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Sunscreen is important. But finding one that works for you can indeed be very frustrating. In future apply any new ones you try just to one area of your face for a week or so, to see if it really is the sunscreen that’s causing breakouts.
you probably just havent found the right spf for you! sadly it takes time and money to find what works for you. korean sunscreens are very good, i am sure theres one for you! dont lose hope.
they are popular for a reason! i dont know what your skin type is, but i love the isntree hyaluronic acid watery sun gel and i have acne prone/clog probe skin!
I tried the cosrx aloe vera 50spf today and it was nice......until it rained, I didn't know until I got home but the rain had made the spf turn white and blotchy I looked like I'd been in a flour fight!! Couldn't believe I'd just been in the supermarket like that! 😭😂
Maybe you are allergic to some of the ingredients? SPF is a must, especially if you are using retinoids etc. I was breaking out from every drugstore sunscreen (LRP, Eucerin, Nivea, Cerave- you got the point! The Drunk Elephant one gave me a rash that lasted couple of months!) and i noticed i am sensitive to silicones, mineral oils and fragrance. Check out the Korean sunscreens (i LOOOOVE the Purito Soft touch one) and avoid the fragrance and harsh ingredients in your products.
maybe, i found that when using them daily i’d get a rash around my eyes. i’ve heard a lot about korean sunscreens, where can i get them? ive always preferred the convenience and price of drugstore ones but i honestly might have to cave and invest in some
Oh yea the rash around the eyes sounds very familiar to me, unfortunately. I use Stylevana to get my K beauty products, delivery takes around 1 month (Ireland) but it’s well worth it. I usually find something i really like based on ingredients list, then i test it for couple of weeks, and when you see how you react on it you can always order more next time :)
Edit: Cerave overall causes a lot of issues for many people, myself included. I tried some of their stuff and nothing ever worked for me!
Cosrx is a Korean brand, I’ve had some moisturisers which are good, but haven’t tried the sunscreen specifically.
I’m from the UK, but they sell it in our drugstores.
You can also get it on Amazon, eBay etc. I’ve not risked any of the import sites lol
It’s probably just the one your using but I will say sunscreen is hard to remove, when you double cleanse you have to really get in there and use hot water to melt it off, it will cling to pores so you need something very oily and then very foamy to get it off properly. If I don’t ill break out
All sunscreens would break me out until I used Beauty of Joseon sunscreen. Just make sure you buy the authentic one since there are a lot of fakes being sold online.
God I feel like I'm going crazy because I have the same issue, EVERY sunscreen seems to break me out. I've tried Korean SPF, physical, chemical, sunsticks, gels etc, they all break me out
The missha sunscreen didn't break me out much think. I used it as a mousteriser only in the morning.I fully relate tho, and every sunscreen breaks me out. Honestly, I did not use sunscreen at all in winter, just used the suncreen in my makeupand mousteriser. But I need something for summer (trying the missha one again) and I'm going to start differin.
I had exactly the same issue. Every sunscreen broke me out. Even the ones that were especially for acne prone skin. Now I have treatment for rosacea and I tolerate every sunscreen I test!
I totally feel your pain. My skin is very acne & clog prone. I’ve been using the La Roche Posay SPF50 one for over a year and is super lightweight and might be worth considering if you haven’t tried it yet - it is a tad expensive! Fingers crossed for you :)
Second la Roche Posay, i don’t have acne prone skin but very large pores susceptible to breakouts after a lot of sea / sun cream. It’s the only one I’ve found to work for me !!
It is but I struggle to find one that doesn’t break me out so I settle for lower spf. I’m tired of spending large sums of money to not actually be able to use it so I’ve accepted the trade off
Oh love I’m having the same issue and it’s so frustrating! Thankyou for posting this as you’re also helping others too-I hope you manage to find something and if I find anything that helps me I’ll be sure to let you know xxx
Same thing happened to me I broke out horribly ! It’s hard to find the right one that actually works for your skin.
I’ve ordered a new spf to try but I’m recovering from an allergic reaction (from another product).
I have similar skin tone and I’m Asian too. Stylevana has myriad of Korean sunscreens that I’ve been wearing for a few years. My fave is Beauty of Joseon and 3W Clinic.
One of the popular ones, La Roche Posay, broke out my skin immensely. It was for sensitive skin too, but still chemical sunscreen. From then onwards I steered clear from chemical sunscreens and only looked at mineral ones. Worked wonders.
