Shiseido • Senka Mineral UV Gel SPF50 PA+++ • Sunscreen

Where To Buy?

cindyriel on 5/5/2013 1:53:00 AM more reviews by cindyriel

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this as I was in search of a lightweight sunscreen that would protect me from the sun and due to its high reviews here, I decided to buy it off sasa.com.

It comes out as a white watery-like substance and goes on the skin really well, there's no need for me to rub it in like traditional sunscreens. Initially it's quite greasy however if you wait about 5 minutes, its sinks in and you can hardly feel a thing on your face. The thing I like about this is that it is lightweight and somehow evens out my face - my skin looks nice and smooth and seeing as I don't wear makeup very often, I can't tell you if it acts as a good primer or not but according to majority of the reviews, it is a good primer.

It does, however, contain alcohol so after I finish this bottle, I will look for other sunscreen that act similarly but do not contain alcohol in it as I kind of don't want alcohol to be absorbed into my bloodstream on a daily basis. But this sunscreen really is spectacular and I will definitely repurchase if I cannot find a product working the same way without alcohol. (I know alcohol is there to help the sunscreen absorb faster but the though of alcohol in my bloodstream every day kind of freaks me out haha).

But yes, this sunscreen really is amazing and is quite cheap too.

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joxbelle on 4/8/2013 1:14:00 PM more reviews by joxbelle

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Does it's job pretty well and it really is a great make up base/primer since it creates a smooth canvas for your make up to glide on. It seemed a little oily to me initially but after it dries up, my face was silky & nice to the touch. Most importantly, it does not clog my pores or causes any break out! Reasonably priced too (Around SGD16.90?)

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Videotapeses on 1/28/2013 1:11:00 PM more reviews by Videotapeses

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Grey    

I've used several Shiseido suncreams which I love but they seem a little pricey to repurchase. I ordered this sunscreen from Sasa.com for $10 and it is absolutely amazing. It doesn't have a gel texture, but it does create a great base for makeup. It's basically a shakeup sunscreen, and has a handy screw off top and nozzle that the product comes out of. I would consider this an HG item seeing as how it has a great formula and amazing price!

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sitknee on 9/21/2012 3:56:00 AM more reviews by sitknee

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

This is just okay. Might work for those without oily skin but didn't do much for me. It goes on incredibly well -- it doesn't look or feel like you have anything on. No white cast, no greasiness. But I'm looking for something that will help with oiliness -- this does a tiny, tiny bit. More suited for normal skin, in my opinion.

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ensei on 4/11/2012 3:09:00 AM more reviews by ensei

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I use a lot of different sunscreens since I have to wear sunscreen daily living in Florida. I use Japanese sunscreens daily since they mingle well with my makeup, and on sunnier days or for more intense sun exposure, I use or layer a higher PPD European sunscreen.


Japanese sunscreens in general are more cosmetically elegant than what's offered here in America with higher and labeled UVA too. I find this is a staple sunscreen in my stash of sunscreens, and I'm on my third bottle of this sunscreen with an extra backup. Looking at all the other reviews, I'm not the only repeat buyer which isn't surprising. This is a really nice everyday sunscreen with decent UVA and UVB protection (spf 50+ PA+++) that is easy on my pocket as well. This sunscreen contains the following UV filters: Octinoxate, Octocrylene, Parsol SLX, Zinc Oxide, Ensulizole, Uvinul A Plus. As you can see, it's primarily a chemical sunscreen so keep that in mind if you have sensitive skin.


This is a shake up sunscreen that comes out a semi opague white viscous liquid. This has a siliconey feel that makes it easy to spread but doesn't cause any breakouts for my pretty clog-prone skin. This sunscreen initally feels a little greasy on the skin. The trick is to apply it, let it dry on the skin a little (about 5 min) and then blend out. If you do this, it dries down to a smooth natural skin finish with maybe a little shine, not super matte like some of the milk type Japanese sunscreens can. There is a little of that silicone mask feel, but that doesn't bother me since I feel this sunscreen can serve the dual purpose of a sunscreen and makeup primer. The one thing I should point out about this sunscreen is that there is a pretty high alcohol smell which thankfully dissipates pretty quickly. Looking at the ingredient list, alcohol is listed as the fifth ingredient. I have combination skin that can lean oily or dry depending on the weather, and this hasn't dried out my skin. I actually find it fairly moisturizing when I first put it on and I think the alcohol just helps it dry faster. In my opinion, unless you have very dry skin, this would be a great sunscreen to try.


As with all sunscreens, you should apply at least 1/4 of a teaspoon for your face (~1.25 ml) or more if possible. Try measuring it out - it's a lot more than you think! Since this sunscreen is 40ml, it should last a month if used only for the face daily. If the bottle lasts longer than that and you're using it daily, then you might not be using enough to achieve the level of protection the sunscreen guarantees. As of right now, the price for this sunscreen can range from $12 to $18 depending on where you buy it. The cheapest place to buy it seems to be from AdamBeauty ($12.50 and ~ $2 registered mail for as many items as you want) and Cosme-De ($12.00 free shipping) which is a pretty decent price. This sunscreen is sweatproof, and while I think it's a great everyday sunscreen, if you're going to be exposed to the sun more intensely or for a longer time (say on the beach), look for a more waterproof sunscreen milk (Allie UV Protector Alpha, Biore UV Perfect Face Milk, Sunkiller Perfect Strong to name a few) or high PPD European sunscreen instead.

