make p:rem suncream review
If you read my morning skincare routine you'll know that I finally had the revelation that suncream is a must - even on cloudy days, and even when you're indoors. I was quite nervous to add a suncream to my face routine because by nature a suncream is naturally quite oily, even the cream versions. The last thing I want my oily, shine-producing, skin to be is as extra as the crab from Moana, especially when wearing makeup.
...let's start with why suncream so important
Well suncream can protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays.
UVA rays have a longer wave length, and penetrate deep into the skin - which causes ageing.
UVB rays have a shorter wave length, and cause burning on the top of the skin.
There are so many suncreams/sunscreens/oils out there, and not all of them protect against both UVA and UVB rays - but it is becoming more common that they do. I had no idea that my regular go-to sun oil (for my body) protected against both until I was learning about the benefits of sunscreens and decided, on a whim, to check the bottle. For those interested, I use Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze Oil in SPF20 for all over body (not face) cover - it also comes as SPF30.
things to look out for on the bottle...
If a bottle only mentions SPF, then you're only protected from UVB rays. Of course, the higher the SPF, the better the amount of protection, but only against UVB. If you see 'broad spectrum' on the bottle, then you can be sure the suncream/oil covers you from both UVA and UVB rays. But no matter which you opt for, you should always aim to reapply throughout the day... the back of the bottle will tell you how long the protection lasts before you need to give it a top up.
K-beauty suncreams (like the Make P:rem brand) feature another scale. Their suncream products show the SPF number but also feature a 'PA' scale. PA protects against UVA rays, and the more +'s after PA, the stronger the protection. Honestly, K-beauty is so innovative, I'm all for it. Even their suncreams play host to an array of other products that nourish, cleanse, or revitalise the skin, so it's not just a product to protect your skin from the sun but a great addition to your morning skincare routine. They can even protect against other day to day impurities such as infra red and heat damage.
...onto the review
During my research for new skincare products, I came across an amazing video on YouTube by The Beauty Within, where they shared a super detailed review of their favourite suncreams - with different skin types in mind. It's definitely worth a watch. I'm absolutely hooked on their videos, they're so full of science and results!
From their video I narrowed down my options to Avene's Very High Protection Tinted Mineral Fluid - SPF50 (I believe there's also a non-tinted version) and Make P:rem's UV Defense - SPF50 PA++++ - both protect against UVA and UVB rays, and are a big jump up in protection from my usual SPF20. I continued my research on these two products, read lots of reviews, and for my oily skin Make P:rem won. I may very well try Avene's tinted suncream in the future, specifically to wear on non-makeup days, but for now it's Make P:rem all the way.
I've been using the Make P:rem UV Defense cream for about a week now, at the very end of my morning skincare routine, after the moisturiser, and I can honestly say that I'm loving it. A lot. From the first moment I poured it from the bottle onto my hand, I knew that it was the one. It's such a light cream, it's not thick, it's a little fluid - almost like a creamy milk, if that makes sense. There's no scent to it, and whilst there's a small sense of brightening after immediate application - it has no white-cast. A little goes a long way too; I can cover my face with a small dollop.
I was still a liiittle concerned that it, being a suncream, might be oily/shiny on my face, but as I started to apply it I promise you that it had the total opposite effect. My face was matte. It's like it created some sort of magical matte barrier. Like somebody's Korean ancestors had handed it over whilst whispering 'this is for you, congrats on the spf glow up'.
Let's get down to the nitty gritty details; how's it worked with my super oily skin, what's the texture. Well, I can confirm that it is not oily at all. Not one bit. It hasn't clogged my pores, it hasn't caused breakouts (I'm not acne prone anyway), and it definitely hasn't increased sebum production - in fact, I think it's helped to reduce it. I had noticed a slight reduction in sebum production after a couple of months of using niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, vitamin c, and then another reduction a month or so later after adding my new day time moisturiser (you can see all of these products in my morning skincare routine), but I still had a fairly noticeable shine all over my face by the end of the day. On day one of using Make P:rem's UV Defense cream, I noticed that I wasn't seeing such a drastic shine anymore. Truthfully. I'm a week into using it now, and from about midday I can see tiny pools of sebum forming in the pores on my nose, but they're dull and grey - not anywhere near as full and as dark as they used to be. I'm not seeing any shine on my forehead, upper cheeks, or chin.