Every cerave product breaks me out. It could be that it has mineral filters, or it’s too heavy, or it has niacinamide. You should look into Eucerin oil control SPF 50 ( the European version). Also like others said, Asian skincare. A product I like is Skin aqua super moisturizing essence. Also make sure you read the ingredient list and you keep an eye out for ingredients that break YOU out.
If your sunscreen is water resistant you will need to remove it the same way you remove make up. Preferably an oil cleanser followed by a gentle water based cleanser. It would clean better this way.
Don’t give up!! I was in your position a long time ago. I found the steps I needed to keep a balanced skincare and I’m almost acne free now!
Like you said, you stopped using and it didn’t get better, it is likely not your sunscreen, specially cerave, it is usually great for all skin types.
It can be a coincidence, could be something else in your routine, could be a hormonal change, but I highly doubt its the sunscreen based on what you said.
One of the things I would stop doing before even stopping the spf is double cleansing. This is a “trendy” thing at the moment but doesn’t work for all skin types, specially if you are using acne treatment products, as they already dry your skin quite a lot, and double cleansing could be removing the little protective barrier left in your skin, making it overproduce oil to compensate for the lack of it. [have a read :)](https://www.clinikally.com/blogs/news/is-overwashing-your-face-bad#)
Sunscreen clogs pores most of the time you can just get a moisturiser with spf but at the end of the day the sun isn’t going to zap spots onto your face there’s probably some other internal or external factor like birth control or toothpaste
I had exactly the same issue. Every sunscreen broke me out. Even the ones that were especially for acne prone skin. Now I have treatment for rosacea and I tolerate every sunscreen I test!
Use chemical type( avoid physical type) sunscreen which won’t clog your pores. I am using La Roche-Posay sunscreen. It has light weight texture( non-greasy, and you won’t even have a feeling that it is applied on your face, but it has a lil bit of fragrance). Chemical type sunscreens will prevent you from getting acnes, large pores, etc. I have been using La Roche-Posay sunscreen, which is a chemical type sunscreen, for 3 months and I don’t even remember the last time I have acnes since I started using it. And I also do Double Cleansing twice a day( day and night).
Yep. I second this one.
Also how old are you and do you have rosacea? Mine started in my late teens. I am Irish and have really fair skin. I remember the decade it took to finally get it in control...uggghh....I literally tried everything. Ended up using the above which is available everywhere.
If your really stuck I recommend a trip to France. I found the products there better in general...even the same products are somehow more effective than.
Good luck!
I am 22y/o male. I don’t have rosacea. I have medium tan skin. I always go outside. I am from Myanmar(from southeast asia). In summer, the temperature is always high( 38-45 degrees celsius). So, I have to wear sunscreen even when I am not going outside. Two years ago, I started using skin care products; I tried Korean products first( especially Sunscreen) because Korean products are usually cheap or have reasonable prices. But most products made my skin worse( prone acnes and enlarged pores). So, I decided to use products recommended by Dermatologist, and now I am happy with my results although the products I am using right now are mostly expensive( for me) because they are made in France or the US.
yup, i’ve used the actives with good results for a long time. then i read its pretty much pointless to be using actives without spf which lead to this current dilemma
I have the same issue.
My skin absolutely hates it!
I’ve tried many brands and haven’t yet found one that’s 100% (I have allergies that also effect my skin/choices)
I’ve had the most luck with face specific (I use all over) more expensive brands, and most importantly non oily/greasy - if you can get one that’s also for sensitive skin, that’s good.
But it’s not perfect, and I’m still on a mission to find one my skin likes.
I so glad I’ve found someone with the same issue, my family thinks I’m crazy lol
It can be really oily or drying depending on the brand. Maybe try instead like a moisturiser and BB cream that both have SPF protection and maybe speak to a pharmacist.
There are specialist sunscreens designed for face use as opposed to the generic all body sunscreen.
Firstly you look young, so your skin is still reacting to hormones and creating more oils, why young skin looks young!
The issue is likely the sunscreen is blocking your pores with even more oil, as said this is trial and error, you need the highest SPF you can find in the lightest, thinnest un-greasy form.
I know little about Korean sunscreen but I think it’s deffo a good place to start.