8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

notalike on 4/5/2012 8:33:00 PM more reviews by notalike

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I watched Fuzkittie's review on Youtube and decided to give it a try. Love it love it love it. Great sunscreen. Truly mattifying. Does have a gel like texture which doesn't bother me at all. I'm on my second bottle now and just ordered 3 more from imomoko.com for $16.99 a bottle. It will be great for summer time. Would purchase again.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

LianneN on 2/9/2012 10:36:00 AM more reviews by LianneN

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I am on my 5th bottle of this sunscreen! I am breakout prone but silicone doesn't seem to bother me! If you are sensitive to cones beware, it contains quite a bit of silicones. I apply this in the morning without using moisturiser. I have combination skin and find that if I do wear moisturiser under this SS I do get more oily. On its own it works really well. What I like is that this is a 3 in 1 product for me: sunscreen, moisturiser and makeup primer! The silicone in the SS gives my skin a velvety feeling and makeup goes on smooth. I find it hard to find SS that does not make me too oily, dry me out or causes me to look like a ghost. This is the one for me! It does not make me dry or oily and has no white cast. I don't tan when I use this but I do wear hats/use parasol in the summer. This SS does not break me out, which is very important! I use this every day without issues. For a daily sunscreen I prefer it not to be waterproof as I am too worried that it won't wash off properly.

I have used this for a while now and don't plan on trying any other sunscreens until they stop making this (PLEASE DON'T!)
EDIT(16/04/2012) I still love Senka and use this around my eyes every day. For summer though I prefer Biore perfect face milk as it controls oil better!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* ella343 on 10/15/2011 2:43:00 AM more reviews by ella343

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I bought this out of curiosity, while researching sunscreens, not anticipating this slightly mattifying, silicone-based Asian sunscreen fluid would really work for my dry, sensitive skin. Nevertheless, I think Senka is truly excellent. Even if not suited for my skin type, it'll be perfect on those very hot, humid, sticky days when it's loathsome to put anything onto your skin. If you hate the texture of sunscreens, Senka is pretty close to invisible, a slightly rubbery feel typical of "matte" sunscreens, with a touch of alcohol to aid evaporation, and yet it does not dry down so quickly you cannot blend it out for even coverage. The UV filters are a sophisticated blend, comprehensive but somewhat stronger on UVB protection: octinoxate, octocrylene, parsol SLX, zinc oxide, ensulizole, and uvinul a plus. It does not pill. Though water-resistant, it removes readily with a gentle cleanser. Scent is minimal, barely detectable. It's considerably cheaper in Japan, but $17 from ebay is not too bad.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* hoku on 7/12/2011 10:48:00 AM more reviews by hoku

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

EDIT 12/9/2011: I love this sunscreen. I wear it daily. 1 small bottle lasts me just over 2 months, so it's quite economical! I have already bought a few backups, and it does NOT break me out! Upped to 5 lippies.


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Overall: 4

Price: 2 ($17/40 mL on Ebay)

Packaging: 4

Buy Again: Yes

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I heard about this sunscreen after watching FuzKittie's sunscreen video on youtube. I had used asian sunscreens before, and while I loved their lightweight, watery texture, perhaps the one I'd tried before didn't agree with my skin and caused me to break out. Anyway, I found this on Ebay.ca for $17 (incl shipping), so I was pretty happy, because I was deciding between this one, and Shiseido Perfect Essence Sunscreen SPF 50, and that was $43/60 mL.


Packaging:

- gets 4/5 because it is in an opaque, dark blue plastic packing, so I can't see how much is left inside. But, I do love that its packaging is compact and small, so it's perfect for traveling or just tossing into your purse. I also like the nozzle tip with helps you dispense the perfect amount.


Texture:

- It actually does have a gel-lotion consistency -- it's definitely not just "liquid", which is good because then it's easier to control the amount you use and easier to put onto the skin. It feels smooth as you massage it in, and after you let it soak in (1-2 mins) it dries to a powder matte finish (there is talc in it).


Sunscreen agents:

This sunscreen contains:

- Zinc Oxide - UVA/UVB

- Octinoxate (ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate) - mostly UVB only

- Octocrylene - mostly UVB only

- Parsol SLX (Polysilicone-15) - UVA/stabilizer

- Ensulizole (phenylbenzamidazole Sulfonic Acid) - UVB

- Uvinul A Plus (Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate) -- absorbs UVA

- complete ingredients list: http://www.cosdna.com/eng/cosmetic_8d0548763.html

Anyway, I'm liking it so far. It's super lightweight, you can't even feel it's on, and it has a light pleasant fragrance of orange oil. The only reason why I'm giving it a 4 right now is that I'm not sure if it has contributed to some breakouts I'm having. I'll update when I know!

15 out of 15 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No