Sunplay Whitening UV SPF 50 PA+++: an Effective Sunscreen

Hi everybody,

• Lesson #1: bring your own sunscreens when you travel.

• Lesson #2: sunscreens formulated for the cold climate may clog your pores when used in a much, much warmer climate.

I learned these lessons the hard way: not only did I not bring my #1 favorite physical sunblock with me to Vietnam, I also realized the chemical sunscreens I have irritate the heck out of my skin. On top of that, the extreme heat and humidity make things worse for me. A week into it and I was searching high and low for a reliable sunblock that (a) is not too moisturizing, (b) not irritating, and (c) contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Lady Luck smiled at me during my last shopping spree. My eagle eyes found Sunplay Whitening UV SPF 50 PA+++ after reading the ingredients, I was more than delighted: it contains both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, yay! After some hustling, I bought it and during my last trip to the beach, I got a chance to test it out.

Sunplay Whitening UV SPF 50 PA+++ by Rhoto-Mentholatum (a Japanese company.)

Wanna know what I think about this product? Jump!

First of all, although Sunplay has been available in the Vietnamese market for a long time, I did not have a chance to try it. I've heard a lot of nice things about Japanese sunblocks and sunscreens since a lot of my friends are fans of them. I know a few beauty bloggers swear by Shiseido sunscreens as they are light-weight and do not burn their delicate skins.

Unlike many other sunscreens I've tried, Sunplay is not a cream or a thick lotion. Instead, it is a watery milky white liquid. There is a small ball inside the bottle and you need to shake it before dispensing the liquid into your palm. It dries fast and does not leave a white cast, which is a bonus. After drying, it does not feel greasy, either.

I got a chance to really test it when I went to the beach a few weeks ago. I slathered on my body a thick layer of Sunplay before heading to the beach. It was intensely hot and I believe the heat index would be 10 or above. However, after I came back, my skin was only a shade darker and I did not get burn on the areas I applied sunscreens. Winning!

Ingredients

Although it is quite affordable (45,000VND or $2.25 USD), the bottle is quite small (30ml, 1 fl. oz.) A trip to the beach and I feel the lightness inside the bottle already. However, I realize a lot of skincare products are a lot smaller than their counterparts in the U.S. This leads me to believe it has to do with affordable pricing so people can buy. Also, a lot of products have "whitening" in their labels. While Sunplay is a sunscreen product, it does not have any whitening properties beside blocking the sun.

Would I buy it again? Of course! In fact, my bottle is running low and I am going to need a back-up pretty soon. I do hope this kind of sunscreen is available in the markets outside of Asian, as it is a very good product that does not aggravate my skin.

Disclaimer: I bought this product.

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