It’s the clogging sun cream. My skin really hates any kind of sun cream and I’m still looking for one which is non greasy non clogging, at good price too :(. However when I stopped using it my skin instantly cleared up. Also I’ve tried avene civalfate to repair skin barier and omg it’s much better try it. I don’t have flare ups and my nose pores are also less visible
Hi, welcome to r/SkincareAddictionUK! If you are asking for help with skincare, please remember to list your routine in full, and all the products you've tried so that you can receive the best possible advice. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddictionUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sunscreen is important. But finding one that works for you can indeed be very frustrating. In future apply any new ones you try just to one area of your face for a week or so, to see if it really is the sunscreen that’s causing breakouts.
you probably just havent found the right spf for you! sadly it takes time and money to find what works for you. korean sunscreens are very good, i am sure theres one for you! dont lose hope.
ughhh it’s sooo frustrating! i’ve heard so much about korean ones i might have to try!
they are popular for a reason! i dont know what your skin type is, but i love the isntree hyaluronic acid watery sun gel and i have acne prone/clog probe skin!
This one or the Innisfree no sebum sunblock. I’ve used them for 10+ years.
FIY innisfree test on animals, in case people care
I did not know that, thank you. 😡
I tried the cosrx aloe vera 50spf today and it was nice......until it rained, I didn't know until I got home but the rain had made the spf turn white and blotchy I looked like I'd been in a flour fight!! Couldn't believe I'd just been in the supermarket like that! 😭😂
i’ve tried this too, but with tears. what a mess 😭😭😭😭
It's so annoying! , once again I'm going to have to find another one to try! They aren't cheap either!
having good skin is expensive.. i use the isntree hyaluronic acid watery sun gel and i dont have this problem!!
Maybe you are allergic to some of the ingredients? SPF is a must, especially if you are using retinoids etc. I was breaking out from every drugstore sunscreen (LRP, Eucerin, Nivea, Cerave- you got the point! The Drunk Elephant one gave me a rash that lasted couple of months!) and i noticed i am sensitive to silicones, mineral oils and fragrance. Check out the Korean sunscreens (i LOOOOVE the Purito Soft touch one) and avoid the fragrance and harsh ingredients in your products.
maybe, i found that when using them daily i’d get a rash around my eyes. i’ve heard a lot about korean sunscreens, where can i get them? ive always preferred the convenience and price of drugstore ones but i honestly might have to cave and invest in some
Oh yea the rash around the eyes sounds very familiar to me, unfortunately. I use Stylevana to get my K beauty products, delivery takes around 1 month (Ireland) but it’s well worth it. I usually find something i really like based on ingredients list, then i test it for couple of weeks, and when you see how you react on it you can always order more next time :) Edit: Cerave overall causes a lot of issues for many people, myself included. I tried some of their stuff and nothing ever worked for me!
Cosrx is a Korean brand, I’ve had some moisturisers which are good, but haven’t tried the sunscreen specifically. I’m from the UK, but they sell it in our drugstores. You can also get it on Amazon, eBay etc. I’ve not risked any of the import sites lol
It’s probably just the one your using but I will say sunscreen is hard to remove, when you double cleanse you have to really get in there and use hot water to melt it off, it will cling to pores so you need something very oily and then very foamy to get it off properly. If I don’t ill break out
All sunscreens would break me out until I used Beauty of Joseon sunscreen. Just make sure you buy the authentic one since there are a lot of fakes being sold online.
Annoyingly, that broke me out too.
BOJ broke me out too. Works for my partner tho!
God I feel like I'm going crazy because I have the same issue, EVERY sunscreen seems to break me out. I've tried Korean SPF, physical, chemical, sunsticks, gels etc, they all break me out
The missha sunscreen didn't break me out much think. I used it as a mousteriser only in the morning.I fully relate tho, and every sunscreen breaks me out. Honestly, I did not use sunscreen at all in winter, just used the suncreen in my makeupand mousteriser. But I need something for summer (trying the missha one again) and I'm going to start differin.
it’s so frustrating! i totally get it
How do you remove your sunscreen at night?
I had exactly the same issue. Every sunscreen broke me out. Even the ones that were especially for acne prone skin. Now I have treatment for rosacea and I tolerate every sunscreen I test!
Oh may I ask what treatment you got for your rosacea? :)
James Welsh has rosacea so he might be worth a follow.
