Anessa Sunscreen – The Best Japanese Sun-protection Brand You Should Know About

What is Anessa Sunscreen and what makes it so special?

Anessa is one of the most popular Japanese sunscreen brands produced by leading cosmetic manufacturer Shiseido. From the year 2000 to 2021, its market share of sunscreen products in Japan has remained at the top, and many of our international customers have also left 5-star reviews, which demonstrates Anessa’s quality and reliability. What makes Anessa sunscreen worth trying is that it also has a skincare formula, so you can improve your skin health by applying it on a daily basis.

This blog post will discuss some critical features of Anessa sunscreen that you should not miss. It also provides some answers to commonly asked questions, so if you are interested in the Anessa series but have no idea where to begin, this article may be useful to you.

Difference between Anessa sunscreen gel and milk

Many Anessa fans and people using this brand for the first time often find it difficult to choose between gel-type and milk-type sunscreens. While both types have powerful UV protection benefits, give a natural glossy finish, and feature water- and friction-proof formulas, there are two major differences that you should keep in mind. We will explore these by comparing the Perfect UV Skincare Gel N with Perfect UV Skincare Milk N.

First, the gel-type Anessa sunscreen tends to give a dewier and moister finish despite its watery texture while the milk-type counterpart has a non-sticky feeling that remains extra-light. Second, both sunscreens have a UV enhancing effect called Auto Booster Technology, which is a special formula to make UV protection stronger instead of thinning out. On the other hand, the Perfect UV Skincare Milk N also has the Thermal Booster Technology, an original prescription that allows the UV protection effect to be stronger against exposure to heat.

For these reasons, the gel-type Anessa sunscreen is ideal for customers who prefer giving their skin a dewy feeling while milk-type sunscreen is suitable for those who normally enjoy outdoor activities, especially in the summer.

Best Anessa sunscreen for oily skin

Anessa sunscreens are made with botanical ingredients and make more scarce use of oil-based formulas. In addition, produced in gel or milk formulas, their feeling on application is lighter than cream- and essence-type counterparts. These features make Anessa sunscreens friendly to users with oily skin. However, as mentioned in the previous section, the Perfect UV Skincare Gel N offers a deep-moist finish and it may get mushy or greasy when combined with sebum. In this sense, the Perfect UV Skincare Milk N is more suitable for oily skin than the gel-type variation.

Is Anessa sunscreen a physical or chemical sunscreen?

Unfortunately, Anessa does not offer a non-chemical sunscreen because all the products from this brand are actually a hybrid of physical and chemical components. However, Anessa provides milder sunscreens: these are mainly made of physical components like zinc oxide and titanium oxide with more scarce use of chemical ingredients and additives. Therefore, for people with sensitive skin and babies, Anessa’s mild sunscreen is the one to choose.

Does Anessa sunscreen leave a white cast?

Although Anessa does not have a clear sunscreen, you can prevent your skin from leaving a white cast if you spread it well. In fact, several reviews left by our customers reveal that Anessa sunscreens leave no white cast. Therefore, you do not have to worry too much about white casts as long as you spread the sunscreen sufficiently.

Anessa sunscreen shelf life

In Japan there are no legal regulations that require cosmetic manufacturers to clearly state the shelf life of their products. However, although it is said that unopened cosmetics can last for approximately three years, this shortens to 6~12 months once opened, and this is also true of Anessa sunscreens. For better safety, it is recommended to use it up no later than one year after opening.

One thing you have to note is that the quality of the sunscreen may sharply deteriorate if not stored properly (e.g. the cap is not closed tightly, stored in an extremely hot and humid area, etc.) even if it is newly opened. If you keep using such sunscreen, it may cause skin problems such as redness, itchiness, and irritation. The other signs of quality deterioration are:

Smell – avoid using sunscreen that has a sharp or unpleasant odor, or if the smell is quite different from what it previously was.

Color – it is recommended that you dispose of the sunscreen if its color is totally different from its original color.

Contents – discontinue use if there are black powdery substances inside the sunscreen or if its texture becomes unnaturally grainy.

Is Anessa sunscreen safe for pregnancy?

It is often said that pregnant women are more vulnerable to skin problems such as spots and freckles. This is because the hormone balance changes due to the pregnancy, and this makes melanin generation more active than usual. What’s more surprising is that exposure to ultraviolet accelerates melanin activities, so it is essential for pregnant women to use UV sunscreen regularly, regardless of season and how frequently they go outside.

For pre-moms, the best sunscreen for them is one without additives and chemical ingredients. As mentioned earlier, since Anessa sunscreens are a mixture of physical and chemical components, you may think Anessa is not a good choice. However, Anessa Mild Milk and Mild Gel are friendly for pregnant women because they are designed to be used for sensitive skin and are free of additives (fragrances, colorants, alcohol, parabens, and mineral oils). You can also use these mild versions for your babies unless they are newborns.

On the other hand, you should keep in mind that exposure to the sun’s rays allows your body to generate vitamin D. For pre-moms, vitamin D is helpful in preventing osteoporosis, premature birth, and pregnancy diabetes while it also prevents their babies from suffering from bow-legs and rachitis. Excessive UV protection can be a risk for pregnant women and babies. Therefore, it is important for mothers and infants to take in the sun moderately. If you are still reluctant to do this, you can supplement vitamin D through diet: fish, egg yolk, and mushrooms are foods rich in vitamin D.