunscreens which you should try in 2021! So let’s check them out 😉

*Please note that this article contains affiliate links.

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-Biore UV: Aqua Rich Light Up Essence/Barrier Me Mineral Gentle Milk

Biore is a popular Japanese drugstore skin care brand, offering a wide variety of highly effective yet affordable sunscreens. There are two sunscreens newly added to their UV care collection in 2021.

Biore UV Aqua Rich Light Essence (ビオレUV アクアリッチ ライトアップエッセンス) is a new lightweight sunscreen from the Biore UV Aqua Rich series. It features the new “Visible Light Control Technology” that forms microfine light-diffusing veil and creates smooth and bright looking skin while protecting from UV rays as well as environmental stressors.

SPF50+/PA＋＋＋＋

Price: 1,078 yen (70g)【Shop Online】

The second newbie to the lineup is Biore UV Barrier Me Mineral Gentle Milk (ビオレUV バリア・ミー ミネラルジェントルミルク), specially designed for delicate skin that can be affected by environmental stressors. It protects the skin from UV damage and dryness as well as preventing pollen, dust and PM2.5 from adhering to the skin. The gentle formula sunscreen is free of UV absorber, alcohol, paraben, colorant.

SPF50/PA+++

Price: 1,078 yen (50ml) 【Shop Online】

-ANESSA: Perfect UV Mild Milk/Moisture UV Mild Gel/All in One Beauty Pact

Shiseido ANESSA is one of leading sunscreen brands in the world, offing a range of high-quality sunscreens with powerful UV protection and skin care effects. In 2021, three new products are joining ANESSA sunscreen collection.

ANESSA Perfect UV Mild Milk (アネッサ パーフェクトUV マイルドミルク) is a low-irritant sunscreen with smooth and silky texture. It’s specially designed for sensitive skin and can be used safely for babies and kids. It features “Smooth Protect Technology” to finely disperse and maintain the condensed product of UV protection powder. The brand’s original “Aqua Booster EX Technology” creates stronger UV blocking film when exposed to water or sweat.

SPF50+/PA++++

Price: 3,300 yen (60g) 【Shop Online】

ANESSA Moisture UV Milk Gel (アネッサ モイスチャーUV マイルドジェル) is the first gel type sunscreen from ANESSA Mild series. The water-light hypoallergenic formula sunscreen can be used for sensitive and babies’ skin and protects from UV rays and dryness. It also features the highly durable “Aqua Booster EX Technology”.

SFP35/PA+++

Price: 2,640 yen (90g)

ANESSA All-in-One Beauty Pact (アネッサ オールインワン ビューティーパクト) is a multi-purpose base makeup product that acts as sunscreen, makeup primer and foundation. The “Aqua Booster Beauty Technology” creates a powerful shield against UV rays on a contact with water or sweat and maintains fresh-looking makeup for long hours. It covers skin dullness and visible pores naturally and the tone-up pearl leads to clear and luminous skin. It comes in a compact case with a mirror and a sponge. Available with 2 shades.

SPF50+/PA+++

Price: 3,300 yen

-ALLIE Color Tuning UV

ALLIE is a sunscreen brand by Kanebo, offering a range of sunscreens with powerful UV protection and long-lasting effect. In 2021, the brand released a colour-correcting sunscreen, ALLIE Color Tuning UV (アリィー カラーチューニング UV) which tones up your skin complexion while protecting the skin from UV rays and dryness.

The lightly tinted sunscreen gel naturally covers the dullness, visible pores and uneven skin tone. This long-lasting sunscreen features Kanebo’s original “Super Friction Proof Technology” and super waterproof which are highly resistant to water, sweat and rubbing. It contains beauty essence to moisturize the skin. It’s available with 2 colours: Ennui Purple for bright and translucent skin and Sunny Apricot for radiant and healthy looking skin.

SPF 50+/PA++++

Price: 2,164 yen (40g)【Shop Online: Purple/Apricot】

-NIVEA UV Deep Protect & Care

NIVEA UV Deep Protect & Care (ニベアUV ディープ プロテクト＆ケア) is a new sunscreen series by NIVEA, which provides skin care treatment while protecting the skin from UV rays.

The super-waterproof sunscreen features the 3D UV Film which adheres to the skin evenly and stays on even when contacting water or sweat. It contains a great amount of beauty essence that protects the skin against dark spots and freckles and prevents fine wrinkles caused by dryness. It’s available with two types: the gel type is lightweight and easy to spread on body while the essence type has serum-like texture and contains light-diffusing powder for smooth looking skin.

SPF50+/PA++++

Price: 1,078 yen (gel 80g/essence 50g)【Shop Online: Gel/Essence】

-SEKKISEI Clear Wellness UV Defense

SEKKISEI Clear Wellness UV Defense (雪肌精 クリアウェルネス UV ディフェンス) is a new UV care series available with four types (milk, gel, tone-up and mild milk). The series features an original botanical beauty ingredients “ITOWA” and “Damage Resistant Formula”, and protects the skin not only from UV damage but also dryness and environmental stressors.