Mind. Blown. For somebody who has seriously seriously struggled with oily, shiny skin since youth, this is a total game changer. I'm sure it's a combination of all the products I'm now using, but this suncream really does make a big difference. You can see the instant mattifying effect as you put it on, as well as feeling it. By the end of the day my face isn't feeling as oily or as heavy as it used to; I'm not desperate to scrub it clean every evening. I'm enormously impressed, and will absolutely be re-purchasing for the rest of my life.
photo by thosemomentsofmine
where to buy Make P:rem..
The most affordable place to buy Make P:rem products seems to be YesStyle (use code ' PERFECTLYC' for a discount), and I opted for the larger bottle - compared to the product's smaller sizes the price for the largest bottle was a much better deal. YesStyle does ship all the way from Korea, so it does take a little while for your product to reach you, but at least you know you're getting it directly from its place of origin. You can also top up your order with a few cheap Korean skin masks to reach the free shipping offer and/or to utilise one of their readily available discount offers/vouchers (which you can also use with my discount code, yay).
From their video I narrowed down my options to Avene's Very High Protection Tinted Mineral Fluid - SPF50 (I believe there's also a non-tinted version) and Make P:rem's UV Defense - SPF50 PA++++ - both protect against UVA and UVB rays, and are a big jump up in protection from my usual SPF20. I continued my research on these two products, read lots of reviews, and for my oily skin Make P:rem won. I may very well try Avene's tinted suncream in the future, specifically to wear on non-makeup days, but for now it's Make P:rem all the way.
I've been using the Make P:rem UV Defense cream for about a week now, at the very end of my morning skincare routine, after the moisturiser, and I can honestly say that I'm loving it. A lot. From the first moment I poured it from the bottle onto my hand, I knew that it was the one. It's such a light cream, it's not thick, it's a little fluid - almost like a creamy milk, if that makes sense. There's no scent to it, and whilst there's a small sense of brightening after immediate application - it has no white-cast. A little goes a long way too; I can cover my face with a small dollop.
I was still a liiittle concerned that it, being a suncream, might be oily/shiny on my face, but as I started to apply it I promise you that it had the total opposite effect. My face was matte. It's like it created some sort of magical matte barrier. Like somebody's Korean ancestors had handed it over whilst whispering 'this is for you, congrats on the spf glow up'.
Let's get down to the nitty gritty details; how's it worked with my super oily skin, what's the texture. Well, I can confirm that it is not oily at all. Not one bit. It hasn't clogged my pores, it hasn't caused breakouts (I'm not acne prone anyway), and it definitely hasn't increased sebum production - in fact, I think it's helped to reduce it. I had noticed a slight reduction in sebum production after a couple of months of using niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, vitamin c, and then another reduction a month or so later after adding my new day time moisturiser (you can see all of these products in my morning skincare routine), but I still had a fairly noticeable shine all over my face by the end of the day. On day one of using Make P:rem's UV Defense cream, I noticed that I wasn't seeing such a drastic shine anymore. Truthfully. I'm a week into using it now, and from about midday I can see tiny pools of sebum forming in the pores on my nose, but they're dull and grey - not anywhere near as full and as dark as they used to be. I'm not seeing any shine on my forehead, upper cheeks, or chin.
Mind. Blown. For somebody who has seriously seriously struggled with oily, shiny skin since youth, this is a total game changer. I'm sure it's a combination of all the products I'm now using, but this suncream really does make a big difference. You can see the instant mattifying effect as you put it on, as well as feeling it. By the end of the day my face isn't feeling as oily or as heavy as it used to; I'm not desperate to scrub it clean every evening. I'm enormously impressed, and will absolutely be re-purchasing for the rest of my life.
where to buy Make P:rem..
The most affordable place to buy Make P:rem products seems to be YesStyle (use code ' PERFECTLYC' for a discount), and I opted for the larger bottle - compared to the product's smaller sizes the price for the largest bottle was a much better deal. YesStyle does ship all the way from Korea, so it does take a little while for your product to reach you, but at least you know you're getting it directly from its place of origin. You can also top up your order with a few cheap Korean skin masks to reach the free shipping offer and/or to utilise one of their readily available discount offers/vouchers (which you can also use with my discount code, yay).
...and there we have it. Absolutely my new favourite suncream of all time. Do you have a favourite suncream that you just can't give up? Or any questions about Make P:rem's UV Defence cream? Let me know in the comments.
Claudia xo
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