Sunplay skin aqua tone up review năm 2024

Summer is finally here! Are you enjoying the sunshine? I love summer and I can’t get enough of it, but sunscreen is an absolute must as it not only protects my skin from the risk of sun burn and skin cancer, but also from dark sunspots and wrinkles that are caused by UV rays. Today I want to share with you a brilliant tone-up sunscreen that you can use under make-up or on its own.

What does a tone-up sunscreen do?

It is safe to say that tone-up sunscreen has been one of the main categories in sunscreens in Japan for the past few years. There are many variations that cater to your skin concerns, such as blotchiness, redness, or overall sallowness. It can brighten up your skin, give it a healthy glow while protecting it from getting sunburn.

As you can see, Skin Aqua Tone Up Essence Lavender has a hint of purple, which is made up of a combination of blue and pink tints. Lavender is known to brighten and even out your skin, regardless of the skin tone. Blue helps brings out the transparency and pink gives a touch of complexion to the skin. It also contains extra fine pearls that gives a natural glow to the skin, making it an excellent makeup base, but even on its own, it makes the skin look great with a natural glow.

Extremely popular in Japan across different age groups

I came across Skin Aqua Tone Up UV Essence a few years ago while reading a Japanese teen magazine I bought for my daughter. It was one of the most popular sunscreens among the models and we bought one the next time we were in Japan. It glides on the skin and blends with the skin tone well without looking unnaturally pale, but it definitely brightens up the skin, as if you’ve put on a subtle filter on your camera.

I usually only apply a bit of finishing powder instead of foundation over my primer, so a sunscreen that can also be used as a base is ideal for me especially during warmer months. Although this product left my skin looking brighter, it’s not sticky or shiny at all, and some days I don’t bother putting anything over it. I’ve also tried using liquid foundation over this and my skin glowed as if I’d applied an illuminating primer. No caking or drying out, I can recommend this under makeup as well as on its own.

Reliable SPF50+ with PA++++ but handy enough to use daily

While it doubles as a make-up base, it provides an excellent protection with SPF50+ PA++++. You can enjoy summer to the full under the sun, knowing Skin Aqua Tone Up Essence is protecting your skin. It can be removed without the need for cleansing, making it handy enough for daily use. It’s waterproof, but reapplication is recommended after wiping off sweat.

Skin Aqua Tone-Up UV Essence contains Na Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C Derivatives and Pure Nuance Complex to keep skin moist and hydrated. It is also paraben-free and mineral oil-free for those with sensitive skin.

While it doubles as a make-up base, it provides an excellent protection with SPF50+ PA++++. You can enjoy summer to the full under the sun, knowing Skin Aqua Tone Up Essence is protecting your skin. It is hypoallergenic, but here is the list of ingredients for reference, as it does contain ethanol and UV absorbers : Water, Ethanol, Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, BG, Triethylhexanoin, Titanium oxide, Diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate, Sodium hyaluronate, Passiflora edulis fruit extract, Rosa roxburghii fruit extract, Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, Hydrolyzed prunus domestica, Bis-PEG-18 methyl ether dimethyl silane, Methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol, Glycol dimethacrylate crosspolymer, Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine, PEG-40 stearate, (Acrylates/Alkyl acrylate(C10-30)Crosspolymer, TEA, Ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer, Silica, Polystyrene, Polyvinyl alcohol, Polysilicone-13, EDTA-2Na, Decyl glucoside, Xanthan gum, Alumina, PG, Synthetic fluorphlogopite, Tin oxide, CI 17200(Acid Red 33), CI42090(Food Blue 2), Perfume

80% of the cause of ageing skin is said to be UV rays, so if you want to care for your skin, the first step is quality sunscreen. Why not try this multi-function sunscreen for brighter skin this summer?

At Zak Zakka, we also have Skin Aqua Tone Up UV Essence Mint Green, which works well if you have redness or acne.

Summer is here and one of the things i can't live without right now is sunblock! Back when i was staying in Malaysia, it took me literally forever to finish a whole tube of sunblock because most of my foundation/ base already has SPF in it and i mostly drove around instead of walk outside so i didn't see the need to constantly rub on sunblock like there is no tomorrow but in Japan what is car? I walk 90% of the time from my house to the nearest available public transport and after i get off it still requires more walking. So yea i'm constantly being exposed under direct sunlight even though i'm not at the beach (wish it was) and UV umbrellas alone isn't going to protect you 100%.