The milk and gel types (blue) offer long-lasting powerful UV protection suitable for outdoor leisure and activities. The tone-up type (purple) is a colour-correcting sunscreen gel with lavender colour which brightens up the skin tone naturally. The milk mild type (white) is a law-irritant sunscreen and free of UV absorber, alcohol, paraben, fragrance and colorant.

SEKKISEI Clear Wellness UV Defense Milk
SPF50+/PA++++
Price: 2,420 yen (50ml)

SEKKISEI Clear Wellness UV Defense Gel
SPF50+/PA++++
Price: 2,200 yen (70g)

SEKKISEI Clear Wellness UV Defense Tone-up
SPF35/PA+++
Price: 1,980 yen (70g)

SEKKISEI Clear Wellness UV Defense Milk Mild
SPF50+/PA+++
Price: 2,320 yen (50ml)

-SUNCUT Prodefense/Tone UP UV Essence Mint Green

SUNCUT is a sunscreen brand by KOSE producing a wide range of effective and affordable sunscreen products. The brand released several new products this year adding to their sunscreen collection.

SUNCUT Prodefense (サンカット プロディフェンス) is a new sunscreen range introduced this year, offering 5 types of powerful and long-lasting sunscreens with different functions. Multi Block UV Milk is the world’s first sunscreen milk that suppresses sweat and odor. Toughness UV Milk is a highly durable sunscreen that features newly developed “Toughness Guard Technology”. Non Chemical UV Milk is powerful yet skin-friendly sunscreen milk that is free of colorant, fragrance, mineral oil, alcohol, paraben. Whitening UV Essence is a skin-brightening sunscreen that contains tranexamic acid and vitamin E derivative to suppresses melanin production and prevents spots and freckles. Tone Up UV Stick is a tinted sunscreen stick with a lavender colour and brightens up the skin tone while protecting from UV rays.

SPF50+/PA++++

Price: 2,200 yen

The popular tinted sunscreen series, SUNCUT Tone Up UV released a new sunscreen, SUNCUT Tone Up UV Essence Mint Green (トーンアップUV エッセンス ミントグリーン). The colour-correcting sunscreen contains mint-green pigments to neutralise redness and white pearl particles to reflect lights and cover unevenness of the skin tone. The Colour Fit Formula adheres on the skin and prevents fading and transferring for long hours. It also features the Aller Guard Function to protect the skin from environmental stressors.

SPF50+/PA++++

Price: 812 yen (80g) 【Shop Online】

-Parasola White Brightening UV

Parasola’s tinted sunscreen series has been popular over the past 15 years, and the brand released a new sunscreen with a skin-brightening effect.

Parasola White Brightening UV (パラソーラ ホワイト ブライトニング UV) is a colour-correcting sunscreen with lavender pink pigments and soft focus effect power that cover dullness of the skin tone and visible pores. It’s medicated with tranexamic acid as an active whitening ingredient which suppresses melanin production and prevents dark spots and freckles. It offers strong UV protection and durability to water and sweat, yet can be removed easily with regular soap.

SPF50+/PA++++

Price: 1,430 yen (30g)

-SANA Nameraka Honpo Skin Care UV

SANA Nameraka Honpo is a top-selling drugstore skin care brand in Japan, offering a wide variety of effective yet affordable skin care products blended with soy isoflavones. In 2021, the brand newly released two multifunctional makeup primers that acts as toner, beauty serum, emulsion, cream, sunscreen and makeup base.

SANA Nemeraka Honpo Skin Care UV Base (サナ なめらか本舗 スキンケアUV下地) is a low-irritant and non-chemical makeup primer that contains 82% beauty ingredients including highly moisturizing fermented soy milk essence. It also has skin colour-correcting effect and contains sebum absorbing powder to prevent makeup from smudging.

SANA Nameraka Honpo Medicated White Skin Care UV Base (サナ なめらか本舗 薬用美白スキンケアUV下地) is a skin-brightening makeup primer that contains arbutin (active whitening ingredient) and rough skin prevention ingredients in addition to the brand’s signature fermented soy milk essence. It features a tone-up effect to add clarity to the skin and sebum absorbing powder.

SPF40/PA+++

Price: 1,100 yen (50g)【Shop Online: Skin Care/White Skin Care】

-Saborino All in One Milk UV

The popular time-saving cosmetics brand, Saborino released a multi-function skin care product that can complete the morning skin care routine with a single application after washing face.

Saborino All in One Milk UV (サボリーノ おはようるおいミルク UV) is a daytime moisturizer that can replace toner, beauty serum, emulsion and sunscreen. It keeps the skin hydrated while protecting against UV rays. The light diffusion effect covers visible pores and naturally brightens up the skin tone. It contains several beauty ingredients that tightens the skin and provides clarity and radiance to the skin. The sebum-absoring powder prevents makeup from smudging during day.

SPF50+/PA++++

Price: 1,650 yen (130ml)

Did you enjoy the list of the best new Japanese sunscreens of 2021? Which product do you want to try?? I hope this article can help you to find the perfect sunscreen for you this year!

For more information about Japanese sunscreens (best-selling sunscreens, sunscreens by type, sunscreens for different skin types, etc), I have more articles for you!

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