La Roche-Posay is famed for its highly efficacious and popular Anthelios range of sunscreens and it just got even better. The latest addition to the Anthelios family sees the French pharmacy giant creating a brand new UV (ultraviolet) filter from scratch, named Mexoryl 400 (hence the name).

UV filters are time-consuming innovations and usually take many years to formulate (and get approval from the relevant authorities), so this is a big deal. Mexoryl 400 reportedly protects the skin against ultra-long UVA rays which penetrate the epidermis the most, hence causing the most damage.

According to the brand, no sun filter to date has been able to block efficiently these ultra-long UVA rays – well until Mexoryl 400 came along. If you’re serious about sun skin protection, this is likely the one to snag.

Glow Recipe made watermelon extract a thing in the skincare world (the fruit extract is said to hydrate, deliver essential vitamins and amino acids, and visibly brighten skin) and now, they’ve expanded the Watermelon range to include sunscreen.

The Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Sunscreen SPF50 does contain quite a lot of goodies: besides the two key ingredients in the name (watermelon extract and everyone’s favourite all-rounder niacinamide), there are classics like hyaluronic acid to hydrate and aloe vera extract to provide some anti-inflammatory action. The sunscreen is formulated with a mix of chemical (Homosalate, Octisalate and Octocrylene) and mineral filters (zinc oxide) to provide best-of-both-worlds protection.

K-beauty lovers will undoubtedly be familiar with Dear, Klairs’ popular Soft Airy UV Essence, which was beloved for its elegant, lightweight texture. However, after last year’s K-beauty sunscreen controversy where it was discovered that the sun protection factor was not as high as stated by several Korean brands, Dear, Klairs made the decision to reformulate its own.

According to the brand, the new All-day Airy Sunscreen has undergone extensive testing at three external labs to verify its sun protection factor – namely the Korea Dermatology Research Institute, Global Cosmeceutical Center by Semyung University, and Cosmeservice.

The new formula is said to have the same lightweight texture as the old product and a refreshing, non-greasy finish. While it’s not yet available in Singapore, skincare junkies can pick it up from K-beauty online retailers like Yesstyle.

If you’re a skincare junkie, you’ll no doubt have seen this viral sunscreen pop up on social media. Yet another formula by a K-beauty brand (they’re the ones to beat when it comes to cosmetic elegance), this sunscreen focuses on rice extract and grain fermented extracts to provide moisture to the skin.

Rice extract has long been part of Korean and Japanese skincare rituals and is reportedly extremely rich in vitamins B, C, E and amino acids. Beauty of Joseon’s product contains a whopping 30 per cent of rice extract and is fragrance- and essential oil-free, making it a great candidate for those with sensitive skin.

For the uninitiated, Swedish skincare label Evy Technology is raved about in the digital sphere for their highly protective sunscreen that is ultra long-lasting; the company claims that their sunscreen lasts on the skin for up to six hours (before requiring re-application, most sunscreens are recommended to be re-applied every two hours).

Another interesting thing about Evy is the fact that most of its sunscreens come with a mousse texture instead of the usual cream or gel textures. This particular product protects against blue light and is water-resistant which makes it a great option for outdoor activities. Plus, the mousse formula is said to disappear into the skin and primes it for makeup after.

It’s not available in Singapore but you can get it on British retailer Cult Beauty, which ships here.

Text: Keng Yang Shuen/FEMALE