Guess i as i grew older i started taking care of my skin more diligently because it isn't regenerating itself as quickly as it used to be (unfortunately). And skin cancer is a real thing, not some online hoax to scare you into stocking up a cupboard full of sunblock. So it's best to be always safe than sorry!

This sunblock i'm going to share today has been my all time favorite for the past 2 years (it's from Rhoto btw!), this was before Skin Aqua released the Tone Up UV Essence series in 2018. I've shared an entry on how to survive summer in Japan before so you guys can read up on it to prepare yourself for your upcoming summer trip.

No.1 reason why MOST PEOPLE HATE SUNBLOCKS is because of it's tacky & heavy cream texture, i still remember my first application as a kid while going to the beach that indirectly traumatized me into avoiding sunblocks at all costs until gel like texture were invented about 6 years ago. That's about the same time i started building the courage to "give it a chance" again because hey, we can't run away forever right?

Texture

When i first came across Skin Aqua's gel sunblock (light blue tube) i went nuts over it because of how lightweight the texture was and it absorbs quickly without leaving the skin sticky (last thing you need on a hot & sweaty day). Then the next following year they released the Tone Up UV Essence Sunblock which they claim to help brighten up your skin at the same time creating a protective UV barrier, i picked it up from Donki (slightly more expensive than the usual series) out of curiosity and i'm glad that it didn't disappoint!

The tube packaging alone was attractive (i'm bias towards purple lol) thanks to it's good color combination, definitely stands out more compared to their usual single colored tubes.

Application wise, it lathers on rather well despite it not being completely gel like texture (combination of gel + cream?), still lightweight and it has a power-ish like finishing that acts as the "tone up" function as advertised by the brand. The lavender colored sunblock leaves you 1 shade brighter than your original skintone, and if you are going for the healthy sun kissed tan look then this sunblock isn't for you (you'll need tan tinted sunblocks).

The tone up function does even out my skintone overall especially with my arms & belly area which are painstakingly a stark contrast from each other (i'm sure you gals get me on this issue).

So to not look weird in my swimsuit, (dark arms + white belly), the sunblock did a great job on making things even without making me look too fair and pasty.

Does it Work?

What surprises me most is that it actually prevented me for getting sunburn after being out by the beach all day last summer while i was traveling around Yamaguchi prefecture. I know sunblock usually prevents sunburns but this literally prevented that and me getting more than 1 shade darker than my original tone. So i didn't have any issues with my foundation being too fair after my trip!

It was because of this experience that is why i went around recommending people this awesome sunblock, and i'm not being paid to rave about it but i would gladly do so because it ACTUALLY WORKS!!

It's waterproof too, but i like being careful so i reapplied my sunblock every 2-3 hrs especially when i'm directly under it the whole day.

This sunblock is my holy grail out of all my sunblocks because this can be used both on body & face, the texture and formulation is suited for it unlike normal sunblocks that's made for specific parts of your body. It also works as a make up base* (No need fancy color correction base liao) with decent oil control thanks to it's matte finishing, it's also easy to remove with face wash/ soap; no specific cleanser needed.

Been restocking it non stop and earlier this year they even released a special packaging design for the Tone Up UV essence- Alice in Wonderland

*The lavender undertone from this sunblock works well in balancing out our usual Asian yellow skin tone, helps to brighten up overall (not excessively) especially for those who experience dull & uneven skin patches all over.

Tube or Spray?

There are 2 kinds available tube (80g) & spray (70g), to be i prefer the tube more because it has more in terms of weight but each has their own function depending on a person's preference. Spray can definitely helps you reach areas that are difficult to reach, example like your back and it's faster to use compared to the tube, with no rubbing required. Downside with spray are it isn't child friendly, needs to be done in a well ventilated space and finishes quite fast as you can't control how much is being use with each push. Also spray can is abit more expensive- 1000yen+

However the tube, it lasts longer; for me using it everyday all over from face to my legs a tube lasts about 1.5-2 months. And i don't have to worry about using it indoors around my kid because it's just rub on, i can control how much i use with each squeeze and it only costs 700yen+ a tube.

Downside i need someone to help me to apply on my back if we are going to the beach.

Where to Buy?

Skin Aqua Tone Up UV Essence Sunblock can be found at any drug store throughout Japan, and tax free shopping areas like Don Quijote (Donki), Bic Camera, Yodobashi, etc.

So make sure to grab once while you are in Japan!

It's also available in Malaysia & Singapore at your local pharmacies but slightly more expensive due to import fees & taxes.