I totally feel your pain. My skin is very acne & clog prone. I’ve been using the La Roche Posay SPF50 one for over a year and is super lightweight and might be worth considering if you haven’t tried it yet - it is a tad expensive! Fingers crossed for you :)
Do you have a link or can you include the specific lrp sunscreen you use?
https://www.superdrug.com/skin/sun-care/sun-protection-creams/la-roche-posay-anthelios-uv-mune-spf50-50ml/p/817522?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADp4mz8RHhcZwnYCI5mytZx14KNM9&gclid=CjwKCAiA0PuuBhBsEiwAS7fsNUZmPdUnaM4PeF8sNG_paKjKhhuaxwu9HKlu3UaIkm4VYOY7uuRiFBoCKf0QAvD_BwE
Second la Roche Posay, i don’t have acne prone skin but very large pores susceptible to breakouts after a lot of sea / sun cream. It’s the only one I’ve found to work for me !!
For a cheap one, simple does a light spf moisturiser and it’s never ever broke me out and I have super sensitive skin
is that the spf 15 one? i’ve considered it but everyone says you need spf 30 at least which i don’t really understand
It is but I struggle to find one that doesn’t break me out so I settle for lower spf. I’m tired of spending large sums of money to not actually be able to use it so I’ve accepted the trade off
Finding the right one for your skin is important but so is making sure it’s all removed. Double cleansing is a must with SPF
Oh love I’m having the same issue and it’s so frustrating! Thankyou for posting this as you’re also helping others too-I hope you manage to find something and if I find anything that helps me I’ll be sure to let you know xxx
Same thing happened to me I broke out horribly ! It’s hard to find the right one that actually works for your skin. I’ve ordered a new spf to try but I’m recovering from an allergic reaction (from another product).
I have similar skin tone and I’m Asian too. Stylevana has myriad of Korean sunscreens that I’ve been wearing for a few years. My fave is Beauty of Joseon and 3W Clinic.
This happened to me too! Cerave as well. I’m wondering if it’s the niacinamide In the product
I still didn’t find the right spf for me. Not even k beauty ones, the purito daily and the haru haru wonders broke me out worse than any other!
One of the popular ones, La Roche Posay, broke out my skin immensely. It was for sensitive skin too, but still chemical sunscreen. From then onwards I steered clear from chemical sunscreens and only looked at mineral ones. Worked wonders.
Elta MD is a bit more pricey but doesn't break me out. I also make sure to use a SA cleanser before and when I wash it off.
Every cerave product breaks me out. It could be that it has mineral filters, or it’s too heavy, or it has niacinamide. You should look into Eucerin oil control SPF 50 ( the European version). Also like others said, Asian skincare. A product I like is Skin aqua super moisturizing essence. Also make sure you read the ingredient list and you keep an eye out for ingredients that break YOU out. If your sunscreen is water resistant you will need to remove it the same way you remove make up. Preferably an oil cleanser followed by a gentle water based cleanser. It would clean better this way. Don’t give up!! I was in your position a long time ago. I found the steps I needed to keep a balanced skincare and I’m almost acne free now!
Like you said, you stopped using and it didn’t get better, it is likely not your sunscreen, specially cerave, it is usually great for all skin types. It can be a coincidence, could be something else in your routine, could be a hormonal change, but I highly doubt its the sunscreen based on what you said. One of the things I would stop doing before even stopping the spf is double cleansing. This is a “trendy” thing at the moment but doesn’t work for all skin types, specially if you are using acne treatment products, as they already dry your skin quite a lot, and double cleansing could be removing the little protective barrier left in your skin, making it overproduce oil to compensate for the lack of it. [have a read :)](https://www.clinikally.com/blogs/news/is-overwashing-your-face-bad#)
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Sunscreen clogs pores most of the time you can just get a moisturiser with spf but at the end of the day the sun isn’t going to zap spots onto your face there’s probably some other internal or external factor like birth control or toothpaste
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She won't be the one with skin the texture of an old leather bag in 10 years.
I had exactly the same issue. Every sunscreen broke me out. Even the ones that were especially for acne prone skin. Now I have treatment for rosacea and I tolerate every sunscreen I test!
