Sunscreen is recommended to wear everyday to protect our skin from daily UV exposures all year round. Choosing a right sunscreen is very important and we should be as careful as when we choose daily skin care products.

Sunscreens should be chosen according to your skin type, but if you have combination skin, it could be tricky sometimes. Combination skin is a skin type that typically gets oily around T-zone area (forehead, nose and chin) and dry other areas. Some might also struggled with clogged pores or acne. One of the solutions for combination skin is using two different products for different areas of your skin.

But do you want to find a perfect sunscreen that you can comfortably wear throughout the day? A wide range of sunscreens are sold in Japan in different formulas (gel, stick, spray, powder, etc), with different effects (waterproof, colour-correct, aging-care, etc) and for different skin types (dry, oily, acne prone, sensitive, etc).

In this article, I would like to introduce some of Japanese sunscreens recommended for combination skin, which help to keep the skin smooth and silky yet protect from dryness at the same time. If you have combination skin and have ever struggled finding a right sunscreen, this list may be a help. Please check out the best Japanese sunscreens for combination skin!

*Please note that this article contains affiliate links.

1. SOFINA jenne UV Protection Emulsion

SOFINA jenne is a skin care brand specially launched for combination skin, so this product is recommended for those who struggle both from oiliness and dryness. SOFINA jenne UV Protection Emulsion (ソフィーナ ジェンヌ 混合肌のための高保湿ＵＶ乳液) is a daytime moisturizer that protects the skin from UV rays and controls sebum throughout the day.

The sunscreen milk contains various skin care ingredients such as tuberose essence α, eucalyptus globulus leaf extract and phellodendron amurense bark extract, which moisturizes dry parts of the skin. It’s formulated with ceramide ingredients to protect the skin from dryness. It suppresses excess sebum and keeps the skin non-sticky and comfortable.

SPF50+/PA++++

Price: 2,090 yen (30ml) ［Shop Online］

2. MINON Amino Moist Balancing Base UV

MINON is a Japanese skin care brand offering skin care products for sensitive skin. The brand is owned by the pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo and produces the originally-developed amino acid formula skin care products.

MINON Amino Moist Balancing Base UV (ミノン アミノモイスト バランシングベース UV) is a makeup primer with a sunscreen effect for combination and sensitive skin. The tinted primer corrects the skin tone naturally, covers visible pores and redness, and prevents makeup from smudging. It’s formulated with skin-conditioning amino acids to maintain the balance of the skin’s moisture and oil. Contains sebum absorbing powder to keep the skin smooth and silky. It’s free of alcohol, fragrance, colouring, alcohol, paraben and UV absorber, tested for allergy and sensitive skin and a prescription that is less likely to cause acne.

SPF30/PA+++

Price: 1,760 yen (25g) ［Shop Online］

3. ANESSA Perfect UV Skincare Milk

ANESSA by Shiseido is a leading brand of Japanese sunscreen and produces a range of sunscreens with a powerful UV protection, great longevity and skin care effect. ANESSA’s sunscreen products are popular both in Japan and abroad.

The multiple award-winner, ANESSA Perfect UV Skincare Milk (アネッサ パーフェクトＵＶ スキンケアミルク) is a light-weight, long-lasting sunscreen that provides a great UV protection with a smooth and non-greasy finish. It features ANESSA’s original Aqua Booster EX Technology and Thermo Booster Technology which strengthens the sun protection veil when contacting with sweat, water and heat. It contains 50% skin care ingredients and offers a beautifying effect that creates naturally radiant look. It’s friction proof and super waterproof, yet come off easily with regular soap. For more dewy and moisturizing finish, I recommend you to consider a gel type.

SPF50+/PA++++

Price: 3,300 yen (60 ml) ［Shop Online］

4. Sekkisei Skin Care UV Gel

SEKKISEI Skincare UV Gel (雪肌精 スキンケア UV ジェル) is a sunscreen gel that provides sun protection and skin care effect at the same time. It’s rich in beauty serum and prevents dryness, roughness and dark spots caused by sun exposure.

The lightweight, refreshing sunscreen gel spreads smoothly on the skin without sticky or heavy feeling. It contains 80% beauty serum including highly moisturizing fermented Job’s tears extract, which promotes the skin brightness and translucency with each use. The sebum absorbing ingredients are blended, which keeps the skin smooth and helps foundation to sit longer when you use as a makeup primer. It protect the skin from damages caused by UV rays, environmental stressors and dryness.

SPF 50+/PA++++

Price: 2,310 yen (90g) [Shop Online]

5. NIVEA UV Super Water Gel

NIVEA UV Super Water Gel (ニベアＵＶ スーパーウォータージェル) is a sunscreen gel that has a light and refreshing lotion-like texture. This water-base sunscreen is moisturizing yet extremely lightweight, which can be used comfortably for all skin types.

The water-light sunscreen gel spreads smoothly without leaving stickiness or white cast. It gently protects the skin from the UV damage and dryness. It contains 2 kinds of hyaluronic acid that penetrates deep into the skin and delivers hydration. It’s free of mineral oil, colouring and fragrance. Easy to remove with regular soap and face wash.

SPF 50+/PA+++

Price: Open Price [Shop Online]

6. Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence

Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence (ビオレ UV アクアリッチ ウォータリーエッセンス) is a top-selling Japanese sunscreen that are known for being lightweight and long-lasting. The product has won multiple beauty awards over the past decade.

The water-based sunscreen provides a powerful, long-lasting UV protection with a smooth and transparent finish. It features Biore’s original Micro Defense formula with micro capsules packed with a UV protection agent which spread evenly and form a veil on the skin. It contains beauty ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and royal jelly to moisturize the skin. It’s super waterproof formula but can be removed easily with regular soap.

SPF50+/PA++++

Price: 880 yen (50g) ［Shop Online］

7. ELIXIR REFLET Balancing Oshiroi Milk

ELIXIR REFLET Balancing Oshiroi Milk (エリクシール ルフレ バランシング おしろいミルク) is a daytime moisturizer with effects of setting powder and sunscreen. It can be used as a face sunscreen or makeup primer.

The lightly tinted, lightweight milk blends to the skin smoothly, and conditions the sebum and moisture balance of the skin. It acts as a face powder, makes pores less visible and keeps the skin smooth and matte. It also helps the foundation to stay longer when you apply as a makeup primer. With the high UV protection rates, it protects the skin from UV rays and prevents skin-aging and dryness.

The tinted, higher coverage version, ELIXIR REFLET Balancing Oshiroi Milk C is also available, which naturally covers dullness and uneven tone of the skin.

SPF50+/PA++++

Price: 1,980 yen (35g) ［Shop Online］

Thanks for reading! I hope this article helps you to a perfect sunscreen for your skin! The listed products are commonly sold at drugstores, cosmetics stores and variety shops in Japan, but some products are also available to shop online with international shipping! So if you are interested in these products, go ahead and try them out!

If you are into Japanese beauty products, I’d recommend you to check out the online beauty store Kokoro which offers a wide selection of Japanese beauty products with worldwide shipping. Visit their website (Kokoro: http://bit.ly/32HfNbi) to check more Japanese cosmetics products! Free shipping is available when you spend over 40 USD 🙂

For more information about the latest Japanese cosmetics products, here are some more articles that you may be interested!

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