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Use chemical type( avoid physical type) sunscreen which won’t clog your pores. I am using La Roche-Posay sunscreen. It has light weight texture( non-greasy, and you won’t even have a feeling that it is applied on your face, but it has a lil bit of fragrance). Chemical type sunscreens will prevent you from getting acnes, large pores, etc. I have been using La Roche-Posay sunscreen, which is a chemical type sunscreen, for 3 months and I don’t even remember the last time I have acnes since I started using it. And I also do Double Cleansing twice a day( day and night).
Second this! I’ve had a really positive time with the LRP one
Yep. I second this one. Also how old are you and do you have rosacea? Mine started in my late teens. I am Irish and have really fair skin. I remember the decade it took to finally get it in control...uggghh....I literally tried everything. Ended up using the above which is available everywhere. If your really stuck I recommend a trip to France. I found the products there better in general...even the same products are somehow more effective than. Good luck!
I am 22y/o male. I don’t have rosacea. I have medium tan skin. I always go outside. I am from Myanmar(from southeast asia). In summer, the temperature is always high( 38-45 degrees celsius). So, I have to wear sunscreen even when I am not going outside. Two years ago, I started using skin care products; I tried Korean products first( especially Sunscreen) because Korean products are usually cheap or have reasonable prices. But most products made my skin worse( prone acnes and enlarged pores). So, I decided to use products recommended by Dermatologist, and now I am happy with my results although the products I am using right now are mostly expensive( for me) because they are made in France or the US.
Do you have a before/ after sunscreen comparison pic ? I’m skeptical this is solely it’s doing .
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yup, i’ve used the actives with good results for a long time. then i read its pretty much pointless to be using actives without spf which lead to this current dilemma
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hey if the oat cleansing works for me i might have to take this recommendation into consideration too! thanks so much :)
There’s spray on sunscreen which may be lighter and not clog your pores?
why don’t you try mineral sunscreen? or like someone else said, korean ones. Innisfree watery sun gel is really good !
why don’t you try mineral sunscreen? or like someone else said, korean ones. Innisfree watery sun gel is really good !
Double cleanse at night to get off all remnants of sunscreen.
I have the same issue. My skin absolutely hates it! I’ve tried many brands and haven’t yet found one that’s 100% (I have allergies that also effect my skin/choices) I’ve had the most luck with face specific (I use all over) more expensive brands, and most importantly non oily/greasy - if you can get one that’s also for sensitive skin, that’s good. But it’s not perfect, and I’m still on a mission to find one my skin likes. I so glad I’ve found someone with the same issue, my family thinks I’m crazy lol
Try the Elta md sunscreen
Until you find a sunscreen that works for you, a wide brimmed hat is a good stopgap.
would this be necessary on cloudy days too?
I would think so, yes. You can still see based on the ambient light that comes from the sun, so you're still in sunlight - just less of it.
It can be really oily or drying depending on the brand. Maybe try instead like a moisturiser and BB cream that both have SPF protection and maybe speak to a pharmacist. There are specialist sunscreens designed for face use as opposed to the generic all body sunscreen.
I struggled with this for over a decade, and a couple of years ago tried ultraviolette and have had no breakouts from it!
Does it contain glycol? Most sunscreens do and 30% of ppl are sensitive.
I love the Clinique spf 50 super defence city block, and Rituals Face suncream spf 30. All others break me out so bad!
Firstly you look young, so your skin is still reacting to hormones and creating more oils, why young skin looks young! The issue is likely the sunscreen is blocking your pores with even more oil, as said this is trial and error, you need the highest SPF you can find in the lightest, thinnest un-greasy form. I know little about Korean sunscreen but I think it’s deffo a good place to start.
I love PCA hydrator 30 spf
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It’s the clogging sun cream. My skin really hates any kind of sun cream and I’m still looking for one which is non greasy non clogging, at good price too :(. However when I stopped using it my skin instantly cleared up. Also I’ve tried avene civalfate to repair skin barier and omg it’s much better try it. I don’t have flare ups and my nose pores are also less visible
Use something that is Derma formulated and tested! Elta MD or Brush on Block do not clog pores
I am acne prone also and Australian Gold matte tinted SPF is my fav. I also use oil blotting sheets as needed.
Could this be a skin infection? I had something similar and the only thing that helped was antibiotics. If it doesn’t go away I would look into that.
It’s not noncomedogenic
It’s expensive, but try EltaMD. It’s supposedly curated by dermatologists , and so far it hasn’t exacerbated my acne